Medical School Rotations Questions

[deleted987875]

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I’m currently a rising junior biology (pre-med) major. I’m in an early medical school selection program that’s part of Boston University Schoo of Medicine. I’m interested in either being an OB/GYN, family physician, or something related to oncology or oncology & women’s health. I’ve never shadowed a doctor before, so I don’t know what to expect. I also have never seen a surgery in person or performed a surgery myself.
I sometimes wonder will it take a lot of mental and emotional energy to do surgery? What will clinical rotations be like in medical school?

I’ve also wondered is it hard to see sick patients in a hospital or clinic everyday? I really want to know how to have an effective and positive doctor-patient relationship with future patients.

Last thing, I just really want to be successful and happy being a doctor. I’m a person who has a history of anxiety and overthinking/over analyzing stuff. I know that I have a very long journey to go, but I can’t help but be anxious about the future. Any advice for this?

 

[jurassicpark]

Just relax, you still got quite a way to go. The important thing is unless you're a sociopath, it is NOT meant to be emotionally/mentally easy. Everyone will develop their own coping mechanism or find something else (hopefully). Even people who graduate medical school and then residency find out certain aspects/jobs of medicine are not for them and change. This is why you hear people complain of doctors and nurses sometimes making inappropriate jokes or gallows humor at the nurses' station, doctors are not machines and you'll develop your own coping mechanism eventually.

 

[ppushpak]

Why don’t you go shadow and find out

 

[deleted987875]

Why don’t you go shadow and find out

I haven’t had any luck finding a doctor to shadow unfortunately

 

[JustAUser]

I also have never seen a surgery in person or performed a surgery myself.

I would most certainly hope not.

I’ve also wondered is it hard to see sick patients in a hospital or clinic everyday? I really want to know how to have an effective and positive doctor-patient relationship with future patients.

Get some clinical experience. You can volunteer at a hospital, clinic, hospice, nursing home

 

[Moko]

I’ve never shadowed a doctor before, so I don’t know what to expect. What will clinical rotations be like in medical school? I’ve also wondered is it hard to see sick patients in a hospital or clinic everyday? I really want to know how to have an effective and positive doctor-patient relationship with future patients. Last thing, I just really want to be successful and happy being a doctor. I’m a person who has a history of anxiety and overthinking/over analyzing stuff. I know that I have a very long journey to go, but I can’t help but be anxious about the future. Any advice for this?

Start shadowing now. Ask faculty members at the BUSOM if you can shadow them. They have a vested interest in your success, and the last thing they want is for you to drop out after first year due to lack of interest. You need to figure out whether medicine is actually right for you before you start medical school, otherwise it's your time and money wasted. Personally, being around suffering and dying patients is emotionally difficult even now, but also very rewarding. Not everyone feels the same way, which is why (among other reasons) they choose to do specialties with fewer interactions with the sick and dying.

Clinical rotations vary by school, site, specialty, and even time of year. Your experience will largely be dictated by who your attendings and residents are.

Personally, I thought clinical rotations were stressful and tough as a medical student due to the sheer amount of hours worked, the lack of sleep, and also the pressure of being constantly evaluated. For example, on my surgery clerkship, I was waking up at 4:30-5:00am, and staying until 9pm was not an uncommon occurrence depending on the cases that day. Of course, clinical rotations paled in comparison to residency (in both time and responsibilities). Being an attending has provided its own set of challenges (though thankfully, the hours have been so much better).

Anxiety is all too common during this process. My advice would be to take a deep breath, and take one step at a time. Recognize that the path to becoming an independent physician will be about ~10 years for you (2 years of college, 4 years of medical school, and at least 3 years of residency). That's daunting, but it also means that you have many years to figure out what kind of doctor you want to be. The first step and branch-point though is confirming that you even want to become a doctor! Good luck

I would most certainly hope not.

I was thinking the exact same thing.

 

[Goro]

I’m currently a rising junior biology (pre-med) major. I’m in an early medical school selection program that’s part of Boston University Schoo of Medicine. I’m interested in either being an OB/GYN, family physician, or something related to oncology or oncology & women’s health. I’ve never shadowed a doctor before, so I don’t know what to expect. I also have never seen a surgery in person or performed a surgery myself.
I sometimes wonder will it take a lot of mental and emotional energy to do surgery? What will clinical rotations be like in medical school?

I’ve also wondered is it hard to see sick patients in a hospital or clinic everyday? I really want to know how to have an effective and positive doctor-patient relationship with future patients.

Last thing, I just really want to be successful and happy being a doctor. I’m a person who has a history of anxiety and overthinking/over analyzing stuff. I know that I have a very long journey to go, but I can’t help but be anxious about the future. Any advice for this?

You're a JR and you haven't done any clinical volunteering?

Volunteer in a hospice and see if you can handle that. If you can, Medicine is for you.

 

[deleted987875]

Start shadowing now. Ask faculty members at the BUSOM if you can shadow them. They have a vested interest in your success, and the last thing they want is for you to drop out after first year due to lack of interest. You need to figure out whether medicine is actually right for you before you start medical school, otherwise it's your time and money wasted. Personally, being around suffering and dying patients is emotionally difficult even now, but also very rewarding. Not everyone feels the same way, which is why (among other reasons) they choose to do specialties with fewer interactions with the sick and dying.

Clinical rotations vary by school, site, specialty, and even time of year. Your experience will largely be dictated by who your attendings and residents are.

Personally, I thought clinical rotations were stressful and tough as a medical student due to the sheer amount of hours worked, the lack of sleep, and also the pressure of being constantly evaluated. For example, on my surgery clerkship, I was waking up at 4:30-5:00am, and staying until 9pm was not an uncommon occurrence depending on the cases that day. Of course, clinical rotations paled in comparison to residency (in both time and responsibilities). Being an attending has provided its own set of challenges (though thankfully, the hours have been so much better).

Anxiety is all too common during this process. My advice would be to take a deep breath, and take one step at a time. Recognize that the path to becoming an independent physician will be about ~10 years for you (2 years of college, 4 years of medical school, and at least 3 years of residency). That's daunting, but it also means that you have many years to figure out what kind of doctor you want to be. The first step and branch-point though is confirming that you even want to become a doctor! Good luck


I was thinking the exact same thing.

Hey Moko! I haven’t had any luck being able to shadow a doctor in a clinic or hospital. I’ve also reached out to Planned Parenthood about volunteering in the clinic, but have had no luck. Some places I haven’t heard back from yet if I’m even allowed to shadow there. I just came back from Boston a week ago after spending 6 weeks there for the summer program and I was one of a group of 4-5 people who were not able to shadow a doctor at Boston Medical Center because the program coordinators could not get everyone in... I also reached out to shadow the program director who is an OB/GYN and I never heard back from her about shadowing...

 

[deleted987875]

You're a JR and you haven't done any clinical volunteering?

Volunteer in a hospice and see if you can handle that. If you can, Medicine is for you.

I’ve done research and I’m involved with many different medical student organizations on campus. I’m doing well in all of my courses. I also do a lot of community volunteering. I just haven’t been able to shadow a doctor or get any clinical hours in yet.

I don’t know if ant hospices where I live...

 

[deleted987875]

I also have tried to reach out to different hospitals, clinics, and Planned Parenthood where I live about shadowing a doctor or volunteering and they have either said no or I have not heard back from them yet....

 

[Moko]

Hey Moko! I haven’t had any luck being able to shadow a doctor in a clinic or hospital. I’ve also reached out to Planned Parenthood about volunteering in the clinic, but have had no luck. Some places I haven’t heard back from yet if I’m even allowed to shadow there. I just came back from Boston a week ago after spending 6 weeks there for the summer program and I was one of a group of 4-5 people who were not able to shadow a doctor at Boston Medical Center because the program coordinators could not get everyone in... I also reached out to shadow the program director who is an OB/GYN and I never heard back from her about shadowing...

Contact your undergrad premed office to see if they have a list of physicians who have volunteered to be shadowed. My undergrad premed office had such a list, and I'm currently on the list for the undergrad affiliated with my institution. You can also try reaching out to the admission office and see if they can hook you up (though may be a longer shot given the sheer volume of applications that BUSOM receives).

 

[deleted967981]

I don’t know if ant hospices where I live...

This is a terrible excuse. You can google hospice programs in your area, or go on volunteermatch.com and look for opportunities in your area.

Don’t be a lazy volunteer, OP. Do some research!

 

[deleted987875]

Contact your undergrad premed office to see if they have a list of physicians who have volunteered to be shadowed. My undergrad premed office had such a list, and I'm currently on the list for the undergrad affiliated with my institution. You can also try reaching out to the admission office and see if they can hook you up (though may be a longer shot given the sheer volume of applications that BUSOM receives).

I have just reached out to the director of my health careers office at my school. I live in Washington state currently and I go to school in Georgia. It’s summer time, so I’m at home in Washington state right now.

 

[deleted987875]

This is a terrible excuse. You can google hospice programs in your area, or go on volunteermatch.com and look for opportunities in your area.

Don’t be a lazy volunteer, OP. Do some research!

I just did some research and I found a hospice care place that’s near where I live. I also emailed the place asking if I could volunteer there. I don’t know why you came at me kind of passive aggressively, but my experience has been hard to find shadowing and volunteering opportunities. And also the time to fit in my schedule. I’m moving all the way across the country next month to a new state since my dad got a job offer. So there’s a lot of stuff going on in my life. But I’m at least acknowledging and reflecting on what’s been going on with myself personally about my experience

 

[Bonne Nuit]

I just did some research and I found a hospice care place that’s near where I live. I also emailed the place asking if I could volunteer there. I don’t know why you came at me kind of passive aggressively, but my experience has been hard to find shadowing and volunteering opportunities. And also the time to fit in my schedule. I’m moving all the way across the country next month to a new state since my dad got a job offer. So there’s a lot of stuff going on in my life. But I’m at least acknowledging and reflecting on what’s been going on with myself personally about my experience

S/he is encouraging you to take ownership of your shadowing/volunteering search and really hustle to make these connections. I’m sure you don’t realize this, but some of your statements come across as passive, whereas this process requires premeds to be incredibly proactive. It’s difficult for lots of premeds to find shadowing and volunteering opportunities and the time to do these activities in their busy lives, but that is what is required to get into medical school.

I recommend treating this like a job search. Don’t just send emails, follow up with phone calls. Polish up your resume, put on a professional outfit and head to a local doctor’s office in person. Be polite but persistent. You might get told no a lot. That’s OK. Just keep at it.

 

[Moko]

The problem is that all too often people ask questions that are easily answered with a simple Google search (or some common sense). Not just on here, but also in real life. The expectation in medical school is that students are resourceful and respectful of other people's time. I didn't see Moocille's response as being passive aggressive, just some tough love. Better to receive it here on an anonymous forum (unless your user name really is your name ) than to make these missteps when it actually matters during applications and in life in general. When someone asks me a question that's readily available on my school's website, it doesn't reflect well on them. Just my thoughts.

 

[Goro]

I have just reached out to the director of my health careers office at my school. I live in Washington state currently and I go to school in Georgia. It’s summer time, so I’m at home in Washington state right now.

Not all volunteering needs to be in a hospital. Think hospice, Planned Parenthood, nursing homes, rehab facilities, crisis hotlines, camps for sick children, or clinics.

Some types of volunteer activities are more appealing than others. Volunteering in a nice suburban hospital is all very well and good and all, but doesn't show that you're willing to dig in and get your hands dirty in the same way that working with the developmentally disabled (or homeless, the dying, or Alzheimer’s or mentally ill or elderly or ESL or domestic, rural impoverished) does. The uncomfortable situations are the ones that really demonstrate your altruism and get you 'brownie points'. Plus, they frankly teach you more -- they develop your compassion and humanity in ways comfortable situations can't.

No more excuses.

 

[chaim123]

I just did some research and I found a hospice care place that’s near where I live. I also emailed the place asking if I could volunteer there. I don’t know why you came at me kind of passive aggressively, but my experience has been hard to find shadowing and volunteering opportunities. And also the time to fit in my schedule. I’m moving all the way across the country next month to a new state since my dad got a job offer. So there’s a lot of stuff going on in my life. But I’m at least acknowledging and reflecting on what’s been going on with myself personally about my experience

I think the real question is why did you apply to EMSSP (which is what I'm assuming you are talking about) if you weren't sure medicine was for you? Clinical shadowing is greatly values in medical admissions as a way to make sure that you know what the career really entails and that you'll be happy for the next many many years. I think the worst thing that could happen is you spend the time and money on medical school, and then find out being a physician isn't for you.

 

[deleted987875]

I think the real question is why did you apply to EMSSP (which is what I'm assuming you are talking about) if you weren't sure medicine was for you? Clinical shadowing is greatly values in medical admissions as a way to make sure that you know what the career really entails and that you'll be happy for the next many many years. I think the worst thing that could happen is you spend the time and money on medical school, and then find out being a physician isn't for you.

At the time I applied to EMSSP I didn’t have any of these questions or thoughts. I was so happy and excited and worked so hard. It was only when I came to Boston this past summer for 6 weeks is when I started to have some self-doubts and some anxiety

 

[chaim123]

At the time I applied to EMSSP I didn’t have any of these questions or thoughts. I was so happy and excited and worked so hard. It was only when I came to Boston this past summer for 6 weeks is when I started to have some self-doubts and some anxiety

I suppose what I mean is how did you not have these questions without any knowledge of the medical field. Or alternatively, why did you originally decide that you want to spend your life as a physician?

 

[deleted987875]

Are you familiar with EMSSP? It’s a great program and everyone in my class is nice, I like the program director and coordinators, I like the campus, and I like the city. I also liked my summer class and the seminars that I did for the program this summer. I only started having my own self doubts when current medical students told us that medical school was really hard and about how they went through their own self-doubts and contemplating if they still really wanted to be a doctor or not.

I let so overwhelmed and scared about medical school and really wants aloe place mentally when they told me and other people this and I really was unsure and uncertain if I would be able to handle medical school, would I be successful, am I the right person to be a doctor, etc.

Now I feel more confident that I will be handle to do the coursework, but also acknowledge that medical school will be hard and a lot of work (more than I can possibly imagine until I actually start medical school)

 

[deleted987875]

I suppose what I mean is how did you not have these questions without any knowledge of the medical field. Or alternatively, why did you originally decide that you want to spend your life as a physician?

I really like my math and science courses, and while it’s a lot of work, I still find it very interesting. I really like Women’s health and learning about oncology, so I always thought that being an OB/GYN or oncologist would be good for me or being a family physician that specializes in women’s health. I also really like public health and learning and talking about race, Ethnicity, and health and how it relates to politics and public policy. I think there needs to be more inclusion and diversity in Medicine and I want to work with people of color in Medicine.

 

[deleted987875]

I think the real question is why did you apply to EMSSP (which is what I'm assuming you are talking about) if you weren't sure medicine was for you? Clinical shadowing is greatly values in medical admissions as a way to make sure that you know what the career really entails and that you'll be happy for the next many many years. I think the worst thing that could happen is you spend the time and money on medical school, and then find out being a physician isn't for you.

This was a thought of mine that gave me a lot of anxiety and still gives me some anxiety. Ultimately I want to be happy in my career. I know that being doctor will be hard, frustrating, and challenging. But I’m hoping that it will all be worth it in the end

 

[chaim123]

I really like my math and science courses, and while it’s a lot of work, I still find it very interesting. I really like Women’s health and learning about oncology, so I always thought that being an OB/GYN or oncologist would be good for me or being a family physician that specializes in women’s health. I also really like public health and learning and talking about race, Ethnicity, and health and how it relates to politics and public policy. I think there needs to be more inclusion and diversity in Medicine and I want to work with people of color in Medicine.

Those are all great reasons to be interested in medicine! But, as others have stated, I think now is the time to do some active involvement in the medical field before committing your life to it.

As you've already mentioned, medical school, residency, and medicine itself are all emotionally taxing and take a lot of energy out of you. It can be hard dealing with sick patients and experiencing your first patient death, and you want to be sure that those are experiences that you are comfortable experiencing and coping with each day. The last thing you want is to pay for 3 years of medical school, and discover in your core clinical year that this isn't what you want.

Some experiences you could become involved in:
Shadowing (as you've already stated)
EMT
CNA
Hospice care
Volunteering in a hospital outside of clinical roles
Volunteering in clinics, maybe student-faculty clinics, planned parenthood, etc.

 

[deleted987875]

I really need to shadow. I have reached out to shadow at a women’s clinic, but the clinic haven’t called me back about if I’m allowed to shadow or not. I also have reached out to volunteer with Planned Parenthood. They said I got volunteer as an advocate and go to rallies and marches. I responded back saying I wanted to be in a clinical setting and maybe work as a receptionist or something that involves more first hand experience talking with patients about their health, contraception, if they want an abortion or not, etc

 

[aldol16]

Even when you're shadowing, you don't really get the full experience of taking care of someone. Is it hard to see someone sick? Yes. It's only human to be affected by someone in pain or suffering. But if it's something you do every day, you start to dissociate yourself more and more from your emotions because it's what you have to do in order to be able to do your job every day. It sucks, but it's what happens with exposure/sensitization.

 

[deleted987875]

Even when you're shadowing, you don't really get the full experience of taking care of someone. Is it hard to see someone sick? Yes. It's only human to be affected by someone in pain or suffering. But if it's something you do every day, you start to dissociate yourself more and more from your emotions because it's what you have to do in order to be able to do your job every day. It sucks, but it's what happens with exposure/sensitization.

I guess the fact that I haven’t shadowed a doctor or volunteered in a clinic is what makes me nervous since I’ve never done it before and I don’t know what to expect...

 

[deleted987875]

I understand that medicine is an applied science. So while I may understand information that’s in a textbook, it’s critical that I understand how it’s used in everyday practice. And I don’t know how to use this information in everyday practice with patients yet...

 

[Goro]

I understand that medicine is an applied science. So while I may understand information that’s in a textbook, it’s critical that I understand how it’s used in everyday practice. And I don’t know how to use this information in everyday practice with patients yet...

You are four+ years away from this. You shouldn't be thinking in this way, period.

Let's try this again:
Do you really want to be around sick and injured people (and their families) for the next 30-40 years?
To get the answer to this, you have to interact with patients directly, either by volunteering or via a clinical job

Do you know what a doctor's day is like, and how different doctors (orthopod ovs IM vs FM vs surgeon) approach the practice of Medicine?
This is why you shadow or scribe.

 

[Bonne Nuit]

I guess the fact that I haven’t shadowed a doctor or volunteered in a clinic is what makes me nervous since I’ve never done it before and I don’t know what to expect...

Shadowing and volunteering is typically straightforward. You're not going to be exposed to anything too crazy as an undergraduate, which is good or bad depending on your perspective. Here were the most emotionally difficult or upsetting things that have happened during my clinical experiences:

- A sick infant went into severe respiratory distress during an appointment, paramedics were called (baby was ultimately fine after a short hospitalization)
- An adolescent girl was brought in by her mom to receive treatment for STDs (multiple) and Xanax abuse. Mom herself was addicted to opiates and meth.
- A very elderly stage 4 cancer patient elected to continue aggressive/difficult/painful treatment with a virtually zero chance of benefit because his family was so adamant - "We need to do everything for grandpa, we can't give up on him, any chance is better than no chance, etc." The oncologist had advised transitioning to palliative treatment, and this deeply upset the family. They interpreted this as "giving up." Really sad and difficult situation for the patient, the physician, and the family.
- I have seen several patients vomit. It was hard to be around the first time it happened, but I quickly got used to it.
- A young kid was screwing around with a rolling cart and jammed it into my shins REALLY HARD. He felt bad after his mom yelled at him. He didn't mean any harm, but it left a massive bruise.

Keep in mind that, while all this is going down, I'm just standing to the side, keeping quiet and staying out of the way. These difficult moments totaled about one hour out of several hundred clinical hours I amassed over the course of many years. The vast majority of my clinical experiences have been quiet, routine, and mundane.

Could you handle situations like these? I bet you'd be fine.

 

[deleted987875]

Shadowing and volunteering is typically straightforward. You're not going to be exposed to anything too crazy as an undergraduate, which is good or bad depending on your perspective. Here were the most emotionally difficult or upsetting things that have happened during my clinical experiences:

- A sick infant went into severe respiratory distress during an appointment, paramedics were called (baby was ultimately fine after a short hospitalization)
- An adolescent girl was brought in by her mom to receive treatment for STDs (multiple) and Xanax abuse. Mom herself was addicted to opiates and meth.
- A very elderly stage 4 cancer patient elected to continue aggressive/difficult/painful treatment with a virtually zero chance of benefit because his family was so adamant - "We need to do everything for grandpa, we can't give up on him, any chance is better than no chance, etc." The oncologist had advised transitioning to palliative treatment, and this deeply upset the family. They interpreted this as "giving up." Really sad and difficult situation for the patient, the physician, and the family.
- I have seen several patients vomit. It was hard to be around the first time it happened, but I quickly got used to it.
- A young kid was screwing around with a rolling cart and jammed it into my shins REALLY HARD. He felt bad after his mom yelled at him. He didn't mean any harm, but it left a massive bruise.

Keep in mind that, while all this is going down, I'm just standing to the side, keeping quiet and staying out of the way. These difficult moments totaled about one hour out of several hundred clinical hours I amassed over the course of many years. The vast majority of my clinical experiences have been quiet, routine, and mundane.

Could you handle situations like these? I bet you'd be fine.

Thank you for the response. That sounds like a lot, but I think I could handle it. Did you volunteer in a clinic or in a hospital or both? Are there differences in the experiences and interactions with patients?

 

[Bonne Nuit]

Thank you for the response. That sounds like a lot, but I think I could handle it. Did you volunteer in a clinic or in a hospital or both? Are there differences in the experiences and interactions with patients?

All my clinical experience has been in outpatient clinics, so I can't speak to the differences between outpatient and hospital settings. If anything, I'd imagine that outpatient might give you a better patient interaction/observing experience (since outpatient can be lower-key/lower-pace than a hospital setting), but this is just a guess. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me can discuss the differences between these settings?

 

[deleted987875]

I have an aunt whose an orthopedic surgeon that works as a both a co-partner for a private practice and does surgery in a hospital. I know that with a private practice you have to do with more legal stuff such as insurance, medical malpractice, clients suing you, etc.

 

[deleted987875]

I know that this is true for any profession, but I’ve never had a job before. Not even a summer job since I always either did summer sports and/or community service volunteering. So it’s kind of overwhelming for me to imagine doing a job as a career for 2-3 decades. I don’t know if it’s just me, but that’s how I feel. I know that I’m still young and have a lot of maturing mentally that I’m still going through

 

[Goro]

I know that this is true for any profession, but I’ve never had a job before. Not even a summer job since I always either did summer sports and/or community service volunteering. So it’s kind of overwhelming for me to imagine doing a job as a career for 2-3 decades. I don’t know if it’s just me, but that’s how I feel. I know that I’m still young and have a lot of maturing mentally that I’m still going through

Work experience will be a very valuable thing for you. Try barista at Starbucks.

 

[aldol16]

I understand that medicine is an applied science. So while I may understand information that’s in a textbook, it’s critical that I understand how it’s used in everyday practice. And I don’t know how to use this information in everyday practice with patients yet...

This is what the clinical years of med school and residency are for. You learn the basic science of medicine in your pre-clin years and then you actually apply that knowledge in your clinical years. The practice of medicine is very different from the science of medicine. Medical science, while complex, is not all that difficult to learn. You don't actually have to go to medical school to learn medical science. Just get one of those board review resources that many students use in lieu of lectures. You can learn medical science that way. Medical practice, however, takes years and is really the reason why you go to medical school. You have to develop a clinical acumen so that when someone walks in the door with X constellation of symptoms, your spidey senses go off and you have an idea of what to expect and what is rare but can't miss. It comes with time.

 

[deleted987875]

I really want to thank everyone who has responded to my posts and has offered their perspectives and opinions. I know that medical school and a career in medicine is a huge deal and is a lot of work. I’m on going to be a rising junior in college these upcoming school year. I still have a lot of growing and maturing to do and things to learn. I do know that I’m working at having faith and believing in myself. I got accepted into the Early Medical School Selection Program at Boston University because I truly believe god has a plan for me and that everything happens for a reason. The program director and administrators also believe in me and see something in me. I just have to believe in myself and be okay with the unknown future.

This is easier said than done since I struggle a lot with anxiety and overthinking/overanalyzing things.