Shadowing Ettiquete

[ArizonaVet480]

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So I have finally located a physician who has agreed to let me shadow him. He is a physical medicine and rehabilitation/ sports medicine physician. My question is what am I supposed to be doing while shadowing? Stand in the shadows or talking to the patient and physician? I doubt I should take notes as it probably wouldn't look right to the patient. I have never shadowed anyone so I don't know the rules, what I should be looking for, looking at etc.... Any help. Thank you all.

 

[GCS-15]

1. Be respectful, silent (most of the time) and professional. Remember that whatever the doctor is doing is much, much more important than you - don't get in the way of what they're doing. Just watch and observe.
2. At an appropriate time/ when the doctor is free, you can see if they are receptive to questions about what/why they did certain things and have a conversation.
3. Your job is to learn: take in your surroundings, see how the doctor interacts with patients. Also, ask him what he doesn't like about working and some advice he could give you.
4. No need to take notes.
5. Have fun

 

[eteshoe]

Agree with @GCS-15 . There is no need to take notes, but one thing that I liked to do when I was shadowing was to write down a quick summary (2-3 sentences, later that evening) of what I learned that day from shadowing. Nothing fancy, just to help jog my memory later down the line (I didn't always remember to do it but it helped).

 

[GCS-15]

Agree with @GCS-15 . There is no need to take notes, but one thing that I liked to do when I was shadowing was to write down a quick summary (2-3 sentences, later that evening) of what I learned that day from shadowing. Nothing fancy, just to help jog my memory later down the line (I didn't always remember to do it but it helped).

Ah, this is great advice! Forgot to mention this - but I also did something similar at the end of my shadow shifts. I would write down something that I learned about the doctor-patient interaction, or an interesting patient and the steps the doctor took in diagnosing, etc. It's always good to reflect for a couple of minutes and write briefly about your experiences and what you've learned that day.

 

[DRsmartypants]

I would bring a memo-pad, I Liked to take notes on patient interactions, what I learned, interesting tidbits, the "detective" process a doctor goes through. I think writing down the day solidfied what i learned. By the time I was shadowing as senior in college, most of the doctors were teaching me like I was an M1/M2, so it was much better once they saw me in a more "medical way" and less "pre-med way"

 

[Bones 2020]

So I have finally located a physician who has agreed to let me shadow him. He is a pain management and rehabilitation/ sports medicine physician. My question is what am I supposed to be doing while shadowing? Stand in the shadows or talking to the patient and physician? I doubt I should take notes as it probably wouldn't look right to the patient. I have never shadowed anyone so I don't know the rules, what I should be looking for, looking at etc.... Any help. Thank you all.

PM&R? You mean physical medicine and rehabilitation? Or is this another term that's used

 

[ArizonaVet480]

I meant physical medicine and rehab.

 

[osckey]

Look up some questions to ask. Their were a few moments when a doc I was shadowing would ask me if I had any questions and I wouldn't have any.