Shadowing in the COVID-time with a full time job

[nicesecrets]

Hi all,

I have seen some very helpful responses to how you can get shadowing hours during these uncertain times by scribing or some other full time job in a clinical setting. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts for a shadowing-type experience for nontrads who work full time and don't have the bandwidth to scribe or get a clinical job.

For some background, the last clinical observer/shadowing I did was back in 2015 over one month in the summer during my graduate program. While this does give me enough hours (~160), I wanted to have some more recent shadowing hours when I apply next cycle. I had a few experiences lined up pre-COVID, but of course those are gone now. I contacted the hospitals where I had set up the shadowing and they said MAYBE shadowing can start up again in the fall but that is a big maybe. If I am not able to get any conventional shadowing hours for the rest of the year and spring of next year, does anyone have any ideas of what could be a good substitute for shadowing hours when a full time clinical job is not an option? Under these circumstances would adcoms be more understanding and accommodating for the hours that I have from (very) long ago?

Thank you, appreciate any advice!

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[another_nontrad]

not an adcom, but I set up skype 'coffee'/calls with doctors instead of shadowing. even if it doesn't technically count as shadowing hours, there's definitely a lot you can learn by asking intelligent questions. as far as working full time, I shadowed night shift (pre-covid). good luck!

 

[annad_700]

I know this post is from a while back but I'm in the same position. I have no shadowing hours and I'm concerned that it may be this way for a long while. I also work full time and had considering a PT scribe position but I'm not even sure if it's a possibility right now; most companies seem to prefer that their scribe employees take at least two shifts a week and that would be a big stretch for me (and my schedule would be very limited to only Saturday, Sunday, and maybe a night shift on the weekdays). I'm still going through a scribe training for the position. I applied online to a national company, my application got accepted, and if I complete the scribe app and pass then I think they contact me with next steps. I just figured at that point I can speak with someone and evaluate the possibility of one shift per week. If this doesn't work out for me then I'm just crossing my fingers that circumstances improve before I get too close to when I am planning to submit my application (June 2022). I've got some time, but I don't want to be overly optimistic...

It's been awhile since this post so did you come up with an alternative way to shadow or figure something out?

 

[annad_700]

not an adcom, but I set up skype 'coffee'/calls with doctors instead of shadowing. even if it doesn't technically count as shadowing hours, there's definitely a lot you can learn by asking intelligent questions. as far as working full time, I shadowed night shift (pre-covid). good luck!

Did you already have doctors who are contacts in your personal sphere? I don't know any doctors so I think if I would do this it would be on a sort of cold call practice. Ideally I would like to have at least one recommendation letter from a doctor. I was hoping that shadowing would kill two birds with one stone and I would get hours plus find a doctor that would be willing to write a recommendation letter for me. I like this idea because if I could at least begin to develop a working/mentoring relationship with a physician, I may be able to secure a rec letter.