GUIDE: How to find shadowing with zero connections and zero social skills.

[Princeton Medical Student]

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I am a very socially awkward lad and finding shadowing was an honest to God nightmare. This would be my step by step guide to finding it.

1) Ask your network.
Seriously do not hesitate to ask ANYONE you may marginally know that can help. Ask your mom, dad, grandpa, grandma, a distant friend. Utilize every connection you may have. Go through the entirety of your facebook friends list. Can any of them potentially know a doctor?

2) Ask your doctor.
Self explanatory. They may not have room for you, but chances are they will know someone that can help.

3) Cold call.
Write a very short script along the lines of "Hi, my name is X, I am not a patient, but I am seeking to shadow a physician. Would Dr. X be able to help?"

You will be told no like 10000 times. You will get stuck on receptionists. You will however eventually find somebody that can help. If you are in a large metro area, there is no reason for you not to do this. If you are ballsy ask if the doctor is available to speak to.

Target old school older doctors. If they have no receptionists and straight up just answer the phone, they would be far more likely to help. It took me finding a very old school doctor who yelled at me to get to the point to find shadowing, but find shadowing I did. You can too!

I know finding shadowing may feel like one of the easier parts of the process, but for me it was hard and I hope this can help someone.

 

[deleted50541]

Good advice. I was fortunate to know a few surgeons through research I did at the hospital, but many folks who are interested in medicine may not know where to start.

At least in my experience in training, my attendings were usually very welcoming of students interested in shadowing. So I would add that one might find better luck at teaching hospitals or with docs who are affiliated with a medical school.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Check with your premed office also if you are still in school.

 

[Teisuto]

Finding shadowing with no connections was also very scary for me. I might also recommend, if cold calls aren't working out, to go to private practices (not affiliated with hospitals) in person. IMO it's harder to get straight out rejected when you're asking face to face.

 

[lumya]

To add to this, I was a non-traditional student and a lot of academic medical centers limit non-student shadowing since they may have insurance that only covers students. I was able to find most of my shadowing through the free clinic I volunteered at. I was able to work with physicians and many of them were open to me shadowing them during the free clinic when I didn't volunteer or allowed me to shadow them at their private practices.