Shadowing physicians in Canada. What's different?

[dedicate]

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I have shadowed in the states during undergrad, but I'm currently spending some time in Canada. I was wondering if anyone knew what different paperwork or confidentiality papers were necessary?

For instance, is there anything mandatory like HIIPA?

 

[HeatherMD]

Don't know.

Shadowing physicians in Canada generally doesn't happen unless you're already in med school. It is not required or encouraged for applications, and is generally unheard of altogether.

I have no idea about the paperwork necessary, and as far as I understand there's nothing like the HIIPA (but I don't even know what that is so my understanding of it is meaningless).

I'm currently a Canadian student planning to apply to US med schools, and have asked 3 physicians if I could shadow them. All have agreed, and none of mentioned any paperwork yet, but I won't be going in until next month.
I kind of got lucky on this though -- two of the doctors I plan to shadow are married, and I was their nanny for their kids for 2 years. The other doctor is a friend of theirs that also knows me very well. I don't know how easy or difficult it would be to just walk into a hospital or a clinic and ask a doctor if you can follow them for a day.

 

[switcheroo]

Depends where you are in Canada on whether you'll have an easy time or not getting some shadowing experience. I'm from Manitoba and I spent a week in the hospital last summer shadowing docs in the ER, OR, radiology, private clinic, etc. So it does happen. I know the Office of Rural and Northern Health in Manitoba will set up shadowing experiences for students if you talk to them... maybe other provinces' rural health offices have similar things in place?

There are Canadian privacy acts that will necessitate you signing something regarding patient privacy. In Manitoba it's PHIA and FIPPA... don't know what it is in other provinces. They'll probably walk you through all the privacy stuff before you start. You may need a criminal records check as well (I did).