Question on shadowing

[Pulse0021]

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When you find someone to shadow do you email them or call them or do you all have personal connections with them. Just wandering how to go about getting some shadow hours in and I am not quite sure what is the proper way to get a hold of the ODs.

 

[MidnightOil]

From my experience... I had the best luck when visiting the offices in person and talking to the receptionist.

Personal connections do help big time 👍! If you know a friend that has an appointment make sure you tell him/her to put in a good word for you.

Calling around is best for out of town places. Some will call you back and others won't. It's pretty much just the luck of the draw.

 

[love4eyes]

Agree with MidnightOil. Visiting the office and talking with the receptionist does help. Who knows, you might even have the opportunity to talk with the Dr.

From my experience, calling did not work. Like seriously, I did not get any shadowing opportunities from them. Not even one.

 

[Pulse0021]

is it easier to shadow at corporate places like walmart or go to privately owned places

 

[Pulse0021]

Just seeing if anyone else has any answers to this and if it is easier to shadow corporate or private

 

[eyegirl89]

Personally for me private places were much nicer and more helpful and I felt like they saw a more variety of patients and were not as rushed. I shadowed at a lenscrafter and the doctor told me I could go after an hour because he didn't think there was anything different for me to see after two patients. Personal connections help big time though when it comes to shadowing

 

[love4eyes]

Pulse0021, you don't have an optometrist of your own? If not, then maybe one of your family members can refer you to their optometrist. I personally shadowed an optometrist (private practice) who is a family friend. Also, last year I decided to switch optometrist. After my eye check-up, I approach him "Oh, I am interested in Optometry. Do you think I may shadow you?" hehehe. He smiled and said yes. Maybe tag along when you know someone (friend or family member) who needs to visit an optometrist, then after, have a conversation with the optometrist and tell him/her your interest in Optometry and if you may shadow him/her.

I am yet to shadow an optometrist who is from a corporate. Hopefully soon because I love learning new things.

 

[Pulse0021]

ya I have mine i think when I go during the summer for my annual ill ask him about it

 

[srwilson1]

I would get in their faces as much as possible- politely and cordially of course. The reality is they have lives and careers of their own, so if you don't go out of your way to make sure you're a priority, you won't be. Start by calling around, but if you don't hear anything back and no one offers you a time to come in, just go to the office all dressed up and ready to shadow. Chances are, they won't turn you away.

 

[optoapp2012]

I would get in their faces as much as possible- politely and cordially of course. The reality is they have lives and careers of their own, so if you don't go out of your way to make sure you're a priority, you won't be. Start by calling around, but if you don't hear anything back and no one offers you a time to come in, just go to the office all dressed up and ready to shadow. Chances are, they won't turn you away.

I think calling is fine too though. I've shadowed several optometrists now, usually getting linked up with them through very random connections (mentioning my interest in optometry to people I barely knew and them offering to put me in touch with their optometrists). Now I work in an office, and the doctors that I work for are great about having students shadow them and being open to it. I think if they don't call you back, it probably wouldn't have been the best shadowing opportunity. Certainly going in person is best, but you can always call and ask the receptionist if the doctor allows prospective students to shadow him/her. If they haven't done it before, chances are they wouldn't end up being the best shadowing experience anyway. Docs who have done it before know how to include you the most possible and how to really give you great explanations about things. I shadowed one doc where I didn't get to go in with a single patient - I spent the day with the opticians checking patients out after their appointments. I really didn't learn much other than how complicated insurance was (a good thing to learn still =P). I shadowed another doc who let me in on almost every patient he had that day, let me use the slit lamp to observe patients' eyes (I felt silly since that was my first time to touch a slit lamp), and let me ask him absolutely anything that I wanted in between patients. It was extremely helpful! My best experiences were with optometrists that routinely have students shadow them. Good luck!