How do you get to shadow physicians!

[dreamtobeMD]

Hey guys so I am having a very hard time finding hospitals that will let me shadow physicians! In the hopsital program that I am in you can only shadow PAs, but I think that it would be better for me to shadow a physician since that is what I ultimately want to be.

Can you guys please let me know what I have to do, who to contact, etc?

Thanks!

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[236116]

ask your ped.

 

[Anthony Hartsoc]

The phone book worked for me. Otherwise contact a nearby med school.

 

[rabidpanda13]

I'm calling the ED every day until someone calls me back. I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[236116]

I'm calling the ED every day until someone calls me back. I'll let you know how it goes.

that's a waste of their time and yours.

did you try your pcp or the volunteer office?

 

[rabidpanda13]

that's a waste of their time and yours.

did you try your pcp or the volunteer office?

Yes, I'm scheduled to shadow my pcp but I would really like to shadow an ED physician as well. I suppose I could ask to be transferred to the volunteer office instead, there's a thought. Duh.

 

[bad virus]

Most teaching hospitals have a website, and most of these websites have something like a directory or find a physician link. In there, you can search for physicians that work at the hospital in the field you are interested in shadowing. Email said physician, with the following:

Hi, my name is so and so. I am a premed student at the university of whatever. I am very intersted in shadowing you for a while to see what work life really is like for a doctor, so I can be sure that I am in the right career path. Hope to hear from you soon and take care.

But please send it in a more eloquent fashion. 99/100 doctors will be like "Totally dude, stop by the clinic at so and so date and time" (bastards love it when someone is interested in them and they get to play mentor. Especially true for overworked underappreciated residents.

 

[meliora27]

Your PCP is a good jumping off point. He/She probably has friends in your town who are also physicians. You could say something such as you're interested in XYZ, do you have any colleagues in the field who you think may allow me to spend some time shadowing? Another option is to go through your school's alumni network. Try the career office or alumni relations office to get some names of fellow alums who practice in the area. Are you in a fraternity/sorority? If so, I've found this to be a really good way to make contacts. Any time I've reached out to an alumni in my house who's a physician they've always been willing to help out.

 

[YeOldeMan]

I've been shadowing PP docs. Is that okay? Are adcoms going to look more favorably upon shadowing hospital docs?

 

[236116]

if you can it's always nice to see both sides.

 

[rabidpanda13]

I just called my cardiologist, who I figured there was no way in hell would ever say yes, just said "Sure!" and may even let me shadow him on days when he does his travel clinic to the surrounding counties. Now granted most people applying to med school don't have cardiologists but the point is I wasn't even going to call him because I just assumed he was going to say no due to how busy he is, etc. Don't give up!