Shadowing at Night?

[TexasSurgeon]

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Hey everyone,

This may sound like a silly question, but is it okay to list that you are available to shadow a doctor during weekend nights? Do docs usually let students shadow on say a Saturday night?

The reason why I'm asking is because I have a heavy internship during the summer with long hours every day and so my really only times are during weekends. I would just like to maximize my availability in hopes of getting a doctor to shadow. If I can't find a doctor to shadow during Saturday daytime, then perhaps there will be one during the night.

Thanks!

TexasSurgeon

 

[Evergrey]

Unsurprisingly, most physicians will not be working on a Saturday night. Generally only those who work on shifts would be available for shadowing: critical care physicians, EM docs, hospitalists -- you get the point. Other people who may be working at that time will probably be on call, which would likely prohibit shadowing. I don't see that there would be any disadvantage to listing your availability during that time though.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Hey everyone,

This may sound like a silly question, but is it okay to list that you are available to shadow a doctor during weekend nights? Do docs usually let students shadow on say a Saturday night?

The reason why I'm asking is because I have a heavy internship during the summer with long hours every day and so my really only times are during weekends. I would just like to maximize my availability in hopes of getting a doctor to shadow. If I can't find a doctor to shadow during Saturday daytime, then perhaps there will be one during the night.

Thanks!

TexasSurgeon

Most attendings may not do a lot of weekend nights unless it is a non-teaching hospital or it is the ER. If you can find an opportunity to shadow an attending/resident at night, then by all means.

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

I've shadowed docs in the ED at night. You could potentially follow around a doctor in an ICU or inpatient ward as well, but that might be boring.

 

[TexasSurgeon]

So then do most people shadow doctors that are in teaching hospitals? I feel like doctors who are involved in that area would be more receptive to letting me shadow them, since I'd just be another "student"

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

So then do most people shadow doctors that are in teaching hospitals? I feel like doctors who are involved in that area would be more receptive to letting me shadow them, since I'd just be another "student"

I think academic docs tend to understand that shadowing is a requirement more than people in the community. That said, academic centers have so many MD, PA, RN, EMT, students rotating through, some of them have blanket "no shadowing" policies. You really have to employ the shotgun email/phone call approach to find a few people who will let you in the door.

 

[Ost3oclast]

I did a little inpatient at night with a hospitalist. It wasnt too exciting.

 

[dsoz]

Ok, it was not shadowing, but I asked to do a "night shift" at the ED where I volunteer. I worked my normal 6-10pm shift, then just stayed until 4:00am. It was on a Saturday night/Sunday morning. And it is a small, tertiary facility with two level one centers within 30 minutes. Normally, there are a fair number of minor complaints with a few chest pain, allergic reaction, SOB thrown in for good measure.

After the first few hours, it became the MOST BOORING SHIFT EVER. Almost nothing new comes in. All the easy cases get sent home. All the difficult cases get admitted. A few patients hang out overnight. There was one psych patient, but she was in the lockdown room. Not much to do, and I completed all my normal volunteer activities in the first few hours of my normal shift.

dsoz

 

[TexasSurgeon]

I think academic docs tend to understand that shadowing is a requirement more than people in the community. That said, academic centers have so many MD, PA, RN, EMT, students rotating through, some of them have blanket "no shadowing" policies. You really have to employ the shotgun email/phone call approach to find a few people who will let you in the door.

So I guess the best bet to this would be to just coldcall/coldemail med schools in my area that allow for stuff like this?

Ok, it was not shadowing, but I asked to do a "night shift" at the ED where I volunteer. I worked my normal 6-10pm shift, then just stayed until 4:00am. It was on a Saturday night/Sunday morning. And it is a small, tertiary facility with two level one centers within 30 minutes. Normally, there are a fair number of minor complaints with a few chest pain, allergic reaction, SOB thrown in for good measure.

After the first few hours, it became the MOST BOORING SHIFT EVER. Almost nothing new comes in. All the easy cases get sent home. All the difficult cases get admitted. A few patients hang out overnight. There was one psych patient, but she was in the lockdown room. Not much to do, and I completed all my normal volunteer activities in the first few hours of my normal shift.

dsoz

Really? The ER where I volunteer in does get pretty boring at night, but we always get some crazy things that are usually happening. In my experience, Saturday nights are crazy.

I did a little inpatient at night with a hospitalist. It wasnt too exciting.

Dang, I'm sorry

 

[Ost3oclast]

Dang, I'm sorry

Haha no worries our hospital is only 40 beds. If anything crazy comes in we usually stabilize and ship out. The people I saw were all asleep and most were post op patients who had surgery earlier in the day. Nothin crazy but I'm sure things would be different at a big place!

 

[TexasSurgeon]

Haha no worries our hospital is only 40 beds. If anything crazy comes in we usually stabilize and ship out. The people I saw were all asleep and most were post op patients who had surgery earlier in the day. Nothin crazy but I'm sure things would be different at a big place!

Wow that's so small! I usually have to ask patients which part of the hospital they are looking for because bed number 103 can be in any of 6 locations.

 

[Ost3oclast]

Wow that's so small! I usually have to ask patients which part of the hospital they are looking for because bed number 103 can be in any of 6 locations.

Hahaha whoa.....I'm gonna be pretty intimidated when I start clinicals. The only level 1 trauma center in the state is our university hospital. They probably have more beds in the ER than our entire hospital. Should be fun though! Hahaha

 

[TexasSurgeon]

Hahaha whoa.....I'm gonna be pretty intimidated when I start clinicals. The only level 1 trauma center in the state is our university hospital. They probably have more beds in the ER than our entire hospital. Should be fun though! Hahaha

Bahahaha that's super small man.