Hospitals with No Shadowing Policies?

[Dr Gerrard]

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I talked to a neurosurgeon (family friend) at the local hospital, he said he would be willing to let me shadow him.

However, he told me I would need a badge and stuff from the hospital due to patient privacy issues, so I would need to contact the volunteer offices in order to get this.

Well when I did this, I was told the hospital has a no shadowing policy. What is up with this?

On a side note, the guy I talked to asked me the doctors name, I told him. Next he told me that he is not supposed to let people shadow him or watch his surgeries. He is a pretty big deal in the hospital, like a co-chair of the department of neurosurgery, but I hope I didn't get him in trouble. What do you all think?

 

[Transmogrifier]

I ran into similar problems. It sounds like he was following the rules in telling you to get a badge and things.

See if you can't shadow in clinic. The docs have a lot more autonomy there. That's where I ended up doing most of my shadowing since the hospitals were verrrry HIPAA anal.

 

[Dr Gerrard]

I figure this is the best way though because there are so many different types of doctors there, rather than just one type.

In addition, this is a medical school so I figure it would be helpful in some way.

Finally, I think this might just be a method to make sure doctors don't have annoying premeds following them around if they don't want to do it. But since he said I can shadow him, I don't see the problem.

All I need is a badge for privacy issues, and then I will be able to do both.

 

[Dr Gerrard]

Anyone else come across this?

Is this actually rule actually legit or is it just a way to avoid annoying premeds?

 

[Van Chowder]

Anyone else come across this?

Is this actually rule actually legit or is it just a way to avoid annoying premeds?

I wish I could reach through the internet and smack you.. Lets get real... do you ACTUALLY think people sat around a table and said " So the topic for today... How to annoy premeds"? lets get real

 

[drizzt3117]

I wish I could reach through the internet and smack you.. Lets get real... do you ACTUALLY think people sat around a table and said " So the topic for today... How to annoy premeds"? lets get real

I think he means having annoying premeds all over the hospital.

 

[Dr Gerrard]

I think he means having annoying premeds all over the hospital.

Yeah, thanks for clarifying that.

This is what I saw on a similar thread, but I figure since people actually do shadow at hospitals, when one finds a doctor who is willing to do so, these guidelines are removed.

Anyways, yeah, I don't expect them to think about how they can annoy premeds. I said they want to prevent annoying premeds from running around, distracting doctors.

 

[191159]

Yeah one of the hospitals I volunteer at has the same policy. It's an on-campus facility so I don't blame them.

 

[Dr Gerrard]

So what does that mean? Does that mean that if the doctor lets me shadow him, I should not go around spreading that?

 

[Dr Gerrard]

Oh, and do you think something like this got the doctor I plan on shadowing in trouble? I really hope not. I mean hes a huge deal around the hospital, so I am not sure stuff like this actually matters anymore, just wondering.

 

[191159]

I'm sure if he's a "huge deal" around the hospital he won't be in risk of any trouble. Sad thing is you probably won't be shadowing unless he works at another facility also.

 

[Dr Gerrard]

Why is that?

 

[cpants]

Ok, you've had your introduction to hospital bureaucracy. There is a whole army of bureaucrats inventing "hospital policy", some of it legitimate moves toward compliance, some of it nonsense. If a doctor, especially if he's a big deal, decides to flaunt a nonsense rule, it isn't an issue. I recommend you have the doctor call the volunteer office, and let them know you will be a special volunteer working with him. A quick phone call or email from the doc or even his secretary can remove a lot of obstacles.

 

[LiveUninhibited]

I was told that the only shadowing allowed at one hospital was through the preceptorship program with the university, which I had already done. They cited legal concerns. Rationally or not, some hospital administrators seem worried about getting sued and expect some pre-meds to be sufficiently unprofessional to bring the risk to unacceptable levels.

On one level I understand, but on another level I think it's highly counterproductive towards preparing the next generation of doctors and I'd choose not to work at the facility in question if given the choice. Perhaps we'd see less of this if tort law is ever brought under control.

 

[cpants]

I was told that the only shadowing allowed at one hospital was through the preceptorship program with the university, which I had already done. They cited legal concerns. Rationally or not, some hospital administrators seem worried about getting sued and expect some pre-meds to be sufficiently unprofessional to bring the risk to unacceptable levels.

On one level I understand, but on another level I think it's highly counterproductive towards preparing the next generation of doctors and I'd choose not to work at the facility in question if given the choice. Perhaps we'd see less of this if tort law is ever brought under control.

From the hospital's perspective, a ban on shadowing makes a lot of sense. It keeps premeds from hassling them through the volunteer office, and it gives doctors an easy out if they don't want the person shadowing them. Shadowing, while important for you, adds nothing to the hospital. If the doctor makes an effort for you to be able to shadow, you will be able to. You may have to be called a volunteer or a student working on a project, but you will be permitted to shadow if the doctor requests it.

 

[ZigPig]

I shadowed two doctors, and then did a formal shadowing program in the emergency department.

One doctor was in an outpatient clinic of a hospital - there was a formal process of filling out paperwork, and scheduling my visits. With every patient, they asked if it was okay if I (a pre-med) could be in the room. If questions were going to get more personal or uncomfortable, the doctor/resident would ask me to step out even before asking the question.

The other doctor was a pulmonologist. Most of the shadowing I had done with him was in his practice. I tried shadowing him at one hospital, and within minutes I had staff asking who I was, if I had been approved to be in the hospital, where my badge was, etc. before being kicked out. The doctor thought it would be okay for me to shadow him there because he had let several of the staff members' children shadow him without going through the paperwork... but they made things difficult for him when he tried to show me around

I shadowed the same doctor in a different hospital. I followed him through several floors, in the ICU, and observed him doing bronchoscopies and other procedures. I probably would not have been able to do all of this if I had tried going through the hospital bureaucracy, but as long as I had a white coat on, nobody questioned me. This hospital also had a program that high school kids could shadow.

The other program I did was a formal program through my university partnered with a local hospital. The paperwork seemed to take forever, but once it was done we got to go in the emergency department of a hospital... and see everything.

So different hospitals will have a range of tolerance and policies for shadowing. If this hospital makes it difficult, and If it is important for you to shadow at a hospital, then try a different hospital.

 

[LiveUninhibited]

From the hospital's perspective, a ban on shadowing makes a lot of sense. It keeps premeds from hassling them through the volunteer office, and it gives doctors an easy out if they don't want the person shadowing them. Shadowing, while important for you, adds nothing to the hospital. If the doctor makes an effort for you to be able to shadow, you will be able to. You may have to be called a volunteer or a student working on a project, but you will be permitted to shadow if the doctor requests it.

The OP would be a good counterexample to that possibility, though... From what I've heard they never did let anybody shadow outside of the preceptorship program, but there are other hospitals and I don't live there anymore anyway. 🙂

 

[flip26]

I live in a community where it is very difficult to arrange shadowing opportunities. I have done some, but not very much, and it is like pulling teeth to arrange these things. To "make up" for it, I have done extensive clinical volunteering that puts me in the same arena, often in a position to "shadow" physicians as they do their thing.

Shadowing seems to be a hit or miss kind of thing depending on where you live.

I think passive shadowing is vastly overrated, and given the difficulties in arranging it, I think (or hope) it is not as important for med school admissions as is clinical volunteering.

 

[Lola2010]

I'm an employee of a volunteer department and it is "policy" that the volunteer department does not set up shadowing. However, that doesn't mean that shadowing is not allowed. If the volunteer wants to shadow they need to set it up directly with the physician. So, as the above poster mentioned, have the doctor call and figure out the clearances.