Shadowing Psychiatrists?

[The_Sunny_Doc]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

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. 🙂