Shadowing problems

[Columbia09]

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Hey everyone ! So yesterday I sent out (faxed) 6-7 cover letters to D.Os in my area saying that I want to shadow them,what my majors, what my GPA, my school, and my contact info. I haven't gotten any responses yet but it's only been a day so i'm not worried. However, what should be the next line of action if I don't hear from them in the next couple of days? I don't want to 'bother'' them but I really want to shadow this summer. Also, what do you guys do when you shadow? Someone said that I should aim for 20 hrs of shadow time then ask for a letter of rec. But can you share your experiences with shadowing?

 

[BB8730]

The next thing I would do is call them. Mention that you faxed your cover letter a few days ago and you are following up to see if they have any shadowing opportunities.

What you do when you shadow depends a lot on the doc; they will give you instructions when you first begin shadowing. For the most part, you'll follow them around and observe what they do. How long you shadow for also depends a lot on the doc. Some have their own expectations and others don't care how long. Talk to them about it and see what they think. If they ask you how long you'd like to shadow, 20 hours is a good amount of time if you want an LOR. You could aim for more time too if you want more experience. The biggest thing is just to communicate with the doc about it. Good luck!

 

[DrEnderW]

Do you have a family physician you've been seeing for awhile? Or a doctor that your parents routinely see? That can often be an easy way to get your foot in the door.

I asked my family physician for a letter of req for my DO letter and he wrote one for me based off knowing me for years and a resume I sent to him.

Good luck.

 

[Columbia09]

Do you have a family physician you've been seeing for awhile? Or a doctor that your parents routinely see? That can often be an easy way to get your foot in the door.

I asked my family physician for a letter of req for my DO letter and he wrote one for me based off knowing me for years and a resume I sent to him.

Good luck.

They're all M.Ds

 

[hallowmann]

They're all M.Ds

Brakk's advice is all you need to know. I might add asking your volunteer coordinator or others in the hospital if you volunteer in a hospital, but that's about it. I'm guessing you already checked to online DO database to find the DOs in your area, so that's about it. Good luck!

 

[Moose A Moose]

Utilize your MD PCP as a reference bridge for a DO to shadow. He/she could probably put in a good word and point you in the proper direction.

 

[pathologyDO]

Utilize your MD PCP as a reference bridge for a DO to shadow. He/she could probably put in a good word and point you in the proper direction.

Exactly what I was thinking. Its all about integration. Your PCP is a point of entry to finding someone. A doctor putting in a word for you will go a lot further than a random email will.

GL!

 

[HeronsBeak]

Don't worry yet, I sent out 8 letters with my CV and I got one response the first week, one the next, and one the third week following. I also just got a call that a fourth can't see me because she's busy. By now, the rest I'm not expecting to contact me. However, as far as time goes, I spent four hours with a DO orthopedic surgeon who I really liked and connected with and who flat out offered me a letter at the end of the day. I personally don't see the point of tons of hours shadowing te same doc unless they are hard to get to know and need more time to make a good impression. I don't think I would get much more out of shadowing the same guy again, it would be fun but not much more enlightening. I'd rather see a bunch of different professions than a single one for 30 hours. On the other hand, I had 20 hrs of shadowing/volunteering in the same clinic so I guess if adcoms want to see extended shadowing Im covered. Be patient, see a few differen docs andhopefully youll click with at least one of them to get yourself a good LOR.

 

[deleted492904]

Hey everyone ! So yesterday I sent out (faxed) 6-7 cover letters to D.Os in my area saying that I want to shadow them,what my majors, what my GPA, my school, and my contact info. I haven't gotten any responses yet but it's only been a day so i'm not worried. However, what should be the next line of action if I don't hear from them in the next couple of days? I don't want to 'bother'' them but I really want to shadow this summer. Also, what do you guys do when you shadow? Someone said that I should aim for 20 hrs of shadow time then ask for a letter of rec. But can you share your experiences with shadowing?

Hey Columbia09, I just want to say something since I was in your position couple of months ago. The fist thing I would do is ask your doctor, your parents doctor and if you are volunteering in a clinical setting, ask the doctor there. For me, I volunteered in the ER for almost two years now. I talked to the ER director and he was really nice about it and got me in to shadow 2 ER doctors. If you are going this approach, talk to the doctor you want to shadow first. It's always a nice thing to ask the doctor for his permission first, which is what I did. I ask the doctor first and he was really happy to let me shadow him, but he said he had to ask the director first. He actually forgot to ask the director, and after that I went in to talk to the director myself. What I learned from this, and it's actually what my dad's doctor told me, is to ask the director/manager first and if they are nice enough they will simply ask who you want to shadow and help you with the shadowing process( I know this contradicts what I said earlier, but since I knew the doctor from shadowing, I asked him first and then ask the director. If you are cold calling offices, try calling the director first and I think it's easier for me to approach the situation this way). As for what I did when shadowing. I just follow the doctor everywhere he goes. The doctor will go in to see the patient and you just follow him. The doc will introduce you to the patient and ask the patient if you can be in the room with him. One of the doctor is actually the physician's director and he just go in the room and not introduce me (which is fine with me because I'm afraid the patient might say no, haha). Just remember to not ask questions when the doctor is seeing the patient, they are the priority. Just observe, and ask the doc questions when he is done with the patient. Best of luck, and if you have more questions you can PM me if you want.

 

[dfib slim]

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[Columbia09]

I got in touch with one of the D.Os at a big University Hospital in my area. He said he's fine with shadowing but now the hospital has rules and I have to go through this entire process now -_-. One of the other doctors was very rude to me. I called back to see if he got my letter, he said not interested and hung up. Can't believe there are doctors like that

 

[cliquesh]

I got in touch with one of the D.Os at a big University Hospital in my area. He said he's fine with shadowing but now the hospital has rules and I have to go through this entire process now -_-. One of the other doctors was very rude to me. I called back to see if he got my letter, he said not interested and hung up. Can't believe there are doctors like that

Most are not nice people.