Shadowing Psychiatrists?

[The_Sunny_Doc]

Hi fellow nontrads, have any of you shadowed psychiatrists? Cold calling local mental health providers hasn't yielded results for me yet, so I'm wondering if there is a better way to find opportunities to shadow doctors in this field. Is it rather uncommon for premed students to do this unless they live near a university hospital? There was mention of that in one of the other threads on SDN but it's a couple years old.

I'll be shadowing a family medicine doctor as well, but really want to get a feel for what psychiatrists do on a daily basis. Thanks for any help!

 

[RHeff]

I'd try to find a psych who leads group therapy. Might be easier to land, with less apprehension re HIPPA on the part of the MD.

 

[elevenses]

I have had zero luck shadowing psychiatrists. All cited privacy concerns.

 

[yossarian444]

I am only guessing here...but try an inpatient type setting - preferably at an inner city hospital where psych does a lot of ER consults for schizophrenic and/or psychotic patients - it doesn't have to be a univeristy hospital. No psychiatrist is going to let you shadow him/her at an outpatient setting - it's just not fair to the patients!

 

[The_Sunny_Doc]

I am only guessing here...but try an inpatient type setting - preferably at an inner city hospital where psych does a lot of ER consults for schizophrenic and/or psychotic patients - it doesn't have to be a univeristy hospital. No psychiatrist is going to let you shadow him/her at an outpatient setting - it's just not fair to the patients!

👍 Found an impatient facility with some doctors who are supportive of my interest in this specialty. Where there's a will, there's a way!

Thanks for your advice, RHeff and elevenses.

 

[dmf2682]

👍 Found an impatient facility with some doctors who are supportive of my interest in this specialty. Where there's a will, there's a way!

Thanks for your advice, RHeff and elevenses.

Glad you were able to find something. Shadowing a psychiatrist was my favorite one so far,really cool stuff. Have fun!

 

[RHeff]

👍 Found an impatient facility with some doctors who are supportive of my interest in this specialty. Where there's a will, there's a way!

Thanks for your advice, RHeff and elevenses.

Awesome. Let us know how it goes!

 

[The_Sunny_Doc]

Awesome. Let us know how it goes!

Will do!

just curious - how did you contact them and address your interest?

I just called a bunch of facilities and said I was a pre-med student interested in psychiatry who wanted to shadow a doctor. 🙂