Landing a shadowing opportunity with a surgeon

[SundevilMD]

Has anyone had success with setting up dates to shadow a surgeon? How did you go about it? I am interested in surgery (plastics particularly) and would like to set up time to shadow a surgeon but have had no success with cold calling or dropping of resumes at various offices so far. I have also sent a few emails but I am hesitant to continue that because I feel like they often slip through the cracks and/or don't get taken seriously. I have been scribing in the ED for about a year and have occasionally met some of the surgeons when they come down for consults, but do not know any well enough to ask to shadow, and in my experience it seems surgery specialties are the most difficult to shadow due to HIPPA laws and patients just being unwilling. Thankfully I also scribe for an OB/GYN who has let me watch a few C-sections and hysterectomies so I have a little bit of a feel for surgery but I would like to expand my knowledge. Any advice on how you all landed a shadowing opportunity would be awesome!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[SundevilMD]

I am, but I'm not sure if I would have to go through another HIPPA training if I shadow at a facility outside of the hospital?

 

[BamaNicole]

I am, but I'm not sure if I would have to go through another HIPPA training if I shadow at a facility outside of the hospital?

Where do you shadow? You can always see if there is a contact person for that particular department. They usually can organize educational opportunities for both med and pre-med students. When I was on Gen Surg, there was a pre-med student that would come in sometimes.

 

[Lawpy]

If your scribing in ED, I presume you are already HIPPA trained?

I am, but I'm not sure if I would have to go through another HIPPA training if I shadow at a facility outside of the hospital?

As a small technicality, it's HIPAA = Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It seems that Accountability is dropped off when HIPPAs get thrown around 🙁

And OP, I think you can use the same HIPAA certification for shadowing in areas outside of hospital as long as it's in the same region.

 

[Lawpy]

So I cant spell, sue me!

I was just going to suggest a short cover letter/fax including HIPPA compliant.

Interestingly enough, HIPAA is a federal law that's employed by all hospital systems nationwide. So HIPAA certification completed at one hospital in one region of US should be perfectly acceptable for use at any hospital in the US. However, that's usually not the case, and it seems that recertification is needed. Why?

 

[gyngyn]

Interestingly enough, HIPAA is a federal law that's employed by all hospital systems nationwide. So HIPAA certification completed at one hospital in one region of US should be perfectly acceptable for use at any hospital in the US. However, that's usually not the case, and it seems that recertification is needed. Why?

If they weren't already disinterested in shadowing, Dr. Love has made them all gun shy.

 

[Lawpy]

If they weren't already, Dr. Love has made them all gun shy.

.... now i feel guilty for not understanding the reference

 

[gyngyn]

.... now i feel guilty for not understanding the reference

The Florida kid charged with impersonating a physician.

 

[SundevilMD]

Oops, **HIPAA

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try adding a section about HIPAA compliance. Do you recommend continuing to send emails? Or just walking in to offices and leaving my cover letter/resume? I'm not sure which would be more successful as a lot of offices don't list doctor's personal email and only list generic email addresses that probably go to a receptionist before even being read by a doctor (i.e: [email protected]).

 

[Lawpy]

Oops, **HIPAA

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try adding a section about HIPAA compliance. Do you recommend continuing to send emails? Or just walking in to offices and leaving my cover letter/resume? I'm not sure which would be more successful as a lot of offices don't list doctor's personal email and only list generic email addresses that probably go to a receptionist before even being read by a doctor (i.e: [email protected]).

Emails are usually better especially if you could find an academic medical center. Otherwise, you could try cold calling. But submitting a resume in the office seems unnecessary

 

[osckey]

I shadowed a surgeon and it was awesome. I contacted my local hospital's office of graduate education and followed the steps to get access to the hospital after I asked a surgeon if I could shadow him.

Step 1: find a surgeon willing to let you shadow them

Step 2: get necessary credentials at the hospitals where said surgeon operates

Step3: ???

Step 4: Profit

 

[BamaNicole]

Oops, **HIPAA

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll try adding a section about HIPAA compliance. Do you recommend continuing to send emails? Or just walking in to offices and leaving my cover letter/resume? I'm not sure which would be more successful as a lot of offices don't list doctor's personal email and only list generic email addresses that probably go to a receptionist before even being read by a doctor (i.e: [email protected]).

You may or may not get a bite with surgery centers. you may have better luck with academic hospitals.

 

[besheep]

I might just be lucky or I live in an area that has such a good interaction between my university and the hospitals in the area, but I just emailed them. Physicians are busy so don't expect them to email you back. BUT DO follow up with an email. Don't be afraid to email them back because most likely they will forget your email. See if you can find what research the doctor does and incorporate that into your email.

Try to email doctors from different hospitals. With 4 different medical centers near me, I found out some were better than others at responding and agreeing to a shadow. Throw a wide net. Say you have some experience in a medical setting, so they don't think you are a greenhorn. HIPAA is good, but most of the time it is getting the paperwork and process for the hospital to approve your application.

If you want to make a good relationship with the physician try to schedule a coffee meeting to talk or some meeting. It might take weeks or months to get the shadow ball rolling, but it is worth it.

 

[Winged Scapula]

As a practicing surgeon, I'd recommend the following:

1) when you find a surgeon to email, CC their Office Mgr or medical assistant; they're in charge of the schedule

2) send info about your prior experience, HIPAA training and most important oh ours that have agreed to allow you to observe. This is the biggest issue for me with students who want to shadow: many operating rooms will not let you come in unless you can show that you've had the full series of hep B injections, TB etc. etc.

3) If you've been contacting plastic surgeons without response, I might venture that they may be hesitant because of the high maintenance nature of the patients, considerable litigation and of course patient privacy if they do aesthetic procedures.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

Follow doctor Miami on snapchat lol

 

[besheep]

As a practicing surgeon, I'd recommend the following:

1) when you find a surgeon to email, CC their Office Mgr or medical assistant; they're in charge of the schedule

2) send info about your prior experience, HIPAA training and most important oh ours that have agreed to allow you to observe. This is the biggest issue for me with students who want to shadow: many operating rooms will not let you come in unless you can show that you've had the full series of hep B injections, TB etc. etc.

3) If you've been contacting plastic surgeons without response, I might venture that they may be hesitant because of the high maintenance nature of the patients, considerable litigation and of course patient privacy if they do aesthetic procedures.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

#2 mainly becomes an issue if the institution of the doctor that is being asked to shadow doesn't have a process in place. For me, every hospital had some sort of form and process in which you had to show our immunization records to be approved to shadow. This takes away the issue from the doctor and makes it unified across the hospital/clinic.

 

[Espressso]

Break your arm and see an ortho surgeon, wait for him/her to ask what you study, respond with how you're about to apply but want to shadow in the OR.... BAM. You're in.

 

[besheep]

Break your arm and see an ortho surgeon, wait for him/her to ask what you study, respond with how you're about to apply but want to shadow in the OR.... BAM. You're in.

Not only are you shadowing the surgeon, you are also shadowing the patient as yourself.

 

[Espressso]

Not only are you shadowing the surgeon, you are also shadowing the patient as yourself.

seriously though.. I broke my hand and had major surgery. During my recovery/PT/post-op care, I became really close with my physician and ended up shadowing him in the OR with his major surgeries (hip/knee replacements) and his more intricate surgeries like the acl's, tommy john's, labrum tears, etc.

 

[besheep]

seriously though.. I broke my hand and had major surgery. During my recovery/PT/post-op care, I became really close with my physician and ended up shadowing him in the OR with his major surgeries (hip/knee replacements) and his more intricate surgeries like the acl's, tommy john's, labrum tears, etc.

The closest thing I have to that was talking with a surgeon in his office (This was a few shadowing cases in.) and I was about to leave. I decided to add that I was going to get my braces off ( large underbite among other things, had to get surgery). The surgeon responded that he also got underbite surgery at the same age I did. From that moment on, we became bros..... we connected really well after that and is continuing to help me and offer me shadowing opportunities if I need it.

 

[Crayola227]

or just skip shadowing a surgeon

you'll get plenty of surgical exposure in med school to decide if it's for you

you should be more worried how you feel about shadowing outpt medicine since that is how the majority of medicine is practiced
and anything can happen in your career path that places you out of the surgical field

if you just want to to see if you'll get sick around that sort of thing.... I dunno, I did work with elderly folks and did a shift in the ED to know I was up for nasty body fluids

shadow FM, psych, neuro, I find they are more open to having students and I think you will have slightly more realistic experiences of what docs are up against

once you are already in with a few docs it can be easier to get in for surgery

to the FM doc who refers a patient for surgery, "hey, I'd love to follow this patient and see what happens in the OR"
to the neurologist that refers someone for neurosurgery, same deal
so you don't insult their fields, you're "following the patient"
or tell them you want a little OR time to be sure that you'll be OK with seeing that side of medicine in training

 

[Winged Scapula]

or just skip shadowing a surgeon

you'll get plenty of surgical exposure in med school to decide if it's for you

you should be more worried how you feel about shadowing outpt medicine since that is how the majority of medicine is practiced
and anything can happen in your career path that places you out of the surgical field

if you just want to to see if you'll get sick around that sort of thing.... I dunno, I did work with elderly folks and did a shift in the ED to know I was up for nasty body fluids

shadow FM, psych, neuro, I find they are more open to having students and I think you will have slightly more realistic experiences of what docs are up against

once you are already in with a few docs it can be easier to get in for surgery

to the FM doc who refers a patient for surgery, "hey, I'd love to follow this patient and see what happens in the OR"
to the neurologist that refers someone for neurosurgery, same deal
so you don't insult their fields, you're "following the patient"
or tell them you want a little OR time to be sure that you'll be OK with seeing that side of medicine in training

The latter part about seeing other specialties upon referral of the shadowing physician is a good point; one that can happen in any specialty.

It's very easy and common for me to pick up the phone and call radiation oncologist, medical oncologist, plastic surgeon etc and say, "I have a student here with me today seeing Mrs. Jones and she's going to be seeing you later; is it OK if he comes over and sees them while you're evaluating/treating them?"

The answer has always been yes.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[ProfMD]

I have had students contact me from my alma mater - the college maintains a list of alumni willing to help out undergrads.

I have also had students cold call my office. My secretary knows that students are always welcome, so she helps them make arrangements.

I also work at an academic hospital. There is an online form students can fill out and then the hospital will help them find a physician to shadow. The hospital also helps make sure all the paperwork is in order.

So, I guess my advice to you is check the career counseling office at your college, cold call offices, or contact hospitals (academic ones may be more likely to respond but I don't know for sure). Options 1 and 3 may be best.

 

[idontwatchgreysanatomy]

Follow doctor Miami on snapchat lol

This is going on my app

 

[Tenk]

What are you trying to gain from this experience if you've already been in the OR before?

With your experience in the ER and OB this would actually probably be of very limited value given the extent it will take to obtain it. (My opinion obviously)

Regardless, the easiest way would be to get one of the ER docs you know and are on good terms with to ask for you. I know plenty of surgeons that would let someone worship them. Good luck!

 

[SundevilMD]

Thanks for all your suggestions. My main reasoning behind wanting to shadow is just to have the opportunity to view different procedures of different specialties. I am very grateful for my experiences in the ED and shadowing ob/gyn procedures but I want to take advantage of all the shadowing opportunites I can get my hands on! 🙂

 

[El-Rami]

I shadowed both a general surgeon and a urologist (so got to see some interesting urological surgeries) while pre-med. I got lucky and shadowed a pretty cool physician with colleagues who were willing to let me tag along.

 

[Green Grass]

Most surgeons would be more than happy to have a wide eyed medical student feed their ego. Reach out and you'll see that it's easier than you think.