People who live in California ..come here plz :)

[VampireDoc]

I can't seem to find shadowing opportunities I don't understand what isit I am doing wrong . I have been going online getting emails of Dr's and emailing them but none have gotten back to me . Its really frustrating! I also applied for ER scribe but got rejected because I need to have more flexible schedule( I am full time student). I am planing to apply to the Care Extender Program at Hoag Hospital hopefully I get in. Otherwise I am doomed because I don't have experience.

Forget to mention I live in Southern Cali , in Irvine area.
Anyways, any advice on how to go about finding shadowing/volunteer opportunities?

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[CaliGirl14]

Have you tried asking your own PCP?

 

[Josieisonfire]

.

 

[TheShaker]

What school do you go to? My school (in SoCal) has a program where you sign up for shadowing and the school will arrange it for you. I guess it has some kind of network with physicians in the area. PM me if you need to know if we're from the same school.

I think I know what school you're from if it's in Irvine. Either CCE or if that doesn't go through then look into Western Medical Center. You just sign up and you're in, there's no selective process. Almost all of the volunteers there are from UCI.

 

[obgyny]

I can't seem to find shadowing opportunities I don't understand what isit I am doing wrong . I have been going online getting emails of Dr's and emailing them but none have gotten back to me . Its really frustrating! I also applied for ER scribe but got rejected because I need to have more flexible schedule( I am full time student). I am planing to apply to the Care Extender Program at Hoag Hospital hopefully I get in. Otherwise I am doomed because I don't have experience.

Forget to mention I live in Southern Cali , in Irvine area.
Anyways, any advice on how to go about finding shadowing/volunteer opportunities?

Doomed? No, there are TONS of hospitals/clinics in the OC, all with volunteer programs. Look into UCI Medical Center, CHOC, Western Medical Center, SOS Medical Clinic... there are many more hospitals, just do a quick search where you live.

I just shadowed docs where I volunteered.

 

[athadam]

Have you tried contacting DOs? My PCP was a DO and he let me shadowed him 3 years ago. Also, ask your friends, they might have physicians in their families.

 

[VampireDoc]

The problem is I don't have a PCP .
Thank you guys for all your inputs I will definitely look into the info you gave.

 

[Caveman7]

Since its rather obvious you are from UCI, if you want shadowing opportunities I suggest trying to apply to UCIMC's I.C.E program. Its a 100+ hour commitment where they cycle you through multiple departments of your choice so you can benefit the most from the program. If that doesn't work, I would suggest emailing UCIMC doctors and going through all the department paperwork in order to become a "department observer." I watched neurosurgery at UCIMC through a affiliated doctor from my research at school. You just need to put yourself out there. I volunteered at Hoag for 1.5+ years as a CCE and you can shadow doctors if you ask nicely. However, the CCE program doesn't have a actual shadowing program and I was never in the place where I followed one doctor weekly at Hoag so I can't say much about stable/weekly shadowing at Hoag.

ICE link at the bottom of this following link.
http://www.som.uci.edu/outreach/undergraduate_students.asp

 

[VampireDoc]

Doomed? No, there are TONS of hospitals/clinics in the OC, all with volunteer programs. Look into UCI Medical Center, CHOC, Western Medical Center, SOS Medical Clinic... there are many more hospitals, just do a quick search where you live.

I just shadowed docs where I volunteered.

In your opinion , which hospital has best volunteer program?

 

[VampireDoc]

You should have no problem being accepted to the CCE program which will provide you with plenty of clinical hours. However, I would suggest that you start shadowing as well because you are only able to shadow physicians through the program after completing a certain number of hours. That being said, the best you could do is start emailing doctors. I've found the most success with private practices, but maybe that's just me. Just send out emails to a bunch of local doctors and hope that someone responds. Best of luck!

Thank you I will look into emailing private practices.

 

[VampireDoc]

Since its rather obvious you are from UCI, if you want shadowing opportunities I suggest trying to apply to UCIMC's I.C.E program. Its a 100+ hour commitment where they cycle you through multiple departments of your choice so you can benefit the most from the program. If that doesn't work, I would suggest emailing UCIMC doctors and going through all the department paperwork in order to become a "department observer." I watched neurosurgery at UCIMC through a affiliated doctor from my research at school. You just need to put yourself out there. I volunteered at Hoag for 1.5+ years as a CCE and you can shadow doctors if you ask nicely. However, the CCE program doesn't have a actual shadowing program and I was never in the place where I followed one doctor weekly at Hoag so I can't say much about stable/weekly shadowing at Hoag.

ICE link at the bottom of this following link.
http://www.som.uci.edu/outreach/undergraduate_students.asp

Thank you for all that info! I go to cc now I should be transferring next year to UCI.
Regarding the CCE program was that hard to get into?

 

[Caveman7]

As long as you can answer everything your chances are fine to get into the CCE program.

 

[cheechootrain]

I live in California and it took me a while to find someone to shadow. My primary doctor said I could shadow him but the company (Kaiser) would not allow it. They had some contract with a program or something and they told me I had to go through them.

So I did other things like research and went to premed events. There I met a doctor from a teaching hospital, about a 40 minute drive, who said I could shadow him. So my advice is to look at teaching hospitals. You can also try private practices but I'm 0/5.

 

[ShenanigansMD]

Once you become involved with a hospital through volunteering or work, it's relatively easy to find a doc to shadow.

 

[yaytiffanyrae]

I went to college in Orange, CA. I did the CCE program and completed it at Hoag. I actually didn't get in the first time I interviewed, but it was a group interview (I'm a little quiet) and it was the last interview of their cycle (they had a rolling admissions type of deal), so i applied again earlier and got in that time. It was a great program as an introduction, but I was ready to move on when it was over.

I became a scribe shortly thereafter, which was the best clinical experience I've had to date. I worked for http://www.emscribesystems.com/ and totally loved it. I only left the company because I moved to the east coast, but would go back in a heartbeat!

 

[DylanE]

Throw on a shirt and tie and do some legwork. Try a few clinics and ask if they allow perspective students to observe ect.. That's what I did to get my first primary care doc to shadow, who recommended me to a surgeon he knows.

 

[Aerus]

I live in California and it took me a while to find someone to shadow. My primary doctor said I could shadow him but the company (Kaiser) would not allow it. They had some contract with a program or something and they told me I had to go through them.

So I did other things like research and went to premed events. There I met a doctor from a teaching hospital, about a 40 minute drive, who said I could shadow him. So my advice is to look at teaching hospitals. You can also try private practices but I'm 0/5.

That's strange. I was able to shadow with Kaiser (California). They even provided me with the HIPAA forms and training guide.

I guess it varies between hospitals.

 

[cinamin]

Throw on a shirt and tie and do some legwork. Try a few clinics and ask if they allow perspective students to observe ect.. That's what I did to get my first primary care doc to shadow, who recommended me to a surgeon he knows.

facetime >>>> emails

 

[obgyny]

In your opinion , which hospital has best volunteer program?

I can't say, since I only volunteered at one hospital (Western Med Center) in the OC. I've heard great things about it and if you volunteer in the ER, they allow you in the trauma room so I got to see some awesome stuff. Though it could be a slow ER at times. It also seemed more flexible than Hoag with your schedule. Things may have changed since I volunteered there a few years ago because this program is getting more popular.

I've heard mixed things about Hoag (good/bad), but I think it's neat you get to rotate throughout the hospital.

Now that I've been to UCIMC as a med student, I kind of wished I volunteered there. It's a nice hospital and now they're allowing volunteers on the OR floor (but not inside the OR... they can only watch from a window ). I don't know much about their volunteer program though. It would've been nice to know where things are, seeing as I'll now be spending a lot of time there.