Importance of Shadowing Family Physicians

[GrayArea]

How essential is shadowing a family medicine doc to ADCOMS?

What if you have experience with longitudinal care but within a specialty? In such a case, are shadowing hours with a family doc still significant?

Thanks!

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[kamakazi5]

It would probably be good to see what a family physician does but if you have other longitudinal shadowing I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Moko]

Far from essential. Do it if you are potentially interested in family medicine, otherwise spend your time doing things that actually matter to you.

 

[doctorleospaceman]

I believe ever applicant should shadow in primary care.

 

[gamieg]

the point of shadowing is to know what you're getting into as a physician. if you can make a convincing argument as to understanding what medicine entails, you don't "have" to do anything.

 

[Catalystik]

How essential is shadowing a family medicine doc to ADCOMS?

What if you have experience with longitudinal care but within a specialty? In such a case, are shadowing hours with a family doc still significant?

Which specialty?

 

[aldol16]

I never shadowed a primary care doc and never had a problem with it. Don't overthink it. You just need to be able to articulate why medicine and show that you can paint a realistic conception of what medicine is.

 

[GrayArea]

Which specialty?

Neurology. I began shadowing a neurologist and then became part of his research team that runs clinical trials on Alzheimer's Disease. The research team is small (3 of us including the doc) and as a result we are very close with our patients. We see them a few times each year to see how they are doing - and therefore that is considered longitudinal care, correct?

In all honesty, this experience alone has assured me of my decision to become a physician and I can definitely articulate why. However, I have about six months until apps open up so if it is really important to ADCOMS, I might as well get some shadowing hours with a family doc to see their type of care.

 

[Catalystik]

Neurology. I began shadowing a neurologist and then became part of his research team that runs clinical trials on Alzheimer's Disease. The research team is small (3 of us including the doc) and as a result we are very close with our patients. We see them a few times each year to see how they are doing - and therefore that is considered longitudinal care, correct?

In all honesty, this experience alone has assured me of my decision to become a physician and I can definitely articulate why. However, I have about six months until apps open up so if it is really important to ADCOMS, I might as well get some shadowing hours with a family doc to see their type of care.

Some specialists do qualify as longitudinal care providers because they manage all the patient's healthcare issues, not just those covered by their specialty, and act like a primary care doc. I could see that possibly happening with a neurologist, though all of them would not be inclined to take on that role.

Family Med physicians aren't the only primary care docs that provide ongoing care. Internists, Pediatricians, OBGYNs, and some even say Psychiatrists are in this category.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

For what it's worth, I have over 150 hours shadowing a vascular surgeon, and an adcom on this board advised me to shadow a primary care physician. But that includes IM, peds, FM, and possibly even OB.

 

[Lawpy]

Some specialists do qualify as longitudinal care providers because they manage all the patient's healthcare issues, not just those covered by their specialty, and act like a primary care doc. I could see that possibly happening with a neurologist, though all of them would not be inclined to take on that role.

Family Med physicians aren't the only primary care docs that provide ongoing care. Internists, Pediatricians, OBGYNs, and some even say Psychiatrists are in this category.

For what it's worth, I have over 150 hours shadowing a vascular surgeon, and an adcom on this board advised me to shadow a primary care physician. But that includes IM, peds, FM, and possibly even OB.

Just curious, what is the advantage of shadowing specifically in primary care? The argument of longitudinal care can apply to some specialties as mentioned above.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Just curious, what is the advantage of shadowing specifically in primary care? The argument of longitudinal care can apply to some specialties as mentioned above.

Not sure. There might be the feeling that primary care is what the reality of medicine looks like or something. Dealing with annoying, crappy patients, EMRs, insurance, etc., not to mention dealing with the most common health problems Americans deal with (HTN, heart disease, diabetes, etc). You might not see that as much with other specialties.

Edit:
Also might be to make sure you're okay with primary care should your board scores not be compatible with competitive specialties. Dunno. Just guessing.

 

[Catalystik]

Just curious, what is the advantage of shadowing specifically in primary care? The argument of longitudinal care can apply to some specialties as mentioned above.

I expect each school might have their own answer to your question. Your goal is to have your application appeal to a range of schools; to accommodate the expectations of as many as possible, primary care shadowing is recommended.

Some thoughts: Besides seeing medicine as it's practiced in the trenches, as it were, if you are destined to become a specialist, you still need to be familiar with medicine as you will be exposed to it while learning History&Physical exam skills, and during third year clerkships and the internship year. And you'll gain an appreciation of the referral process. Additional benefit you get by by observing primary care docs involved in longitudinal care will be greater ease in answering interview questions dealing with the positive and negative realities of practicing medicine in the US: patient advocacy, cultural sensitivity, malpractice, medical ethics, current healthcare policy, difficult patients, insurance companies, professionalism, etc.

 

[doctorleospaceman]

Because you don't know what field you're going into. Being a primary care physician is different from being a specialist. For example, being in a dermatology office would paint an innacurate picture of the field and practice of medicine in general. For starters, it's rarely 9-5 and rarely will the majority of patients you see have great (or any) insurance.

If anything, just shadowing in primary care is fine since you get a flavor of medicine overall which is the whole point of shadowing. I myself balanced it with some shadowing of surgical specialties, but I definitely gained a better understanding of the medical field from shadowing/working in primary care. After all, the point of shadowing isn't just to check off a box, right?

 

[TexasSurgeon]

How essential is shadowing a family medicine doc to ADCOMS?

What if you have experience with longitudinal care but within a specialty? In such a case, are shadowing hours with a family doc still significant?

Thanks!

You don't need to have to shadow a particular specialty. Just show you've got some clinical exposure.

 

[doctorbob23]

Definitely important. You need to see what primary care is like..either family or IM. Especially since schools are pushing primary care

 

[idontwatchgreysanatomy]

I'm sure it is school-dependent. My state school has a strong primary care and rural focus. The dean mentioned that it is a red flag for her when she sees a student with plenty of hours shadowing ROAD specialties, but zero primary care. Especially if they try to BS their passion about it to fit the school's mission.

 

[gamieg]

the point of shadowing is to know what you're getting into as a physician. if you can make a convincing argument as to understanding what medicine entails, you don't "have" to do anything.

also I've never shadowed in primary care. the subject never came up, even at schools primary care or rural medicine focused.

 

[doctorleospaceman]

also I've never shadowed in primary care. the subject never came up, even at schools primary care or rural medicine focused.

Schools would rarely straight up ask you about primary care shadowing at an interview. But there are many little things or insights you would get from the experiences that you should weave in to answer some questions and better convey your understanding of what you're going into.

 

[gamieg]

Schools would rarely straight up ask you about primary care shadowing at an interview. But there are many little things or insights you would get from the experiences that you should weave in to answer some questions and better convey your understanding of what you're going into.

that's true, but I think it's possible to gain that perspective through shadowing specialists too. not saying that shadowing in primary care is bad -- it can only help, but to OP's question of whether it's a necessity, it's not.

 

[ifnotnowwren]

I scribed for an internist and I there were two distinctly bad days out of the year that I worked for her that I felt like "I don't know if I would want to do primary care for the rest of my life", when there were many more days where I left feeling work like that was all I wanted to do. And I don't think that 2/365 is that bad. I'm an MS1 and I know some other MS1s who haven't had exposure to the field. Everyone is all abuzz about residencies already and I think it's given me a lot of peace of mind to be going in with knowledge of what primary care is actually like, knowing that if I don't find a speciality that really speaks to me or if one doesn't seem to be in my future due to Step or something, that I would be genuinely very happy to match into a field associated with primary care.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

that's true, but I think it's possible to gain that perspective through shadowing specialists too. not saying that shadowing in primary care is bad -- it can only help, but to OP's question of whether it's a necessity, it's not.

There's a difference between not required and highly recommended, but how big a difference? Obviously it's n=1, but as I said, an adcom on this forum told me I better get some primary care shadowing even with 150 hrs of specialist shadowing.