shadowing a DO

[thegame11]

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I am from Canada and shadowing doctors is very uncommon due to some insurance issues. Moreover, there are few D.O. docs in Toronto.

I was thinking about contacting DO doctors in New York or Michigan (or just about any other state I guess...) and staying at a hotel for 1 or 2 weeks while I shadow them everyday. Has anyone done this type of thing before? Going to another place to shadow a doctor for only a few days? Is 1 or 2 weeks enough for him to write me a reference letter?

 

[JaggerPlate]

Definitely enough time for a LOR. Use the AOA Mentor Program. Search for docs in NY and MI, when you get replies, explain the situation, ask if you can shadow for 2-3 days while you stay in a hotel, then go back to Canada, ask for the LOR, and they will mail it to your undergrad university or whoever does your letters.

 

[Cheshyre]

I am from Canada and shadowing doctors is very uncommon due to some insurance issues. Moreover, there are few D.O. docs in Toronto.

I was thinking about contacting DO doctors in New York or Michigan (or just about any other state I guess...) and staying at a hotel for 1 or 2 weeks while I shadow them everyday. Has anyone done this type of thing before? Going to another place to shadow a doctor for only a few days? Is 1 or 2 weeks enough for him to write me a reference letter?

One to two weeks isn't bad at all, especially if you dedicate a full 40 hour work week's of time to it. Could get expensive though. What could be a compromise would be to spend one week in the States shadowing at D.O., being active/asking questions and giving them enough material with which to write a ref. letter. Then, go back to Canada and shadow a MD there for a few weeks. That way you'd have DO exposure, MD exposure, and a large amount of shadowing hours. I actually shadowed for 160 hours at the suggestion of my undergraduate institution's pre-health advisor.

Many DO schools accept a MD letter in lieu of a DO letter, so keep that in mind. I've only applied to a few that require DO letters. You could go to the AACOMAS site, figure out what schools you might be interested in, and look up their policies. That might help you plan a course of action.

Also, you say that it's uncommon to shadow docs in Canada - that implies that it's still possible. Have you exhausted all means of doing so yet? I only say this because you'll be paying plenty of money for the application process. Saving cash now is not a bad thing.

Good luck!

 

[Quester]

Just curious, have you shadowed any DO or MD docs yet?