Finding a doctor to shadowing

[tgbvfredc123]

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I am having trouble finding a doctor to shadow. I've been told no over 50 times within the last few days. I keep getting the answer that having undergraduates shadow is against policy. I don't have any family friends that are any type of doctor, and my childhood physician gave me the same "It's against policy answer."

I'll be in the north suburbs of Chicago for the summer. Does anyone know if that's a common thing in the area?

I have been calling numbers that I found online. Is there a better way to go about doing this?

Should I just keep trying this method?

 

[accueil]

Finding shadowing opportunities can be really hard, so don't be discouraged! The common reasoning I've seen on SDN is to try academic hospitals/areas near universities, but my experience has been just the opposite. All of my shadowing has been in a fairly rural area where the physicians were ecstatic to have an undergrad follow them around. Perhaps look further out of the city?

The hardest part for me was getting the first opportunity (like you, through cold call). After that, the physician was calling up all his colleagues to set up other shadowing opportunities for me.

 

[The Milkman]

Out of the 7 doctors I tried, only 1 ended up telling me that it was against policy. He was an oncologist. For all of the others, I just had to fill out a HIPAA form and I was good to go. There was even one doctor who came to our school and told us to shadow him. There may be some places that don't allow it, but you should be able to find some. What sorts of specialties are you trying to shadow (not sure if that could be the issue or not). Try getting past the secretaries, too and talking to either a manager or a physician. Also, some hospital websites even have an online application to shadow, so try looking into that.

 

[Kochanie]

I live in Chicago and it's common for them to say no, but definitely possible. Target university hospitals and keep trying. It'll work out. Do you know anyone that works in a hospital by any chance? Do you volunteer in one?

 

[karayaa]

Try all sorts of medical facilities - community clinics, faith based/free clinics, private practice, academic, etc. Has anyone in your family had medical treatment? Do they have a family doctor? Ask that doc or ask the doc if they know anyone who might be able to provide an opportunity.
Contact your school's health clinic, and ask those docs - they might work elsewhere too.

 

[tgbvfredc123]

Thanks for all the quick reply's. To clarify, I'm not located in Chicago, but in a suburb about 45mins north. Also I appropriate the encouragement. I guess I will keep trying to call places tomorrow.

To answer a few responses, I have been getting stuck at the office secretaries. I managed to talk to a few HR's and managers/administrators from the Advocate and Northshore health networks, and they said that there's nothing against doctors having undergraduates shadow them. I would just have to sign a form. However, whenever I'd call a practice, the secretary would ultimately tell me that it is against the networks policy.

I am currently a regular volunteer in guest services at Condell Hospital. I don't have much interaction with doctors while volunteering.

 

[otterxavier]

Contact your college's career services office and ask if they can connect you to local alums who are doctors.

 

[karayaa]

I would never call a network - I'd call the office, and ask to speak to an office manager. At least that's where I've been directed when I cold called places. Have you explained to the secretaries about the network policy? Can you get a copy of the form mailed to you, print it out, fill it in, and take it into the office in person?

Can you volunteer in the ED, ICU, rehab, nursery? That might give you more access to EM, xyz, PMR, and paeds docs at least, who might be able to refer you to others.
Can you make friends with a nurse and get her to introduce you to docs?
Sometimes some of the other volunteers might know docs - eg I was just shadowing a doc, and trying to find the location, and I asked a senior, white haired volunteer, and she personally directed me to where I needed to go because her sister had been operated on by the doc. Granted it's a small town, but such connections are possible.
Are there other pre-med volunteers there? Can you solicit their local perspective?

Or you could develop a mysterious medical condition, and collect referrals to multiple specialists. Pick something that you'd want to shadow - eg if you want to see neurology, develop a nerve pain. If you want to see orthopaedics, develop some joint pain.

 

[Time Table]

Or you could develop a mysterious medical condition, and collect referrals to multiple specialists. Pick something that you'd want to shadow - eg if you want to see neurology, develop a nerve pain. If you want to see orthopaedics, develop some joint pain.

+1 I lol'd wholeheartedly. Definitely try cold calling them, it's really not that difficult to find at least one doctor within 20 to allow you to shadow them. If anything, just contact physicians in your residing area or near a university affiliated hospital. Those teaching hospitals have a lot of physicians ready to shadow.

 

[MrLogan13]

I found local doctors and emailed them with my CV attached. I only got 2 responses out of ~30 emails, but I was able to shadow them over multiple days.

 

[tgbvfredc123]

Just a side question, where are some of you finding a doctor's email address? I've never seen one posted on any of there websites.

And haha yeah you know it's weird, when I woke up today I could sense that I had developed this rare spin disorder.

 

[LMBLBM]

Do not go to a fancy looking plastic surgery office with a lock door and a security guard. Other than that, I think I got one 3 response out of ~100 emails

 

[AspiringERMD]

Thanks for all the quick reply's. To clarify, I'm not located in Chicago, but in a suburb about 45mins north. Also I appropriate the encouragement. I guess I will keep trying to call places tomorrow.

To answer a few responses, I have been getting stuck at the office secretaries. I managed to talk to a few HR's and managers/administrators from the Advocate and Northshore health networks, and they said that there's nothing against doctors having undergraduates shadow them. I would just have to sign a form. However, whenever I'd call a practice, the secretary would ultimately tell me that it is against the networks policy.

I am currently a regular volunteer in guest services at Condell Hospital. I don't have much interaction with doctors while volunteering.

I probably live really close to you. I shadowed a few different doctors in the system that runs Highland Park Hospital/Skokie Hospital/a few others, so they're open to it. In this case, the doctors were close friends of the family, but they already had the HIPAA forms, so its not like it's a foreign thing for them. Give them a call.

 

[MrLogan13]

I Googled "doctor" or "physician" plus the names of cities local to me. Docs that had websites, I emailed them. I also checked the websites of all local hospital near me and emailed docs that had contact info. My opportunities both came from doctors with private practices.

Just a side question, where are some of you finding a doctor's email address? I've never seen one posted on any of there websites.

And haha yeah you know it's weird, when I woke up today I could sense that I had developed this rare spin disorder.

 

[chewy2008]

I am having trouble finding a doctor to shadow. I've been told no over 50 times within the last few days. I keep getting the answer that having undergraduates shadow is against policy. I don't have any family friends that are any type of doctor, and my childhood physician gave me the same "It's against policy answer."

I'll be in the north suburbs of Chicago for the summer. Does anyone know if that's a common thing in the area?

I have been calling numbers that I found online. Is there a better way to go about doing this?

Should I just keep trying this method?

I've been in your shoes and it was frustrating. Luckily, after emailing many doctor offices, I finally got a reply from the office manager and started shadowing the allergist, who I had an appointment with once. She used to teach, and I feel that doctors who teach are more receptive to pre-med students shadowing. If you email, don't forget to attach your CV/resume!
I used to cold call offices but got no luck. For some reason email works! I emailed a hospitalist, who was also willing to let me shadow. She also led me to other physicians who don't mind me shadowing them. Like accueil said, once you shadow one doctor, you're able to shadow many more.
Start early!!

 

[Kochanie]

Thanks for all the quick reply's. To clarify, I'm not located in Chicago, but in a suburb about 45mins north. Also I appropriate the encouragement. I guess I will keep trying to call places tomorrow.

To answer a few responses, I have been getting stuck at the office secretaries. I managed to talk to a few HR's and managers/administrators from the Advocate and Northshore health networks, and they said that there's nothing against doctors having undergraduates shadow them. I would just have to sign a form. However, whenever I'd call a practice, the secretary would ultimately tell me that it is against the networks policy.

I am currently a regular volunteer in guest services at Condell Hospital. I don't have much interaction with doctors while volunteering.

Do you mind going to downtown Chicago to shadow? Would it be too much trouble? If not, I can probably help a bit more.

 

[Barnosaur]

You have to use connections, which sucks. Family friend's are the best resource, and that doesn't necessarily have to be a physician. A nurse, PA, pharmaceutical sales rep, tech, MA, administrator: I'm sure that you know at least a few people who are employed in healthcare. Have them ask the doctors they work with. Many doctors will be more willing to let you shadow when it's a favor to someone else.