Contacting A Doctor From TV...

[AlexBL94]

So basically, I was watching an episode of Untold Stories of the ER and one of the stories featured a doctor that I thought seemed like a really cool guy. I looked him up, and it turns out he works at an ER very close to me. I've followed him on Twitter for a while, and we share a lot of common interests. Would it be totally creepy for me to email him, tell him I saw him on TV and was impressed with his style of practice, and ask if I can shadow him?

 

[Catalystik]

So basically, I was watching an episode of Untold Stories of the ER and one of the stories featured a doctor that I thought seemed like a really cool guy. I looked him up, and it turns out he works at an ER very close to me. I've followed him on Twitter for a while, and we share a lot of common interests. Would it be totally creepy for me to email him, tell him I saw him on TV and was impressed with his style of practice, and ask if I can shadow him?

Sounds sorta stalker-ish.

 

[mistafab]

Yeah - it got weird when you said "I've followed him on Twitter for a while, and we share a lot of common interests."

I'm not saying it is wrong to do what you did, but it is definitely weird. If I got an email like that when I'm in practice, I would probably not reply to your email and feel a little creeped out. However, the worst that can happen is they don't respond or say no so go for it 'cause you don't know how they'll feel unless they tell ya and there is nothing to lose by asking.

Tl;dr - yes it is creepy, but still go for it 'cause why not?

 

[AlexBL94]

Let me expand on common interests haha. As in, I'm a veteran and he tweets a lot about the military and helping vets, and he's a reserve police officer and I'm in the process to also become a reserve police officer.

 

[AlexBL94]

Honestly, typing this all out definitely shows me how creepy it looks....

 

[Toutie]

It kinda sounds stalker-ish...but it might also might be worth the effort. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Try to keep the email as un-stalker as possible.

 

[TypeADissection]

Well this is fun. Feel free to go ahead and post the email here along with the reply if there is one. Then we can all vote on a scale of 1-10 how "stalker-ish" it is. Cheers.

 

[AttemptingScholar]

Yes plz do it then update.

 

[aaronrodgers]

Speaking of TV (I think you were on netflix since untold story from the er is on there), Code Black is a good documentary in LA+USC county hospital. Extremis is a great academy-award nominated documentary about end-of-life decisions and it's only 24 minutes!

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

Do it. Just don't mention how long you've been following him. Keep it casual--i saw you on Twitter and we have common interests and id like to shadow

 

[AlexBL94]

UPDATE: I chickened out. I figured it would be worse to creep out a physician in my area that I could potentially run into as a MS than miss out on one networking opportunity. I appreciate the advice, guys!

 

[NotASerialKiller]

UPDATE: I chickened out. I figured it would be worse to creep out a physician in my area that I could potentially run into as a MS than miss out on one networking opportunity. I appreciate the advice, guys!

It's for the best, Patrick Dempsey has filed multiple restraining orders on me, it's starting to hurt my feelings.

 

[Lost in Translation]

Don't even mention the TV thing just play it off like you're cold-emailing docs in the area to shadow.