Shadowing Doctors/Volunteer Work

[Citrus]

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I already volunteer at the local hospital, however, all i am really allowed to do is stuff medical records and make beds. I do enjoy the work, but I would really like to shadow and get more experince that way instead of peeping my head into conversations. How did you guys go about doing this? Also has anyone volunteered with hospice and if so could you tell me what that is like? thanks!


~Emily~

My AIM name is Citrusxoxo if you would like to IM me or whatever 🙂

 

[Supadupafly]

Call the office or voice mail of one of the staff doctors and ask for an appointment for advice & input about a medical career. Most docs are very excited to help others who are interested in medicine. Ask if you can shadow her or him to get a feel for what their career is like. It's also a great way to get to know somebody who can write a LOR.

 

[liverotcod]

Originally posted by Supadupafly
Most docs are very excited to help others who are interested in medicine.

I find it's about 50-50 those that are encouraging and those that ask, quite seriously, "are you crazy?" Then again, maybe that's because I'm leaving an already-reasonably-decent career for that greener grass on the other side.

 

[Earth]

Hey All,
I work at Yale New Haven Hospital, and much to my disappointment I was set up with a nurse to shadow for only one day! I was told there is no long term shadowing program. This is quite disheartening since I want to develop a rapport with a resident or doctor over a period of time. Should I press this issue with the hospital? Not that I do not appreciate meeting with a nurse, however medicine is different, and I want to shadow that model.

shahada

 

[moonieromance]

I've worked as a pharmacy technician in a major city hospital since I graduated high school. If you want to be immersed in a medical environment (and seriously impress your interviewers and admissions committee), become a licensed pharmacy technician and work in a hospital. Along with your extensive clinical duties, you will also have a plethora of medical experiences when you deliver drug cassettes to the various wards of a hospital.

 

[g3pro]

i worked in the ER at my hospital during my senior year in high school. it was an incredible experience because i was the mediator between the ER admitting staff and the pre-triage patients.

my advice is to volunteer in the ER.

hopefully i will be getting a long-term shadowing opportunity this summer.

 

[Supadupafly]

I still advise to contact a physician group directly. Many attendings are in private practice & don't really answer to the hospital administration. You can also look into shadowing a doctor in a specialty that interests you. They probably won't have a "program"; you just need to talk everything over with the doctor for yourself.

 

[uwcoxswain]

If you really want to get some good clinical experience dont volunteer. Get a real job. I would recommend getting a job as a nursing assistant in the ED. If you really think that it will be helpful to learn how to stuff envelopes then go ahead and be a volunteer. Quite honestly all volunteers do is get in the way. As an NA, you will not only get the chance to learn how to do basic things like vitals, wound treatment, work EKG machines, but you will also get to assist docs doing procedures (helping ortho docs set bad breaks, plastic surgeons sew, etc etc etc). There were plenty of docs that would take a little extra time to discuss an individual case (or the practice of medicine in general) with me.

Don't think that a med school won't value your time and commitment just because you were paid.

 

[Earth]

I appreciate your advice. Although very obvious, I didn't initially think to contact a physician's group directly, however I will now. I also didn't think to volunteer in the ER, I will inquire about it, yet I don't know if they advocate that since I work in the admitting department already.

-Shahada

 

[Northerner]

bump for chrisobean (in order to get in her good graces...)

 

[Chrisobean]

Originally posted by Northerner
bump for chrisobean (in order to get in her good graces...)

what makes you think you arent in my good graces already?? 🙂

 

[Northerner]

You fellas taking notes, here?

 

[Swiper]

Originally posted by Northerner
You fellas taking notes, here?

Officially logged. 😉