Shadowing Questions

[NUKid]

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Hey SDNers,

I need a little help. I'm going to be starting my first shadowing experience on Friday. I am very excited for this...I'll be shadowing a spine doctor. Reading everything on SDN and Gevitz's DO book, I feel that I've gained a lot of knowledge about what makes DOs different from MDs and the DO philosophy. I'm trying to prepare some questions to ask this DO that I'll be shadowing. Can you guys help me think of some good questions to ask him?

Thanks for your help,

NUKid

 

[EricH]

I am also curious. What do you do when you shadow a DO is is clinical assistance or just watching?

Sorry, I'm not trying to hyjack your thread.

 

[UNE2009LMD]

I shadowed a PM&R osteopathic physician as well. Basically, I just watched her interact w/ her patients and inject some sort of medication into pts backs. Pretty intriguing if you ask me. She, in particular, didn't use OMM in her practice.

DOs really aren't all that different from MDs so when asking questions, just ask whatever you feel to show your interest in osteopathic medicine. Don't ask questions like "why osteopathic medicine?" b/c I'm assuming they would find that annoying.

 

[JakeHarley]

EricH-
My shadowing experience has been pretty cool, I've been visiting an FP once every 1-2 weeks, spending half the day with him seeing patients. I've been getting to do a little hands-on stuff (blood pressures, pulse ox's, etc.) and he's been showing me some physical exam skills. I think its pretty much luck of the draw what you will get to do--depends on the physician you are spending time with.

 

[redwings54]

Hey guys. There is actually a little posted about this topic and you can use the search button to find out more. But I will also add my experiences and hopefully will be a little helpful. I shadowed a DO pediatrician a few weeks back. She was really nice and pretty open. She asked me why I wanted to be a DO and what I knew about it. She then told me a bit about why she chose to go DO and what she liked about it. The physicians that go this route, go it for reasons. Most are more than willing to share those reasons and dont mind you asking. I then shadowed her as she took patients but nothing too involved. Mostly watching and some question asking.

I also shadowed a MD family practice doc. It was actually my family doc so I knew him pretty well. He knows me and knows why I want to go into medicine. So with him, the grounds of how we started out the day was a little different and there was a more comfortable, joking manner between us. I began by just watching what he did and getting comfortable as I saw everything from minor surgeries and physicals to back pain and broken bones. As the day moved on he told me to listen to lung sounds, a heart murmor and feel enlarged livers and inflamed tissue. I learned tons just by his letting me do things. At the end of the day, he had me doing patient histories, finding out why they came in and relaying all the information to him. Anything I missed he would tell me I missed so I could get it right the next time. So it was great and I learned how to really interact with patients. From working in a hospital, I am learning that a lot of medicine, at least primary care, is learning how to work with patients to find out what is best for them.

Bottom line is that shadowing is what you make of it. Talk to the doctor about what you can do and say you would love to be as involved as you can be. Maybe he will let you feel some of the physical symptoms of the patients especially if he does OMT. The worst that could happen is that he doesnt involve you and all you do is observe, which is still pretty cool. Good luck and have fun. PM me if you have any other questions.

 

[godawgs39]

I have a general shadowing question and I apologize if this has already been asked 50,000 times. How did those of you that shadowed DOs go about getting in contact with them? I took the MCAT in April and am planning on applying this summer, but up until recently I was only considering allopathic schools. I've been doing a lot of research lately and I'm really starting to like the Osteopathic medicine philosophy, so much so that I'd really like to shadow a DO and figure out if that's the type of doctor that I want to be.

With that said, how did you get in contact with DOs that you didn't already have a relationship with? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

 

[JakeHarley]

I have a general shadowing question and I apologize if this has already been asked 50,000 times. How did those of you that shadowed DOs go about getting in contact with them? I took the MCAT in April and am planning on applying this summer, but up until recently I was only considering allopathic schools. I've been doing a lot of research lately and I'm really starting to like the Osteopathic medicine philosophy, so much so that I'd really like to shadow a DO and figure out if that's the type of doctor that I want to be.

With that said, how did you get in contact with DOs that you didn't already have a relationship with? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

I called my state osteopathic association, and they had contacts for a couple of docs who had expressed interest in mentoring. Give that a shot.

 

[Pose]

How do you people dress for shadowing? I'd feel awkward going in wearing jeans, but I'd feel equally as weird wearing a tie.

 

[crys20]

I always wear dress pants (black, navy, gray, khaki) and shoes and like a button-down or a little sweater...But you're a guy so I would just do dress pants, no tennis shoes and a button down shirt or probably even a polo shirt would work. But I would go dress pants and button down...I don't think tie is necessary! 🙂