Frustrating emailing doctors

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Have doctors replied to your emails about shadowing?

  • Yes

    Votes: 32 47.1%

  • No

    Votes: 36 52.9%
  • Total voters
    68
TexasSurgeon

TexasSurgeon

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So whenever I get the emails of a attending or resident I meet while volunteering in the ER, or the emails of doctors I find online on the hospital/medical school websites, I email them.






........and then I never get a reply

How many of you guys have had this experience of basically emailing a doctor for something like shadowing and then not getting any reply, especially when they've given you their email?
 
I emailed a lot of professors to see if they would take me on as a informal research volunteer (as I am in high school) and I got 1 response out of like 50. Sad. I would of taken a "NO" a little better than no answer.
 
Jpatel2018 said:
I emailed a lot of professors to see if they would take me on as a informal research volunteer (as I am in high school) and I got 1 response out of like 50. Sad. I would of taken a "NO" a little better than no answer.
Click to expand...

Maybe this is because you're still in HS?

However, I too have not gotten very many emails back from professors about research as well. lolol
 
I mass emailed PIs when I was a high school senior. I got 1 positive response.
 
have you considered just faking the shadowing hours? Put down a reputable or not so reputable physician and have the contact number reroute through a Google number that rings your number. I have heard several success stories IRL and online
 
scene said:
have you considered just faking the shadowing hours? Put down a reputable or not so reputable physician and have the contact number reroute through a Google number that rings your number. I have heard several success stories IRL and online
Click to expand...

Wait seriously? I mean yeah I guess it seems plausible but I think it's pretty unethical, especially since this should be a learning experience and anything is game on an interview
 
Monkeybutt.gif
 
TexasSurgeon said:
So whenever I get the emails of a attending or resident I meet while volunteering in the ER, or the emails of doctors I find online on the hospital/medical school websites, I email them.






........and then I never get a reply

How many of you guys have had this experience of basically emailing a doctor for something like shadowing and then not getting any reply, especially when they've given you their email?
Click to expand...
Hire a bounty hunter and show up to their doorstep. JK..... Try calling or show up to their office and ask if the doctor is willing to let a student shadow him/her. I think your emails get lost in their inbox.
 
The Buff OP said:
Hire a bounty hunter and show up to their doorstep. JK..... Try calling or show up to their office and ask if the doctor is willing to let a student shadow him/her. I think your emails get lost in their inbox.
Click to expand...

Yep that last part.
It's even harder to get their numbers man...I can barely find their emails. I've managed to get only the emails of a few docs only after talking to med students who know them. Others are the docs I've run into while volunteering and I barely see them again...

First world problems...
 
TexasSurgeon said:
Yep that last part.
It's even harder to get their numbers man...I can barely find their emails. I've managed to get only the emails of a few docs only after talking to med students who know them. Others are the docs I've run into while volunteering and I barely see them again...

First world problems...
Click to expand...
What specialties are you trying to shadow?
 
I agree, contact the office people first. They know how to get the doctor to respond. (I even have to do this to get a hold of my dad (who is a doctor) sometimes) I have also had good experiences with getting other doctors to contact the new doctor you want to shadow. So once you get one, it can kind of be a chain effect. OR if you go to a doctor and you want to shadow their partners, ask them about it in person if you have a visit coming up.
 
I work for an extremely busy physician. He is faculty at a teaching hospital and has a hospitalist group so I manage his office in the hospital and am his direct contact. I can give u some advice....never directly email the dr.

Always try to go through the GME/ Med Student coordinator. She will know the secretary/ assistants contact info if she cannot help you or she will be able to set up a rotation/volunteer for you through the hospital. Emailing th Dr should be your last resort just be aide the probability of them being able to reply is very low
 
mimelim said:
Do not try to contact them directly. Contact their coordinator, secretary etc.
Click to expand...

kilpty said:
I agree, contact the office people first. They know how to get the doctor to respond. (I even have to do this to get a hold of my dad (who is a doctor) sometimes) I have also had good experiences with getting other doctors to contact the new doctor you want to shadow. So once you get one, it can kind of be a chain effect. OR if you go to a doctor and you want to shadow their partners, ask them about it in person if you have a visit coming up.
Click to expand...

Doctor Strange said:
It's just way easier to contact their secretary directly via phone.
Click to expand...

Many of them aren't exactly sure of it. I contacted approximately 7 residency coordinators and about 4 secretaries...very little response.

It's because many of the doctors where I'm at are affiliated with the medical school. So as a result, any shadowing must be first approved through the medical school. So it's quite difficult, since they rarely say yes due to HIPAA's nuisance. The docs affiliated with one of the med schools have said they don't allow shadowing since the medical school doesn't allow it. So that cuts out a lot of the great options. I do know many docs in private practice who have their own clinics which is always awesome. No problem there. The secretaries/assistants have been nice over there.


abee87 said:
I work for an extremely busy physician. He is faculty at a teaching hospital and has a hospitalist group so I manage his office in the hospital and am his direct contact. I can give u some advice....never directly email the dr.

Always try to go through the GME/ Med Student coordinator. She will know the secretary/ assistants contact info if she cannot help you or she will be able to set up a rotation/volunteer for you through the hospital. Emailing th Dr should be your last resort just be aide the probability of them being able to reply is very low
Click to expand...

Yeah I'll keep looking for the names of more med student coordinators. I emailed the GME coordinator for one of the med schools and they literally said "I don't know" Is there a GME at each hospital as well then?

Seems like it's all a crapshoot, excluding private practicing docs who have their clinics.
 
There are at teaching hospitals with residency programs or if they accept med students to do their rotations. It really is a crapshoot, a lot of coordinators don't try to help beyond their set job description which is frustrating. Keep on keeping on and hopefully you'll find a way of getting in communication
 
Sometimes secretaries won't even send out the message. They have better things to do. It might be different in other clinics or hospitals, but some of these people blow you off.
 
Lol i got multiple responses back within hours after sending my emails. I also emailed docs in the department that i do research in...
 
...have you ever gone to see a doctor, ever? Just phone one of their offices, say that you were a patient in the past, and tell them you'd like to shadow. If you're a past patient, I think they are more receptive to you. I was able to do a "one and done" thing by just calling up a former physician of mine.
 
It's a numbers game. I emailed about 150 doctors, got maybe 15 replies, 2 of them were yes.

Try your nearest med school to find large lists of docs. Good luck to you. I have no connections because I come from a blue-collar family, so this was the way I got my shadowing in,

DO NOT call or show up. Odds are you will either interrupt and irritate the doctor, or you will be handled by their secretary, who will likely turn you away because they are ignorant of shadowing or generally unsympathetic toward you. Why add another layer of potential rejection when you need to be going right to the source (the physician)? By emailing them directly, you bypass the secretaries and ensure they read your request at a time convenient for them. Also include a CV/resume AND don't be too long-winded. Also, be sure to add, "If you know any other physicians who may be open to shadowing, could you inform them of my interest?" This question has gotten me both of my shadowing requests, as the doc was too busy but he was a supervising doctor, so he forwarded it to a subordinate doctor who agreed to let me shadow.
 
I've emailed three doctors about shadowing, (two private practice and one at teaching hospital) and all three have responded and said yes. I did, however, meet all three doctors, (unrelated to shadowing), before emailing them so they did know who I was.

As far as cold emailing for shadowing, try a variety of teaching hospital and private practice doctors if you can. My friend did exactly that and out of about 60 doctors, he's been able to shadow 2 so far, (one was a surgeon). If all else fails, hit up your own doctors, (my ortho surgeon was ecstatic about me wanting to shadow).

For this kind of stuff, it's about quantity and persistence. No, not harassing doctors, but if you're not getting responses from some doctors, try emailing some different ones. I've had to do the same type of thing to get speakers for various premed events. Some doctors won't give you the time of day, while others will go out of their way to help you out.

Keep trying and something will eventually work out!
 
mimelim said:
Do not try to contact them directly. Contact their coordinator, secretary etc.
Click to expand...

👍 But you can only find their secretary info by contacting the doctor in the first place? At least that's what I had to do..
 
What I meant about contacting them personally is, I meant know when it is a good time to stop by and ask. Let's say early in the morning before any appointments show up or after lunch. (I'm talking about primary care physicians clinics.) Get your foot in the door. Don't stay at home and hope you get a nice email back. Think like a gunner lol 👍

In the words of the Hodge Twins "Hey man, all of this is just advice, you can do whatever the F you wanna do!​
 
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The Buff OP said:
What I meant about contacting them personally is, I meant know when it is a good time to stop by and ask. Let's say early in the morning before any appointments show up or after lunch. (I'm talking a bout primary care physicians clinics.) Get your foot in the door. Don't stay at home and hope you get a nice email back. Think like a gunner lol 👍

In the words of the Hodge Twins "Hey man, all of this is just advice, you can do whatever the F you wanna do!​
Click to expand...

So do you mean show up straight to their office?
 
TexasSurgeon said:
So do you mean show up straight to their office?[/QUOTE

pcps won't just have time to take to anybody that just shows up to their clinic. You will probably just be able to talk to the receptionist in person and give her ur contact and if you're lucky you'll get a call back. Call first and explain to the receptionist you'll like to come in and have a quick word with the dr.

Or if u don't mind waiting for a while, sit around and wait for a spare moment in their day
Click to expand...
 
abee87 said:
TexasSurgeon said:
So do you mean show up straight to their office?[/QUOTE

pcps won't just have time to take to anybody that just shows up to their clinic. You will probably just be able to talk to the receptionist in person and give her ur contact and if you're lucky you'll get a call back. Call first and explain to the receptionist you'll like to come in and have a quick word with the dr.

Or if u don't mind waiting for a while, sit around and wait for a spare moment in their day
Click to expand...

Yeah exactly what I was thinking. I'd hate to dress up nice to make an impression only to be turned down in person. I'd rather have someone email me a rejection
Click to expand...
 
TexasSurgeon said:
abee87 said:
Yeah exactly what I was thinking. I'd hate to dress up nice to make an impression only to be turned down in person. I'd rather have someone email me a rejection
Click to expand...

Yea it sucks, believe me it's happened to me a zillion times, but it's part of my job so the pay cheque makes the blow easier lol try to get hospitalist shadowing. You're in an environment that allows you to talk to more physicians and make an impression ie more emails and contact #
Click to expand...
 
abee87 said:
TexasSurgeon said:
Yea it sucks, believe me it's happened to me a zillion times, but it's part of my job so the pay cheque makes the blow easier lol try to get hospitalist shadowing. You're in an environment that allows you to talk to more physicians and make an impression ie more emails and contact #
Click to expand...

haha I'm sorry 🙁

I already kind of have that when I volunteer in the ED since I get to interact with a lot of residents/physicians
Click to expand...
 
TexasSurgeon said:
abee87 said:
haha I'm sorry 🙁

I already kind of have that when I volunteer in the ED since I get to interact with a lot of residents/physicians
Click to expand...

Maybe ask one of the Drs at the hospital of he has any PCP contacts? A physician affiliated with the hospital or someone that sends constant referrals. Just sending out ideas
Click to expand...
 
abee87 said:
TexasSurgeon said:
Maybe ask one of the Drs at the hospital of he has any PCP contacts? A physician affiliated with the hospital or someone that sends constant referrals. Just sending out ideas
Click to expand...

I'll keep trying for sure. I've asked a few docs about stuff like this and one of the docs literally emailed his colleague in front of me.....that was 5 months ago LOL

thanks for all your help guys, perhaps it'll help future premeds, too.
Click to expand...
 
TexasSurgeon said:
abee87 said:
Yeah exactly what I was thinking. I'd hate to dress up nice to make an impression only to be turned down in person. I'd rather have someone email me a rejection
Click to expand...

Rejection is part of life, don't be afraid. I guess I'm the type of guy who goes out there and gets it done. Like I said you can call and talk briefly and ask, then if you get a yes ask in person introduce yourself (if the doc is willing to meet you). Make the docs feel like they are the best around in their specialty ( docs love that sh**).
Click to expand...
 
The Buff OP said:
TexasSurgeon said:
Rejection is part of life, don't be afraid. I guess I'm the type of guy who goes out there and gets it done. Like I said you can call and talk briefly and ask, then if you get a yes ask in person introduce yourself (if the doc is willing to meet you). Make the docs feel like they are the best around in their specialty ( docs love that sh**).
Click to expand...

It absolutely is.
Click to expand...
 
Omppu27 said:
Lol i got multiple responses back within hours after sending my emails. I also emailed docs in the department that i do research in...
Click to expand...

That's great, it seem varying depending on the type of hospital and rules of each one or affiliated medical school.

PanRoasted said:
...have you ever gone to see a doctor, ever? Just phone one of their offices, say that you were a patient in the past, and tell them you'd like to shadow. If you're a past patient, I think they are more receptive to you. I was able to do a "one and done" thing by just calling up a former physician of mine.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't want to shadow the doctors I've been to go see. I wouldn't want to shadowing my peds doc and I've barely seen my ortho doc.

Granny Watkins said:
None of them provide emails and the only written form of communication accepted is fax. This means I have to run up my phone bill endlessly calling. The shadowing program at this hospital has been a total let down.

After an event at my uni another pre-med friend of mine told me a physician at the event gave her an email address but never responded to my friend,....ever. Maybe take the rejections as a good thing because it allows you to weed out the physicians who don't care and will give you a bad experience.
Click to expand...

It happens Grandma, keep fighting! One of the docs that came to a event also gave me an email and never really responded.

pyrrion89 said:
It's a numbers game. I emailed about 150 doctors, got maybe 15 replies, 2 of them were yes.

Try your nearest med school to find large lists of docs. Good luck to you. I have no connections because I come from a blue-collar family, so this was the way I got my shadowing in,

DO NOT call or show up. Odds are you will either interrupt and irritate the doctor, or you will be handled by their secretary, who will likely turn you away because they are ignorant of shadowing or generally unsympathetic toward you. Why add another layer of potential rejection when you need to be going right to the source (the physician)? By emailing them directly, you bypass the secretaries and ensure they read your request at a time convenient for them. Also include a CV/resume AND don't be too long-winded. Also, be sure to add, "If you know any other physicians who may be open to shadowing, could you inform them of my interest?" This question has gotten me both of my shadowing requests, as the doc was too busy but he was a supervising doctor, so he forwarded it to a subordinate doctor who agreed to let me shadow.
Click to expand...

Thanks, and yeah definitely not going to call or show up. The secretaries usually blow it off. I'll definitely include the part in red in the future.

Agent B said:
👍 But you can only find their secretary info by contacting the doctor in the first place? At least that's what I had to do..
Click to expand...

Sometimes yes, but there's also directories for some doctors that have their own physician offices.
 
I simply looked for large groups (North Texas Radiology Associates, whatever) and emailed the Contact Us email listed and asked to shadow. It took on average about 10 different institutions to find 2 different specialties I could shadow. Worked out fine for me though with two doctors we know and two doctors from cold emailing I got the hours and experience. Don't worry about most not returning your calls; the ones that did were super nice and I couldn't have asked for more.
 
If you're near an academic medical center, email the doctor's secretary (as someone said above). Each department has a faculty list which can be accessed online. Either the individual doctors have their own secretary or the department has a secretary. Even in medical school doc's take their time responding back (or don't respond at all) and I've found this to be the most successful strategy.

Just ask to get an appointment they'll find time in the doc's schedule.
 
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