Research and shadowing opportunities

[Shine bright 2016]

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Hey everyone!

I plan on applying to a few MD schools this year, but I am having a difficult time finding research or even shadowing opportunities. I am a nontraditional student, and although my school has research opportunities they are not open to the students at my campus. I also cannot find a doctor to allow me to shadow them, all of the ones I have spoken to have said no due to HIPAA. Which I understand is a valid concern, however I did not realize it would be this difficult. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I have already signed up to volunteer at my local VA and for the American Red Cross at the local hospital, but I feel like that will not give me enough of a full picture of what the everyday life of an MD is truly like.

Additional background, I served 6 years in the Army as a medic. I do have patient contact hours, however most of my work was with PAs. Thanks for your help!

 

[Eccesignum]

Regarding shadowing, have you called around to HR at your local hospitals? Where I work, the doctors employed by the hospital can't approve shadowing by themselves but students can go through HR and get the necessary paperwork/HIPAA training, and then shadow our docs once they're cleared by the hospital.

 

[Shine bright 2016]

Regarding shadowing, have you called around to HR at your local hospitals? Where I work, the doctors employed by the hospital can't approve shadowing by themselves but students can go through HR and get the necessary paperwork/HIPAA training, and then shadow our docs once they're cleared by the hospital.[

I have tried that as well, but they require a contract/ agreement with my school, which my main campus has but because I'm not a part of the programs, clinical research, DO or Pharmacology, they won't allow me to participate. We're the red headed step-children of my school.

 

[Gurby]

Try to go through your existing network of people first, before cold calling hospitals. Do you have any friends in medical school, friends who are already doctors, relatives or family friends who could maybe make a connection for you, etc? Do you participate in any hobbies where you come into contact with other people (music, sports, etc)?

The doctors I've shadowed were people I had met and become friends with through other hobbies, so they were more willing to go the extra mile for me and figure out how to make it work despite HIPAA concerns, etc.

 

[Shine bright 2016]

Try to go through your existing network of people first, before cold calling hospitals. Do you have any friends in medical school, friends who are already doctors, relatives or family friends who could maybe make a connection for you, etc? Do you participate in any hobbies where you come into contact with other people (music, sports, etc)?

The doctors I've shadowed were people I had met and become friends with through other hobbies, so they were more willing to go the extra mile for me and figure out how to make it work despite HIPAA concerns, etc.

Thanks, I will try that, most of my friends are either PAs or at PA school, but they should know someone.

 

[bunchesonothing]

Most of the hospitals in my area have volunteering opportunities that can be found on their website and for one, shadowing is continent on getting so many hours.

Willed I've volunteered, I've also gotten some impromptu shadowing opportunities, that whereas not official, gave me some great stuff to write about in essays.

 

[orangeblue]

How does an impromptu shadowing opportunity HAPPEN? Do you just ask a doctor there or just stand behind a case?

I volunteer at a public hospital in the ER and they said no to shadowing b.c they already are affliated with med students who train/learn there.

 

[betterfuture]

I can understand where you are coming from since I myself had been trying myself to get a shadowing opportunity. Due to, as you stated, HIPAA concerns, I cannot seem to find anyone willing to help out. All the ones I have asked have either said you need to be in some sort of medical related program or a student at a university where the premed advisor would set up something for students or something along those lines. It was so tiresome that I just gave up and started focusing solely on studying for the MCAT.

 

[esob]

TBH I'm a bit worried about shadowing too at this point. At a meeting with the premed adviser when someone asked about the program helping to locate docs to shadow she said "no, that's something you will have to locate on your own." I found this rather staggering considering the university is a 30K+ major state school AND has a medical school as part of its system.