No problem - if you have anymore questions, PLEASE feel free to email me. I love helping out hopefuls (since it's my third time applying, I know how ****ty it can be).
I worked at a hospital for about three years in Radiology. There was a DO who worked there who needed help with a computer program one day, and I helped him out while working with him for about two weeks. When I was considering DO, I called him up, bought him lunch, and asked EVERY QUESTION I COULD POSSIBLY COME UP WITH. It took about two hours. I felt I got to know him really well.
Two weeks later, I emailed him asking for a letter of rec, and he told me he'd be honored. So I got really lucky, and since I worked with him for that short amount of time, he got a view of my work ethics.
I have friends who shadowed DO's. They told me that they basically followed them around and helped where they could (one friend was asked to draw blood, since he was proficient in that kind of stuff). Other friends sat there and absorbed everything. The trick is to make sure you ask a million questions. Most DO's, or any doctor for that matter, love to explain things to people that are shadowing (that's what it's there for!). It puts the patient at ease, and makes everything look more professional, in my opinion. But most important, it gives the DO an idea of just how interested you are in the profession. Don't act like you're doing it for the letter, be sincere (consider it practice for the interview!). Just don't be afraid to ask everything that's on your mind (as long as it's nothing like 'I heard DOs suck, is that true?'). Even though it's a dilemma you might be dealing with, it may come off as self absorbed, and no DO wants to see their profession muddled with people who don't care. Save those questions for the discussion boards.
After you spend a week with them, and get to know them by asking questions, I think it's not too much to ask for a letter. Since they know your intent (and had to scrounge for a letter back in their day), they should't have a problem helping you out. The more questions you ask, the more they get insight into your motivation, and the EASIER it is for THEM to write you the letter - they have more positive things to say.
Best of luck to you - you (and everyone else)are in the prayers.
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KidT
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