How to do an observation

[mconnell]

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I was wondering how people got into any observations that they did? Did you simply find a doctor and ask him to allow you to observe him? Was there more involved than that? How did you pick the doctor?

 

[ChymeChancellor]

I was wondering how people got into any observations that they did? Did you simply find a doctor and ask him to allow you to observe him? Was there more involved than that? How did you pick the doctor?

The phone book? 😕

 

[LifetimeDoc]

I was wondering how people got into any observations that they did? Did you simply find a doctor and ask him to allow you to observe him? Was there more involved than that? How did you pick the doctor?

Goto the pre-med (AMSA) group at your university/college. Someone there may keep a list of doctors that are willing to allow pre-meds to shadow with them. If not, try your premed advisor. If you strike out there, don't give up! Try asking people you know, family who they goto for medical assistance or if they personally know any doctors. If that doesn't work, then get your phone ready and start calling private doctors and clinics, forget hospitals as they don't work directly with physicians. If you volunteer at a hospital, strike up a conversation with a physician and see if they'll let you shadow someone or if they can hook you up with somebody else.

 

[scholj]

Start considering the contacts you have. I have a cousin who is a surgeon. I'm not terribly close to her, but when she heard I wanted to go into medicine, she let me come in and watch a full day's work of surgery. I got to talk to a few other doctors and some nurses too. I've also been asking friends who know people or work in hospitals, and parents of friends. You have access to more doctors than you think you do 🙂.

 

[mconnell]

You have access to more doctors than you think you do 🙂.

Yeah, more than you think. I am a nurse and work in a hospital. I have thought of asking doctors at work but wasn't sure if this was an acceptable practice. I guess it is. I will ask several physicians that I know if I could shadow them. Do you usually observe someone for a day, a week, a few hours? How does that work? What should I ask of them? Should I see how comfortable I feel talking to them and how comfortable they are with me following them around?
Thanks for the advice.

 

[NiteOwl]

I have been shadowing my family doctor. He knew I was a pre med and I asked him if I could shadow and he said okay. We kind of know them from outside of his practice though, my mom had worked with his wife, so they knew eachother. I don't know if that had any influence on him letting me shadow or not. Anyway, maybe you could start and try with your doctor. As for the amount of time you go, I guess its up to you and how long the doctor you are shadowing will allow you to shadow with him/her. I go and shadow during semester breaks when I don't have classes.

 

[Doctor~Detroit]

Yeah, more than you think. I am a nurse and work in a hospital. I have thought of asking doctors at work but wasn't sure if this was an acceptable practice. I guess it is. I will ask several physicians that I know if I could shadow them. Do you usually observe someone for a day, a week, a few hours? How does that work? What should I ask of them? Should I see how comfortable I feel talking to them and how comfortable they are with me following them around?
Thanks for the advice.

doesn't your job already involve shadowing (and more)?

 

[mconnell]

doesn't your job already involve shadowing (and more)?

The answer to this question is 'Yes' and 'No'. Nurses have their own job to do, we do not simply follow doctors around doing what they command of us. Yes we do have to have a doctors order for everything we do but there is a great deal of autonomy in our job. Rarely do we actually have the time or opportunity to simply shadow a doctor. We can see what they do with our patients then they are out the door (obviously this depends greatly on what unit of the hospital you work in).

 

[hangten]

I work as a unit secretary and I just came up to one of the doctors making rounds and asked him informally right then and there. Luckily, he said yes. That night I researched him and the next day I sent him a formal request to shadow him explaining my status and why I wanted to shadow him.

Today is actually my first day shadowing this particular doctor and currently on a lunch break. Not only did I get to go on rounds, he let me sit in an ethics meeting this morning, reviewed a positive biopsy and broke the news to a patient, and got to witness a code he was leading. Bottom line: you just have to go up to people and be persistent, even if it means to the point of "stalking." Some doctors may say no to you and bluntly dismiss you, but there are many more out there, so just keep asking. This is by far the greatest day of my life.