Shadowing doctors

[portlandpixie]

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Hi,

So, I was wondering, do you think it's better to mass email doctors I'm interested in shadowing or to email them one by one? Considering that the summer is almost here (3 weeks), I'm in a bit of a time crunch. I actually started my search like 4 or 5 weeks ago but I only contacted one doctor and the doctor ended up replying and then not responding after my 2 emails saying I was still interested. So I finally gave up and am now moving on. I'm leaning towards mass emailing but, although this is unlikely, I'm afraid I'll get more than one doctor who will say yes. Again, this is unlikely but if it did happen, what should I do? Do you think it would be inconsiderate if I asked to shadow them at a different time (i.e. in a couple of months)?

Also, I have other people who are trying to help me set up a shadowing opportunity but nothing has come through yet so I'm worried I'll end up with nothing... which is why I'm mass emailing. Also, what should I include in my email to them considering that I don't know them personally? i always struggle at what to include and what not to include because I don't want it to be too long of an email (b/c from my experiences they never read long emails esp. from random 18 year olds) but then again I don't want it to be too vague.

Lastly, if/when they ask me what sort of timeframe I'd like to shadow them for, do you think it's okay to say 2-4hrs per week for a couple of months? The doctor who ended up not responding to any of my subsequent emails did ask me what time frame i was thinking and I said exactly that. In retrospect I think it might have been too much which is why he never responded back. however, i did email him again saying that it didn't have to be for that long/could be on a week to week basis. But anyways, what do you think? Advice?

I'm pretty new at this. I'm in my 1st year of college and I'm shadowing a doctor right now (my first one) but the pre-med club helped set it up for us so we didn't have to do any of this stuff.

Thanks!

 

[TooMuchResearch]

Send targeted emails, but send lots of them out. There is only so much you can get out of shadowing as a pre-med. One or two days (4-8 hours/day) should be more than enough to get a general idea of what the doc does.

 

[SweetRain]

Wow, if you're in your first year I don't really understand why you're in a time crunch. But then again, not everyone is a procrastinator like me...

I personally don't find it a good idea to mass email them just in case you get multiple responses and you have to say no to one of them. Are you volunteering at a hospital? I went through the physician profile and asked my supervisor that I would like to shadow Dr. so and so and if she can help me out with it. She introduced me to him the next day and I got to shadow him.

 

[portlandpixie]

Send targeted emails, but send lots of them out. There is only so much you can get out of shadowing as a pre-med. One or two days (4-8 hours/day) should be more than enough to get a general idea of what the doc does.

Well, I'm looking for more of a long-term thing. I mean, I'm in like my 4th month of shadowing my current doctor right now. I guess it just depends on the doctor themselves and how much they're willing to give. Anyways, thanks.

 

[portlandpixie]

Wow, if you're in your first year I don't really understand why you're in a time crunch. But then again, not everyone is a procrastinator like me...

I personally don't find it a good idea to mass email them just in case you get multiple responses and you have to say no to one of them. Are you volunteering at a hospital? I went through the physician profile and asked my supervisor that I would like to shadow Dr. so and so and if she can help me out with it. She introduced me to him the next day and I got to shadow him.

Time crunch til summer to find a doctor to shadow....
and yes I am volunteering in the ED. good idea. thanks.