Shadowing Resume for Non Trads?

[Northstar208]

Hi all,

So I have been contacting physicians searching for shadowing opportunities and today I was lucky enough to get a call back. I was asked to email a copy of my resume. The problem is, I don't yet have any prior clinical experience. I am supposed to start volunteering for hospice care next week but I cannot put that on my resume as I have not started yet. Being a non trad student, during undergrad I only took the minimum science/lab requirements to obtain my degree (I took physiological science, biopsychology, and environmental science) so I do not have anything to put on the resume in terms of experience in relation to medicine. I found examples of shadowing resumes online, but again they are traditional pre med specific. At this point I am not sure what I should put on this resume. I really do not want to blow this opportunity as most of the hospitals that I contacted required that I get a referral from my schools pre-medical program, which as you can imagine is not possible for a non trad student. Any knowledge concerning this is much appreciated.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Gibbward]

I don't think it should matter if you don't have any clinical experiences on your resume. If you think about it, college freshmen get shadowing opportunities all the time and they barely have anything to put in their resumes except maybe being a hospital volunteer for a few months. The doctor is probably just trying to gauge if you are a responsible and hardworking person (as shown by having a job).

 

[Northstar208]

That makes sense. The part about freshmen getting shadowing opportunities didn't even cross my mind. I keep thinking that, the doc is going to look at my resume and think 'this guy isn't even pre-med,' and consider me a waste of his time.

 

[NonTrad16]

I provided my resume when I was requesting opportunities just to show I was "serious". They are also part of an academic/research hospital so I included non-relevant research experience. No one brought it up but I'm 2/2 so far. We will see about #3 soon.

 

[FutureDoctorAC]

Hi all,

So I have been contacting physicians searching for shadowing opportunities and today I was lucky enough to get a call back. I was asked to email a copy of my resume. The problem is, I don't yet have any prior clinical experience. I am supposed to start volunteering for hospice care next week but I cannot put that on my resume as I have not started yet. Being a non trad student, during undergrad I only took the minimum science/lab requirements to obtain my degree (I took physiological science, biopsychology, and environmental science) so I do not have anything to put on the resume in terms of experience in relation to medicine. I found examples of shadowing resumes online, but again they are traditional pre med specific. At this point I am not sure what I should put on this resume. I really do not want to blow this opportunity as most of the hospitals that I contacted required that I get a referral from my schools pre-medical program, which as you can imagine is not possible for a non trad student. Any knowledge concerning this is much appreciated.

Hey Northstar28,

What did you say when you were searching for shadowing opportunities? Did you just randomly call MD/DOs in your area?

Thanks,

Allison

 

[Apollo1]

Just draft up a typical resume with degree obtained, work history, current activities etc. In my n=1, I've found that it definitely helps to know someone at a hospital/office where you want to shadow: I volunteer at a community hospital, and have used my connections with the volunteer coordinator to line up shadowing gigs, and with some of the admitting people in the ED to get an introduction w/ some PA's.

 

[caffeinemia]

Don't forget that in the real world, people also write cover letters to express their motivations and background.

 

[wholeheartedly]

I'm not sure I see where writing a resume that shows you're a responsible, educated adult who has held down a job is somehow a negative. You shadow on your path to becoming a doctor, not because you've done everything short of get accepted to medical school. Different people cross that bridge at different stages.

I like the cover letter idea. Explain your motivation for shadowing in the context of the rest of your plan on your path to trying to become a doc. Then you can mention the other medically related things you'll be doing to prepare, rather than trying to list a volunteer experience that you technically haven't started yet on your actual resume.

 

[NonTrad16]

I'd hesitate to put too much time into text... All of my shadow experiences have started with an email (6 sentences), followed by an informational interview, then shadowing. So much more can be covered in a short "interview" than a letter.

 

[Darth Doc]

Do you have a personal physician you can ask? A doc I used to work for would do that all the time.

 

[wholeheartedly]

I'd hesitate to put too much time into text... All of my shadow experiences have started with an email (6 sentences), followed by an informational interview, then shadowing. So much more can be covered in a short "interview" than a letter.

Yeah but if they want the resume then you send a resume that's well done. Although personally I hadn't heard of submitting one for shadowing before now. Learn something new every day around here.

 

[Northstar208]

Hey Northstar28,

What did you say when you were searching for shadowing opportunities? Did you just randomly call MD/DOs in your area?

Thanks,

Allison

I cold called all of the hospitals and practices in my area. I only got one bite tho. I was called back by somebody at a family practice and was told to send him my resume so that he could send it to all of the doctors at the practice. Luckily, one of the docs called me back. I think it was because I went to the same undergraduate institution as him.

 

[Northstar208]

[QUOTE="Then you can mention the other medically related things you'll be doing to prepare, rather than trying to list a volunteer experience that you technically haven't started yet on your actual resume.[/QUOTE]

Yea, I didn't plan on mentioning the volunteer experience that I haven't started yet...

 

[caffeinemia]

I'd hesitate to put too much time into text... All of my shadow experiences have started with an email (6 sentences), followed by an informational interview, then shadowing. So much more can be covered in a short "interview" than a letter.

The issue with this is that you are already trying to trim corners with effort. In a competitive job market, you should be making a full effort in text and a full effort in person. If you come off genuine but professional all around, no one can fault you.

 

[Northstar208]

I'd hesitate to put too much time into text... All of my shadow experiences have started with an email (6 sentences), followed by an informational interview, then shadowing. So much more can be covered in a short "interview" than a letter.

Well I wrote a cover letter and CV. I felt that it was necessary and it worked in my favor. You have to give somebody a reason to want to meet/interview you.

 

[NonTrad16]

Well I wrote a cover letter and CV. I felt that it was necessary and it worked in my favor. You have to give somebody a reason to want to meet/interview you.

Glad it worked out!

I guess our views may be shaped by our opportunities? I have a large academic hospital near me. I have little need for any individual doctor; if they need me to convince them of my worth before they will give me 30 min, I'd just choose to contact someone else.

Some could call it cutting corners, but the Dr is receiving no tangible benefit from the experience... they either want to help or they don't want to/ it would be too much of a hassle. As long as the former are around, I don't need to strategize how to get the attention from the latter.