Shadowing in Austin, TX

[lifong]

Hi all!
I'm wondering if anyone knows any doctor that allows shadowing in the Austin, Texas area?
I've called a ton of clinics and they're either too small, too busy or only taking 3rd year med students.

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[Stumpyman]

Hi all!
I'm wondering if anyone knows any doctor that allows shadowing in the Austin, Texas area?
I've called a ton of clinics and they're either too small, too busy or only taking 3rd year med students.

I don't think we're allowed to post someone's (a doctor's) contact info (I could be wrong).

With over 1800 pre-meds in Austins, I don't think it'll be easy to find a doctor to shadow (albeit possible).

Is your home town Austin? If not, try going back to your home town (winter break/spring break/summer/etc) and asking around there (twas what I did).

 

[sliceofbread136]

Volunteer in Brackenridge ER for awhile (you need hospital volunteering anyway). Ask one of the doctors while they aren't busy, they will show you the head of the ERs office who will make you fill out paperwork. After that you they will assign you a doctor. This is what I did.

 

[darmalee]

Hi all!
I'm wondering if anyone knows any doctor that allows shadowing in the Austin, Texas area?
I've called a ton of clinics and they're either too small, too busy or only taking 3rd year med students.

It's unbelievably hard to find shadowing opportunities by cold-calling in Austin. There is just such a large number of pre-meds that I think many places have just become overwhelmed by the requests over the years and elected to just have a policy of no shadowing. I agree with stumpyman. Even if your hometown is Austin, ask your doctor or your parents' doctor. I had non-premed friends ask their doctors if I could shadow and got in the habit of asking anyone I knew having surgery if they would ask their surgeon if I could observe. You get turned down a lot but every now and then someone says sure why not. Student organizations also have physician speakers, some of which are open to the possibility of shadowing if you talk to them after their presentation, and some organizations actually have relationships with doctors that have agreed to a certain number of student shadowing per semester. This was one of my major frustrations, but at the end of the day a couple shadowing experiences are usually sufficient. I applied with around 15 hours of shadowing a total of 3 different doctors and was never asked once why I didn't do more. Hope that helps.

 

[Ub3rmensch]

What's with all the UT/Austin people here? I didn't know it was so big!

 

[sliceofbread136]

What's with all the UT/Austin people here? I didn't know it was so big!

UT austin is oversaturated with premeds. Any UTers reading this just use my method for sure-fire shadowing. Or when your in Ochem 2 take colapret and take advantage of the health professions seminar, which gives shadowing.

 

[darmalee]

Dr. Baptiste MD/BA(for BadAs(s))...look him up, he will hook (hook'em you up..huh? huh? no?) you up.

UT Austin Alum, Baylor Med,

He only works with the spring O Chem 2 class. But I agree - he is a badass

 

[vlk2008]

the shadowing from the o-chem 2 class was not that great in my opinion. The best way to do it is to find friends from the Austin area, ask them for their doctors, and then call them or have your friends ask. I feel like if there is a connection between you and the doctor, they are more likely to let you shadow

 

[sliceofbread136]

the shadowing from the o-chem 2 class was not that great in my opinion. The best way to do it is to find friends from the Austin area, ask them for their doctors, and then call them or have your friends ask. I feel like if there is a connection between you and the doctor, they are more likely to let you shadow

Alot of my friends weren't willing to hook me up with their docs. Maybe I just don't have good friends :/

 

[AlexUT4]

UT austin is oversaturated with premeds. Any UTers reading this just use my method for sure-fire shadowing. Or when your in Ochem 2 take colapret and take advantage of the health professions seminar, which gives shadowing.

Where is your method for sure-fire shadowing located? Lol

 

[sliceofbread136]

Where is your method for sure-fire shadowing located? Lol

Man this was along time ago. The gist of it was to volunteer in the ER (I was at brackenridge) print a bunch CVs and just ask doctors that you see not being busy if you can shadow them. Eventually you'll run into one who takes pity on your poor soul.

 

[clairephillips]

I ended up returning home to my hometown and using a family connection there... My mom taught with the doctor's dad, who was one of my former profs. You have to get creative, but eventually someone knows some doctor who will do it.

 

[Cristii]

Has anybody had any luck finding a reliable source for shadowing in Austin ? I agree with everyone and it’s unbelievably hard.

 

[brachialplexus]

Has anybody had any luck finding a reliable source for shadowing in Austin ? I agree with everyone and it’s unbelievably hard.

Cold-call and email private clinics/physicians - there are several big practices like Austin Gastro, Texas Oncology, etc. Even smaller practices (family medicine, allergy, etc.) might be open to it. You'll miss a lot more than you'll hit but that's what it takes sometimes. Hospitals are much harder because St. David's is getting stricter with their shadowing policies.