Hello everyone, this thread is specifically geared towards the attendings, any help/opinions would be greatly appreciated. At my school during rotations(3rd/4th year), students have the option to "create" 1-2 elective rotations with pods in private practice, multi-speciality practices etc. The process requires the attending to fill out some paperwork, communicate with my respective school and evaluate my performance etc. I have a good relationship with a pod back in my hometown who I have shadowed a few times and communicate with every so often. It is a goal of mine to have a similar position to his and I was thinking when the time comes I could possibly rotate with him as described above. However, the nature of our relationship is pretty one sided due to the attending/student dynamic and this seems like just extra work for him, so I wanted to see if it was appropriate to ask. I guess I just feel bad because I know he is pretty busy with his practice and do not want to create more work for him. I am pretty sure he would say yes as he always allows me to shadow and "seems" to enjoy my company etc but again I dont want to be that annoying student etc. any thoughts are appreciated thanks!
Elective Rotation
- Thread starter amint32
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You should ask
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Yep, just ask. You don't create work if you show interest and literally shadow with just observation and quiet in the clinic...
The ones who create work are the ones who ask a ton of questions, try to interact with the patients (besides a basic "hello" if introduced or polite responses if directly engaged by the patients and staff). It is enough work to get through 20 patients in each half day without another person trying to talk to the patient, breaking your concentration, or pepper you with questions and bad timing. The students who are Mr Schmoozer or Ms Know-it-all get frustrating. The time for any questions is during lunch or after the appointments are done (or any time the attending asks). You just have to follow social cues, but err strongly on the quiet and short responses side. You can be plenty social without talking much (make good eye contact, wave when introduced, nod, etc). Besides the overly talkative ones, the worst are probably the students/residents who play on their phone non-stop and would sit in the doc office or break room texting and checking Facebook until told "we are going into room 2 now."
Shadowing is a value neutral thing (for podiatry or any industry) if it's done right. You gain some knowledge and experience, and the attending gains some ego and social proof that they're important enough to have an apprentice (joking but not... many docs really like the ego boost and sense of significance... and this a susceptibility drug/surgery reps capitalize on early and often). You could bring the office some snacks on your last day or send a thank you note for the time.
Personally, I would always let pre or pod or residents shadow when I worked where residencies were located. I have also shadowed DPMs at every level from pre-pod to finishing residency (went to offices after surgery to learn billing in 3rd year residency). It's not a big deal. The only thing that is a hinder to attendings is multiple people shadowing or the overly talkative or totally disinterested ones who make it very clear with their actions that they are just doing their obligation.
The ones who create work are the ones who ask a ton of questions, try to interact with the patients (besides a basic "hello" if introduced or polite responses if directly engaged by the patients and staff). It is enough work to get through 20 patients in each half day without another person trying to talk to the patient, breaking your concentration, or pepper you with questions and bad timing. The students who are Mr Schmoozer or Ms Know-it-all get frustrating. The time for any questions is during lunch or after the appointments are done (or any time the attending asks). You just have to follow social cues, but err strongly on the quiet and short responses side. You can be plenty social without talking much (make good eye contact, wave when introduced, nod, etc). Besides the overly talkative ones, the worst are probably the students/residents who play on their phone non-stop and would sit in the doc office or break room texting and checking Facebook until told "we are going into room 2 now."
Shadowing is a value neutral thing (for podiatry or any industry) if it's done right. You gain some knowledge and experience, and the attending gains some ego and social proof that they're important enough to have an apprentice (joking but not... many docs really like the ego boost and sense of significance... and this a susceptibility drug/surgery reps capitalize on early and often). You could bring the office some snacks on your last day or send a thank you note for the time.
Personally, I would always let pre or pod or residents shadow when I worked where residencies were located. I have also shadowed DPMs at every level from pre-pod to finishing residency (went to offices after surgery to learn billing in 3rd year residency). It's not a big deal. The only thing that is a hinder to attendings is multiple people shadowing or the overly talkative or totally disinterested ones who make it very clear with their actions that they are just doing their obligation.
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Just ask. It will be a feather in their cap that someone they initially let shadow is working their way up the ranks. If they don't want you there they will decline or they'll tell you they know how hard your life is and just want you to come 2-3 days and week and only half days.
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Or do what I did and spend a month in Hawaii...
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^ more productive and you won't regret the time. Students take note. You will spend the next 30 years working your ass off.
Idk why i would ever want to spend a month shadowing as a 4th year when i could be taking trips, working out, playing video games, going on dates with the wife, working on my car, doing literally anything else.
As a 3rd year- sure. Scrub into a ton of cases. Get your hands dirty. But shadowing in and of itself? low yield.
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Shadowing a mustache pod in my 4th year really helped me nail down milking every patient that walks through the door for:
$600 - custom orthotics which are needed to prevent early death
$1500 - laser fungal nail treatments because nothing else works and nail fungus could be deadly
$1000 - PRP injections because steroid injections are the equivalent to injecting saline
$500 - post op pain laser treatments because post operative pain is just simply unbearable with Percocet alone
etc
$600 - custom orthotics which are needed to prevent early death
$1500 - laser fungal nail treatments because nothing else works and nail fungus could be deadly
$1000 - PRP injections because steroid injections are the equivalent to injecting saline
$500 - post op pain laser treatments because post operative pain is just simply unbearable with Percocet alone
etc
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Seriously. He went to acfas for a week, went on vacation for a other 2. I worked 8 days of the 34 days I was there. One of the highlights of my life so far. But maybe following a mustache pod in my hometown woukd have been a better idea.
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This right here. Do this during residency. Not as a 4th year. Go enjoy your time off before you start. I worked stupid long hours throughout residency and grinded every days. Learned as much as I could and networked with as many as possible. Couple years out now and I’m making stupid good money in my MSG and enjoying life in exactly where I want to be. All comes down to how much effort you’re willing to put in. There’s no shortcut.
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Exactly...I enjoy having people shadow me once in a while--so far, just the occasional undergrad that needed some hours of exposure...it's usually pretty chill and it has never felt like babysitting...
If it was a pod student shadowing me I'd probably bore them trying to explain coding/billing, which maybe would be more work for me but it at least breaks the normal routine and gives me something else to do that might benefit someone...so unless you wanna just go to Hawaii like they're saying above, just ask that attending...
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Don't forget the extra $600 dollar orthotics for the burial as well. King-Tut style, don't want someone to have pain in the afterlife.
