How can I find a physician to shadow?

[redman]

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Can anyone please recommend a way to find physicians willing to have a shadow? The school pre-med office is helpless and local hospitals are only interested in volunteers.

Thank you,

 

[priyanka]

Can anyone please recommend a way to find physicians willing to have a shadow? The school pre-med office is helpless and local hospitals are only interested in volunteers.

Thank you,

when you volunteer you will come across some doctors. Give them a smile and say hello,
this is what i did once,

In the elevator on my way back from reaching a patient to his relatives car on the wheel chair,
(me with the empty wheel chair entered the elevator, the doctor entered too- so i asked which level would you like to go?"
doctor(smiling):- 5 please.
me:- smiles back
doctor:- how are you doing?
me: good, thanks....One day I want to be a doctor like you.
doctor( looking at my volunteer badge):- oh what are you doing right now?
me:- i am a volunteer in the cardiac care center.
doctor:- almost leaving the elevator- "well good luck to you"
me:- much thanks, I have something to ask you- would you mind if I shadow you?
doctor:- sure why not...
i get off on floor 5 to talk to the doctor ...

I really never though it would be taht easy, but it really was- most of the doctors are really nice people, unless they are surgeons they wuldnt be extremely busy- surgeons let you scrub t oo sometimes, depends.

SO good luck! you really gotta start the talk, because they have no idea when they first meet you if you wuld be interested in what they are doing, and no doctor will go on asking people.."would you like to shadow me ?"

 

[cubbbie]

Can anyone please recommend a way to find physicians willing to have a shadow? The school pre-med office is helpless and local hospitals are only interested in volunteers.

Thank you,

Yes, I know a lot of people find success through volunteering. Also, does your school have an alumni directory? If they do, contact everyone in there that has doctor listed as their job. Most people are happy to help out fellow alums. Same goes for high school alumni directory.

And when it comes down to it, do you know any doctors at all? Friends, parents of friends, friends of parents? Most doctors are flattered when you ask if you can shadow, and even if you can't shadow them, they'll usually find a peer you can shadow.

 

[fielight]

ask your advisor if he/she knows anybody. ask your friends who have shadowed and then try to contact that physician. some pre-med clubs have a list of available physicians. if you're really desperate, just look up physicians in the specialty you're interested in at your university medical center (they'll be more helpful because it would be a teaching hospital and they're used to having students follow them) and just email as many as you could.

 

[virilep]

hey, i know how it feels. i volunteered at a burn center and didn't really feel like i was getting really good clinical exposure. so i decided to quit and 2 weeks later i was like...well, gotta do something. so i walked into a cardiology clinic and just spoke to the first lady i saw. i guess i was lucky cuz she was the administative head and she introduced me to the head of the clinic. and i shadowed for 3 years. my advice is do the same thing, walk into a clinic dressed nicely and just talk to the secretary. another good way is to talk to ur doc at the campus...like a health center and ask them if they know of some good docs to shadow. gluck!

 

[Haybrant]

email/call them or their nurses, especially at academic med schools

 

[CanIMakeIt]

Well look for your family physician first....(s)he might be able to help.......otherwise try what I did.......I live in a small community with a few doctors......just go to their office and ask to meet them and telll them you won't be more than 5 minutes (say 2 minutes if you have to) ..make sure you wear semi-formal....no jeans etc (look a little professional so that the doctor thinks you are serious....which you are)......and explain your situation......


and the next thing I knew was he told me to come every friday afternoon 1-4 PM and made me sign a form related to HIPPA....saying I will not discuss the patients outside of the roo...confidential info etc......

It is becoming difficult but it is not that hard...........

Other option might be as someone else suggested...ask doctors where u r shadowing...I usally went in with the doctors at my ER setting...but mostly with nurses to see what was going on....

be persisitent...i am sure you will find someone to shadow ... good luck

 

[Fermata]

Just be upfront and ask.