Finding a DO to Shadow?

Started by daxlo
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daxlo

daxlo

Full Member
7+ Year Member
I live in a major college town, and i'm taking the MCAT this summer, and also applying to colleges this summer. I've been contacting clinics & hospitals around like crazy in an attempt to get clinical experience/DO shadowing hours, and i've either been told no or have gotten no response.

-How have you guys found DOs who were willing to be shadowed? I checked the iLearn Mentoring program that i've seen pop up on the forums, but i don't see a page to sign up to be mentee on their site.

-Thanks for taking the time to read this guys!
 
daxlo said:
I live in a major college town, and i'm taking the MCAT this summer, and also applying to colleges this summer. I've been contacting clinics & hospitals around like crazy in an attempt to get clinical experience/DO shadowing hours, and i've either been told no or have gotten no response.

-How have you guys found DOs who were willing to be shadowed? I checked the iLearn Mentoring program that i've seen pop up on the forums, but i don't see a page to sign up to be mentee on their site.

-Thanks for taking the time to read this guys!
Click to expand...

I would look under faculty of medical schools and find their email and message them directly. have you tried that?
 
AlteredScale said:
I would look under faculty of medical schools and find their email and message them directly. have you tried that?
Click to expand...
I hadn't actually thought of that! I'll look at our college of medicine and see if we have any DOs on staff!

EDIT: We unfortunately don't have any DOs on staff at my university
 
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Doctorsthatdo.org

It's going to take some persistence on your side as well. Most docs won't respond, unfortunately.
 
^ i definitely get that vibe. Checked the site, and i only have about 20 DOs within my city, so hopefully i can get at least one to let me shadow him/her.
 
I recommend gathering a list of DO's around your area with their specialty and alma mater and call them one by one and see if you can shadow. Use their alma mater as a leverage tool (as a future applicant i'm highly interested in xcom and I noticed you graduated from there, blah blah let me shadow you".

If you have a list of multiple docs you're sure to get one to be cool with shadowing.


Also, I'd get in touch with the hospital volunteer service and start volunteering there. That way you get shadowing on your own as well as medically-related volunteering. While you're volunteering at the hospital you can also connect with other docs that may be open to let you shadow.

Good luck!
 
Try iLearn again. You kind of have to figure it out by yourself but it's super handy once you do.
 
You might be able to set up an observation experience through a site's educational coordinator if you reach out to them as well.
 
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