- Joined
- Apr 13, 2007
- Messages
- 140
- Reaction score
- 3
Was there a time when you were shadowing in which you actually produced knowledge?
Premed shadowing experiences
- Thread starter up40loves
- Start date
1
175961
How do you mean?? As in, suggest something that the doc didnt know?
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2007
- Messages
- 140
- Reaction score
- 3
No. More along the lines of you learned something completely new without being a mere observer.
1
175961
The doc let me listen to a heart murmur one time. I had never heard one before so I guess that was new.
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2007
- Messages
- 13,168
- Reaction score
- 8
not really.
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2007
- Messages
- 1,261
- Reaction score
- 4
So one time I was shadowing a doc in the ER, and there was this pediatric patient he just couldn't figure out. The patient presented with hemolytic anemia characterized by low hemoglobin, reticulocytosis, and jaundice.
Suddenly, I had an idea.
"Doctor," I said, "have you run a test for the patient's glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase levels in his erythrocytes?"
"No," replied the good doctor. "Why do you ask?"
"I have a hunch," I said. "I'll ask one of the lab techs to do it right away." So the test was run, and lo and behold, G6PD activity was almost completely diminished. A gel electrophoresis of the G6PD gene confirmed my theory.
"Just as I thought doctor, this patient has congenital nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia. We need to begin transfusions and drug treatment immediately," I exclaimed.
"By God, that was amazing GoldShadow! Your uncanny knowledge of exceedingly rare medical conditions has saved the day!" the good doctor said to me.
"Just another day in the life of GoldShadow, pre-med," I said, before disappearing in a poof of smoke.
Suddenly, I had an idea.
"Doctor," I said, "have you run a test for the patient's glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase levels in his erythrocytes?"
"No," replied the good doctor. "Why do you ask?"
"I have a hunch," I said. "I'll ask one of the lab techs to do it right away." So the test was run, and lo and behold, G6PD activity was almost completely diminished. A gel electrophoresis of the G6PD gene confirmed my theory.
"Just as I thought doctor, this patient has congenital nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia. We need to begin transfusions and drug treatment immediately," I exclaimed.
"By God, that was amazing GoldShadow! Your uncanny knowledge of exceedingly rare medical conditions has saved the day!" the good doctor said to me.
"Just another day in the life of GoldShadow, pre-med," I said, before disappearing in a poof of smoke.
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2008
- Messages
- 36
- Reaction score
- 0
Excellent story.
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2008
- Messages
- 30
- Reaction score
- 0
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2007
- Messages
- 546
- Reaction score
- 1
I learned once that when a man gets stabbed in the face with a four-inch knife, he bleeds a lot.
I also learned once that when scrubbing in for surgery (for the first time), EAT BEFOREHAND. Otherwise, you WILL pass out. ((guilty))
On a serious note, however, I did learn from an ortho surgeon once who explained to me exactly how an arm (or any limb, I guess) breaks, and what physiologically happens (not just to the bone, but surrounding tissue, bone matrix, etc). Sounds simple enough, but there actually was some interesting facts I picked up. Regardless, I forgot what all of them were, but nonetheless...
I also learned once that when scrubbing in for surgery (for the first time), EAT BEFOREHAND. Otherwise, you WILL pass out. ((guilty))
On a serious note, however, I did learn from an ortho surgeon once who explained to me exactly how an arm (or any limb, I guess) breaks, and what physiologically happens (not just to the bone, but surrounding tissue, bone matrix, etc). Sounds simple enough, but there actually was some interesting facts I picked up. Regardless, I forgot what all of them were, but nonetheless...
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2006
- Messages
- 665
- Reaction score
- 5
I did 2 weeks in hem/onc and the doctors were great with educating me- each doctor (spent days with 8 of them) had different ways- some discussed a disease with me before we saw it (some even went through medical powerpoints to educate me), others after, one took me and explained her lab research (we used a white board and went through a ton of stuff) and that one also took me out for dinner.
Another doctor (my favorite style wise) was awesome and would give me a disease and 3-4 tough questions and send me off to a pile of text books and uptodate to research the disease- I would then "present" what I learned about the disease with answers to the question then she would let me know anything I missed and we would see the patient with what I researched- it was good and a great way for me to be productive while she did paperwork.
in family medicine most was just observing- one case though she didn't know and we pulled out lit and I thought of something and we did run the test I suggested but I think something she looked up was most likely the correct diagnosis.
Another doctor (my favorite style wise) was awesome and would give me a disease and 3-4 tough questions and send me off to a pile of text books and uptodate to research the disease- I would then "present" what I learned about the disease with answers to the question then she would let me know anything I missed and we would see the patient with what I researched- it was good and a great way for me to be productive while she did paperwork.
in family medicine most was just observing- one case though she didn't know and we pulled out lit and I thought of something and we did run the test I suggested but I think something she looked up was most likely the correct diagnosis.
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2007
- Messages
- 546
- Reaction score
- 1
That would be AWESOME.
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2006
- Messages
- 665
- Reaction score
- 5
yea I loved it- she was like soon enough you will be a med student/resident and will have to learn on your own and be efficient- better start now- who knew there would be a whole book on hematopoesis... only a 12 page chapter in my histology text!
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2007
- Messages
- 693
- Reaction score
- 1
That might produce a decent LOR, time to do a bit of ***-kissing though.
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2007
- Messages
- 693
- Reaction score
- 1
Your first 2 stories sound very interesting! I hope I get doctors who are half a involved as that
It does suck to know we're going to have to retain a lot of facts about different diseases etc.
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2007
- Messages
- 1,261
- Reaction score
- 4
You think so? I'm looking forward to having to know a lot about different diseases and being able to determine what a patient has based on symptoms and tests... that's one of the reasons I want to be a doctor.It does suck to know we're going to have to retain a lot of facts about different diseases etc.
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2008
- Messages
- 15
- Reaction score
- 0
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2007
- Messages
- 169
- Reaction score
- 1
I found that when I heard about a disease or disorder while shadowing, it always stuck with me a lot more than learning something from a book. I guess that's just how I learn, but I'm sure most people would feel the same way.
The main thing that shadowing did for me was to clarify in my mind the type of doctor I want to be. Not specialty-wise, but in the way I act. I shadowed friendly docs as well as unfriendly ones. I shadowed those who loved their job and those who hated it. I shadowed upbeat doctors and I saw depressed ones. I saw those who truly seemed to enjoy getting to know their patients and I observed others who couldn't have cared less.
I got a feel for what medicine is really like. It's hard to be idealistic about the field when you've been immersed in it, but I discovered that when I found out what it's really like, I got more excited about it. I now know that I can't expect to heal every patient I see. But that's alright. We'll do our best.
The main thing that shadowing did for me was to clarify in my mind the type of doctor I want to be. Not specialty-wise, but in the way I act. I shadowed friendly docs as well as unfriendly ones. I shadowed those who loved their job and those who hated it. I shadowed upbeat doctors and I saw depressed ones. I saw those who truly seemed to enjoy getting to know their patients and I observed others who couldn't have cared less.
I got a feel for what medicine is really like. It's hard to be idealistic about the field when you've been immersed in it, but I discovered that when I found out what it's really like, I got more excited about it. I now know that I can't expect to heal every patient I see. But that's alright. We'll do our best.
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2007
- Messages
- 407
- Reaction score
- 0
That is way awesome!
You write well, too. As for me, nothing so super yet. I spent just last week at ortho. Today I started at the dept. of surgery. The doctors at Ortho would explain to me what they're doing in the O.R. My favorite was the external fixation of the tibia. The doctor really tried to make me understand and stuff. It was fun to learn.
They also let me see patients in the out-patient area. There they explain to me what happened to the patient and what they did or will do to treat it. They also let me look at X-rays and ask me what this one or that one is and where the fracture is and stuff. It's all really interesting.
I was in the OR again today. There were more than 4 or 5 cases. I could go to all of them and I did but I spent most of my time at the neuro one. It interested me the most. I'll be going back to the hospital tomorrow. I'll probably be at the ward or the out-patient area.
P.S. The doctors are also very encouraging and supportive. They tell me the pros and cons of being a doctor and share their experiences - good and bad, and why they love what they do. They even tell me to invite my classmates to observe some time, too. Cool.
