Shadowing Doctor Company -Need your advice

[malusport]

Hi,

I was thinking of start company to shadow a doctor in India. I tried to shadow doctors here in New York and it has been very difficult. Many of them refuse to do because of the high risk of being sued. And the volunteer work I got was just paper pushing. Even for the few doctors I could shadow I was only allowed to watch them do the procedures.

I want to start this company to have students shadow doctors in India for 2-4 weeks. They can choose from surgery, dentistry, oncology, nehrology, radio and various other specialities. They will not only be able to shadow these doctors but they will be able to do some of the procedures (of course under the docs supervision).

I am actually from India and I have connections in India.

I am thinking of charging about $2995 for the service. This can really solidify if you want to go into medicine and in what speciality you might be interested in.

What do you guys think? Would there be enough business? If this service was presented to you, would you be interested?

Regards,
Aaron

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[synapse lapse]

Why would I pay $3k to do something I can do right now, and will be doing the rest of my life. I have a better idea, everyone pay me $2000 and I will direct you to the numerous summer enrichment programs where you get, gasp, hands-on experience. Furthermore, I will cold-call doctors in your area and find one to let you shadow. Come on, it's not that hard to find medical experience. I have assisted in neurosurg and otehr procedures and watched tons surgeries...I think people should save their money and put in a little time instead.

 

[g3pro]

L. O. L.

 

[malusport]

I have tried to shadow doctors in surgery and it has been very very difficult. Even though I have family members that are nurses doctors are scared to let them shadow them.

Thanks for your advice. Are there any one that can give me more feedback?

 

[CookieMonstr]

Mal, I'm not really sure if students who are not trained in surgery should be doing any type of cutting and probing even with a doctors supervision, in India or anywhere else in the world for that matter - just my thoughts

 

[malusport]

They are not going to be doing surgery, but rather shadow a surgeon. They can act like a PA helping the surgeon. We are not only talking about surgeons, but other doctors like nepho, onoc, er. etc.

This is also in India, a good way to see south India. Could some premed students give me some feedback?

 

[drlisa0318]

I want to start this company to have students shadow doctors in India for 2-4 weeks. They can choose from surgery, dentistry, oncology, nehrology, radio and various other specialities. They will not only be able to shadow these doctors but they will be able to do some of the procedures (of course under the docs supervision).

I can't speak for how it is in India, but doctors here in the US would be opening themselves up to all sorts of lawsuits for allowing a PREMED to "do some of the procedures." I also can't imagine that it would be ethical to allow someone completely untrained to assist. A shadowing experience is meant to expose a prospective med student to various aspects of medicine by letting them OBSERVE the doctor in action, not TRAIN them. That comes in med school and residency. A patient has every right to expect that those involved in any aspect of a procedure be trained, or at the very least, in the process of being trained. A premed (unless they're already a nurse or PA, etc.) doesn't begin to qualify as "trained" or "in the process of being trained."

 

[malusport]

How about for the opportunity to shadow various specialists in India? Is there a demand form students to watch surgeries, a nephro doc, a neuro doc in action for 3-4 week?

There is a company actually doing this in UK, but I want to start one here.

 

[Peter Griffin]

NO WAY

I don't like one aspect of this idea.

1. 3k...NO
2. Procedures... NO
3. NO

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

How about for the opportunity to shadow various specialists in India? Is there a demand form students to watch surgeries, a nephro doc, a neuro doc in action for 3-4 week?

There is a company actually doing this in UK, but I want to start one here.

What would be the point? There are numerous opportunities to shadow docs in the States, and that's what nearly all of us are preparing to do - become doctors in the United States. You might get a few rich chumps to go along with your program, but to charge nearly $3k for shadowing a doctor in a developing country that is something that can be done for free in the U.S., I dont think your program will work well.
BUT... I love the entrepreneurial spirit. I will PM you with what I think is better idea to make money and start a similar program.

 

[Haybrant]

why not a program that educates people about AIDs in India or helping orphans in slums...something more than just shadowing a doctor....

 

[tofurious]

Like many have said above, there are MANY free programs in the US for pre-meds to participate in. Granted the competition has become tough, but the level of competition to FIND a volunteer spot is nowhere near the level of competition to get into medical school. Plus, one of the purposes of shadowing a doctor is to find out how American medicine is practiced. As a medical student and resident, you will find out that residents/attendings trained elsewhere have a very different perspective on the relative roles between physicians and patients, partly due to many other societies respecting doctors as demi-Gods.

It would be great for you to find some rich folks to give you $3,000 a pop to PAY for dedicated pre-meds to do some real volunteering such as AIDS education in India instead of profiting from this yourself.

 

[gujuDoc]

I have tried to shadow doctors in surgery and it has been very very difficult. Even though I have family members that are nurses doctors are scared to let them shadow them.

Thanks for your advice. Are there any one that can give me more feedback?

You know with 3000 dollars, you are better off just getting a CNA or EMT license or something like that which will give you hands on experience.

Florida has some great shadowing opportunities and would be cheaper than that, cuz its free.

LOL

 

[WiscoFan14]

Since when is it necessary to sit in on surgeries to get in to med school? Your company sounds like it would be a scam. I wouldn't pay 3 bucks to go do something in India that I could do in the US for free.

 

[malusport]

http://www.projects-abroad.org/134/gap-year.htm

I want to do the same in the US.

 

[malusport]

Most likley less than $1900......

 

[synapse lapse]

Look, this is a bunch of crap. I did MMEP where I got paid (stipend) to get to assist in surgeries, and took anatomy and medical communications. There are tons of other enrichment programs out there to do the same. Could you get some dumba$$ to pay you money to do this? Yes, you probably could. But it seems pretty useless to me. BTW, and people that want to go, just send me your money, and as I said above, I will find you the same experience in an American hospital...guarenteed or your money back

 

[Alexander99]

Whenever I shadowed a doctor, I'd do just that: shadow them (like a ninja.) They never even knew I was around cause I'd basically be sneaking around the shadows and walking silently. If you need advice on how to do this, rent Tenchu for PS2. .

 

[g3pro]

When I was shadowing/doing clinical rotation of sorts, I was being trained to read ECGs, X-rays, CT, MRI, angiograms, echocardiograms, and lab test data. I shadowed physicians who were doing invasive procedures. I actively participated in several Swan-ganz procedures (helping them with little things).

That was in the US. That was for free.


Don't get ripped off by these fools who are pimping their shadowing opportunities.

 

[fun8stuff]

Since I want to be a doc in the US and not India, and because there are tons of opportunities in the US, I would give you $5 to go. Definately not $3000... hahahaha

 

[WiscoFan14]

Med students are many things...but they aren't dumb. Anyone that would pay you 3k to go to India and "shadow" doesn't belong in med school. You can find anything you want both here in the US AND in India, and any other country for that matter. All you need is a web browser. Stop scamming med students by playing on their insecurities about getting into med school.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

Since when is it necessary to sit in on surgeries to get in to med school? Your company sounds like it would be a scam. I wouldn't pay 3 bucks to go do something in India that I could do in the US for free.

I wouldn't call this a scam. People would know exactly what they are paying for when they got into this (if anyone is interested, which I doubt would be the case).
So many pre-meds out there feel that everything another pre-med does should be motivated by altruism and done to help save the world. What's wrong with good old fashioned capitalism and trying to make a buck by providing a service?

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

Med students are many things...but they aren't dumb... Stop scamming med students by playing on their insecurities about getting into med school.

If pre-meds arent dumb, then they wouldnt fall into a scam, would they?