Neurosurgeon Shadowing Opportunity?

[StudentDoctorDan]

Hello!
I am a current high school student and was really interested in shadowing a surgeon. Particularly a neurosurgeon. Currently, I have shadowed an Internal Medicine doctor and a Cardiologist. Would a neurosurgeon (assuming they aren't busy) allow me to shadow them for even a day if I am still in high school? If so, do you have any advice? Any personal experience stories? How was your experience? How should I prepare?
Thank you so much for your help!

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[medwolf33]

Great job shadowing so early! I spent yesterday observing in a brain tumor research center, including watching two surgeries. I approached the OR manager/research coordinator, who I've volunteered with before, so I did not spend the full day with the surgeon (missing the clinical aspect of his work). However, I also got to meet and interact with basic science researchers, nurses, and surgical techs, so it was a nice, diverse experience.

For the OR, I didn't "scrub in," as I wasn't handling anything sterile. I wore a cap, gown, and mask (required for anyone entering the OR, including a few vendors who were observing a trial of their company's new surgical tool). I stayed several feet behind the surgeon and his residents for both cases, making sure to move out of the way for nurses and any others--my motto was "stay out of the way and don't contaminate anything" throughout the day. As I came with the OR manager's permission, rather than the surgeon's, I didn't interact with him much (as it was a teaching hospital with residents, I could listen to his conversations with them). If you come after contacting a surgeon directly, it might be more conducive to discussion, though I would still wait to see if they were interested in speaking during the case. You'll probably have a chance to debrief before/after cases.

 

[StudentDoctorDan]

Great job shadowing so early! I spent yesterday observing in a brain tumor research center, including watching two surgeries. I approached the OR manager/research coordinator, who I've volunteered with before, so I did not spend the full day with the surgeon (missing the clinical aspect of his work). However, I also got to meet and interact with basic science researchers, nurses, and surgical techs, so it was a nice, diverse experience.

For the OR, I didn't "scrub in," as I wasn't handling anything sterile. I wore a cap, gown, and mask (required for anyone entering the OR, including a few vendors who were observing a trial of their company's new surgical tool). I stayed several feet behind the surgeon and his residents for both cases, making sure to move out of the way for nurses and any others--my motto was "stay out of the way and don't contaminate anything" throughout the day. As I came with the OR manager's permission, rather than the surgeon's, I didn't interact with him much (as it was a teaching hospital with residents, I could listen to his conversations with them). If you come after contacting a surgeon directly, it might be more conducive to discussion, though I would still wait to see if they were interested in speaking during the case. You'll probably have a chance to debrief before/after cases.

Thank you for replying! Were you still in highschool when you shadowed a surgeon?

 

[cranialcombustion]

Hello!
I am a current high school student and was really interested in shadowing a surgeon. Particularly a neurosurgeon. Currently, I have shadowed an Internal Medicine doctor and a Cardiologist. Would a neurosurgeon (assuming they aren't busy) allow me to shadow them for even a day if I am still in high school? If so, do you have any advice? Any personal experience stories? How was your experience? How should I prepare?
Thank you so much for your help!

Hi, I just wanted to say this post would be absolutely golden advice for me and many other high schoolers if it were revived, it seems sort of dead at the moment.

I am looking into shadowing doctors, especially neurosurgeons and cardiologists, two fields I am very interested in. I just wanted to ask how you got in contact with them, and tips you had for shadowing, especially in high school.

Thanks!

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[AnatomyGrey12]

You can start by posting in the hs forums, you won't get much help here.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Agreed, I think you'll find that high school and pre-meds probably have better advice on the how to and what to do of shadowing than us. I will leave a permanent link but I have moved the thread to hSDN for further commentary.

 

[sonofva]

Hello!
I am a current high school student and was really interested in shadowing a surgeon. Particularly a neurosurgeon. Currently, I have shadowed an Internal Medicine doctor and a Cardiologist. Would a neurosurgeon (assuming they aren't busy) allow me to shadow them for even a day if I am still in high school? If so, do you have any advice? Any personal experience stories? How was your experience? How should I prepare?
Thank you so much for your help!

Neurosurgeons are always busy lol. My 2c is that shadowing general or ortho would be more enjoyable. Many neurosurg procedures are done through a small hole. While gs does do laparoscopic procedures, more chance to see something open, same with ortho.