Shadowing - How to get started?

[MedProdigy]

How do I get started?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[kcin]

Stand in front of a light.

 

[sc4s2cg]

^Ha!

I'm looking to shadowing too, I thought I would just email a couple "volunteer coordinators" at various hospitals to get the ball rolling. Or just call the hospital, explain your situation, and ask to be redirected.

And remember to ask to shadow for 20-30 hours max, you don't want to overwhelm the doctor by getting all "I need 1000000 hours for med school!!!1"

 

[ucbsmd]

Do you have any friends\acquaintances who's parents are doctors in your area? Often times these are good places to start, especially if they work in a hospital setting. If they agree to let you shadow them, you often get the opportunity to meet other physicians. Express your interest in exploring many different areas when you meet them and get their contact info.

Some pre-professional departments have contacts in area hospitals who allow pre-meds to shadow to gain experience in different fields of medicine. Talk to your adviser and find out if your program has anything along these lines.

Another place to looks for shadowing opportunities is with any doctor(s) that you see for your own medical reasons.

Sometimes education departments at academic medical centers will help place premed students in contact with physician's for shadowing.

 

[poshdoctor]

Do you have any friends\acquaintances who's parents are doctors in your area? Often times these are good places to start, especially if they work in a hospital setting. If they agree to let you shadow them, you often get the opportunity to meet other physicians. Express your interest in exploring many different areas when you meet them and get their contact info.

Some pre-professional departments have contacts in area hospitals who allow pre-meds to shadow to gain experience in different fields of medicine. Talk to your adviser and find out if your program has anything along these lines.

Another place to looks for shadowing opportunities is with any doctor(s) that you see for your own medical reasons.

Sometimes education departments at academic medical centers will help place premed students in contact with physician's for shadowing.

For example, If I was interested in neurology would you recommend that I should send letters, call, or email neurologist in my area? Should I attach a resume as well?

 

[NickNaylor]

Dude, start fewer threads and spend more time searching. Most of the topics you've started threads about (including this one) have been discussed ad nauseum.

 

[familyaerospace]

Read the blog post linked in my signature.

 

[Wafflyw]

Read the blog post linked in my signature.

Much thanks for the helpful information!

 

[ozzi22]

how about you start with your primary care physician, then from there, you will get more connections to specialist from him/her

 

[torshi]

How do I get started?

-Start from your family doc for a while then he can refer you to other specialties.

-If that won't work, just call any physicians office your interested in and ask. (Say you are a pre-med, trying to get some experience etc.)

-Use google or yellow pages to contact their office

 

[Doctor246853]

Stand in front of a light.

OWNED. I just emailed every doc I wanted within a 30 mile radius. At least 5 will bite. Most will not reply at all.

 

[BenUstudent]

A friend of mine's blog has a nice breakdown
http://www.premedhell.com/home/category/shadowing

 

[familyaerospace]

Much thanks for the helpful information!

Any time. I wanted to make sure all the information I learned was consolidated. If you have more questions or think there are things I might have missed, PM me and I will try to see if I can help.

 

[ReptarBar]

you guys are straight noobs. the BEST way to find doctors is to use the WebMD physician search in your area, then you cold call and say youre a college student interested in medicine etc etc to the receptionist and ask if she would leave a message for the doc. thats it.

3/3 times (each attempt i called about only 10) i have gotten a personal call from a doctor telling me when and where i should go to shadow him/her. its that simple.

 

[apumic]

you guys are straight noobs. the BEST way to find doctors is to use the WebMD physician search in your area, then you cold call and say youre a college student interested in medicine etc etc to the receptionist and ask if she would leave a message for the doc. thats it.

3/3 times (each attempt i called about only 10) i have gotten a personal call from a doctor telling me when and where i should go to shadow him/her. its that simple.

Nah, that's too much work, too low-yield, and too annoying. I just go to work and say, "Hey Dr. Smith, can I shadow you tomorrow?" and then while eating (for free) in the doctor's lounge, ask the hot trauma surgeon if I can shadow her. If you're with a doc and s/he likes you, every other doc you ask (i.e., network with) will be happy to oblige, esp. if the doc you're shadowing introduces you. I always tell students that we can get them in to shadow someone but that it's their responsibility to keep things going. It's pointless to shadow the same doc for more than 1-2 days but you can use the 1 day to make tons of new connections from which you can likely get several more days of shadowing that can lead to an exponential growth in shadowing opportunities (until you've saturated that hospital, that is, but if you've shadowed more than 5-7 docs for a day or two each you need to find another hobby to occupy your time -- seriously....or a job).

 

[ReptarBar]

obviously connections would be better. im talking about starting from ground zero if you have nowhere else to look.

 

[apumic]

obviously connections would be better. im talking about starting from ground zero if you have nowhere else to look.

Build connections. Starting from "ground zero" is unnecessary. Find someone who has a physician for a parent or start volunteering at a clinic. Unless you're that annoying kid that clings to one doc for like 2 weeks always wanting "more shadowing," the physicians you meet volunteering or through friends will most likely gladly have you shadow them. IMO, the key is to begin building connections early and use them strategically.

 

[ReptarBar]

yea but i only have shadowed in the summer...at home. no connections there + i dont want to make any. if i shadowed at school, i would be all over making connections.

 

[apumic]

yea but i only have shadowed in the summer...at home. no connections there + i dont want to make any. if i shadowed at school, i would be all over making connections.

Why wouldn't you want to make connections back home? I think you'd be surprised at who has connections where (i.e., where the "old boy's network" lives). It's not always at the big university hospitals. Sometimes, it's the intensivist at your medium-size metro area hospital who just so happens to be in the middle of a clinical study with a bunch of MD/PhDs at HMS and Mayo. I'd make connections anywhere and everywhere you have the opportunity. You just never know when you might need to rely on an old bridge you built but thought you'd never use! (And I say this from real-world experience; you really just never know where that networking might take you.)

 

[torshi]

you guys are straight noobs. the BEST way to find doctors is to use the WebMD physician search in your area, then you cold call and say youre a college student interested in medicine etc etc to the receptionist and ask if she would leave a message for the doc. thats it.

3/3 times (each attempt i called about only 10) i have gotten a personal call from a doctor telling me when and where i should go to shadow him/her. its that simple.

ima do this