Shadowing help

[Can I Have Food]

I shadowed a doctor last year, and he said I was too quiet and seemed unconfident, and all I can do is stand around and look pretty.

So, Are you quiet when you are shadowing a doctor?

Or do you talk a lot?

I don't know what is considered appropriate while shadowing a doctor for a recommendation letter. I am currently shadowing another doctor and I don't know when it's the right time to talk because he always seems to be busy doing something.

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[Laiba]

Uh oh. I'm shadowing a doctor right now and I'm mostly quiet. He's always talking to someone or seems busy so I cant be talking all the time n disturbing him. I just stand beside him most of the time n watch lol.
I ask a couple questions in the whole day but thats about it. Nothing too much.

 

[golfin87]

Yeah, you have to ask questions because they will interpret that as you being interested in their line of work. Also, you should try to find out what their interests are outside of the hospital, and hopefully find something similar with them. I think I got lucky because the D.O. I've been shadowing in the ER is laid back, and always draws diagrams for me to explain what is going on with certain patients. He even offered to write me a letter after my 2nd visit so it worked out great. If you show the interest, the doc will respond in a positive way most of the time. Otherwise, you give off the impression that your just there for your app and LOR.

 

[Cannonball]

I hear you OP I tried to be as engaged as I could without coming across as too encroaching, but at the end of the week the DO told me I should specialize in Anesthesiology. He said since I was so quiet and reserve that FP might not be the best fit for me but that I might do better just dealing with knocking people out.

He totally read me wrong. I was actually just trying to not overstep my bounds. I just hope his LOR is strong. He was actually a really cool guy (If you are out there somewhere I look up to you man)!!! : D

 

[Exalya]

I didn't speak much when seeing patients, because obviously they are there to see the doc, not me. However, in between patients and before he started the clinic in the morning we talked a lot. Tact is great, but when it's just you and the doctor I think being outgoing is very important. It helped that he was talkative himself, and was very easy-going. I didn't feel awkward asking him to take a moment to explain something to me, and he seemed happy to do it.

 

[Kramerica]

I had a great experience with the DO that I shadowed. We got along really well and in most cases he would use each patient as a lesson in order to teach me and the patient as to what was going on. The patients were pretty social as well, and I ended up speaking with them too, though for the most part when they initiated. In between patients, except when he was recording data, I spoke with doctor regarding medicinal stuff but also talked about outside interests (sports, tv, movies, weather), for the most part I initiated the conversations.

 

[Mohammed1989]

When I shadow doctors in the er its just relaxing. I talk about whatever is on their mind about med school, what he or she is doing after work, anything! It also depends how long you have been shadowing sometimes I show up and just "chill" there and hang out. Other times I'm so into it they let me take care of asthma patients, very minor tasks. I got to see bullets be removed, stab wounds be stiched all sorts of things. I say you have to form a relationship with the physician you are shadowing. I made a strong connection with all of mine and I'm invited to take classes for residents and up only. Then they personally write me a letter (without asking) stating that I was cooperative and having the proper training in whatever the course was.

 

[mic2377]

For my shadowing experience, I talked alot. However, I had alot of other healthcare experience (ALS on ambulance), and the Dr. and I could take about interesting cases we had. Also, I made sure to study a bunch before I went to go see him, and I also got to do airway skills in the OR with the CRNA, such as a intubations, placing LMA's, etc.

When it actually came to being around patients, though, I stayed quiet. It was my time to watch then. I well understood that my EMS experience was much different than proper bedside manner.

Another funny incident was when I was talking to the ICU hospitalist about a patient who had a lower-brainstem bleed, and went into a run of borderline unstable V-tach @ 150 BPM. So, I asked him if he gave a IV bolus of amiodarone and why he didn't choose a lidocaine drip. The next response was "what year resident are you?" I had to correct him and tell him I was only hoping to be a medical student 😉

We also played a bunch of tennis together. Talking about outside interests in important.

Needless to say, I got an incredible LOR.

 

[boothorp]

When I'm shadowing, I am mostly quite. I only ask questions during procedures when I think it's the right time. In office visits, I think it is necessary to not say anything unless spoken too. It's the patient's time. I usually ask any questions in-between patients. I also like to joke around and be myself when the time is right. How can a doctor perceive who you are and write a letter for you, if they don't actually get to know the real you?

 

[predrmario]

How do you go about starting to shadow a doctor if you have no previous connections? I just don't see how this is possible at the hospital where i live

 

[predrmario]

still waiting for a reply on this

 

[123165]

still waiting for a reply on this

Easy, call them. At one point or another for some people it comes down to whether-or-not you are willing to call/e-mail random docs.

 

[djd2187]

Easy, call them. At one point or another for some people it comes down to whether-or-not you are willing to call/e-mail random docs.

there is a website that has a list of D.O.'s so you can find the dos that are in your area. I pretty much called the entire list of doctors, and found two that had the time. As soon as I find the link, I will post it.http://www.osteopathic.org/index.cfm?PageID=findado_main

 

[Chocolate Bear]

there is a website that has a list of D.O.'s so you can find the dos that are in your area. I pretty much called the entire list of doctors, and found two that had the time. As soon as I find the link, I will post it.http://www.osteopathic.org/index.cfm?PageID=findado_main

A similar (but more shadowing specific) page is also in my sig and the FAQs. 🙂