Shadowing smackdown

[HH Holmes]

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The smell of the bovie and burning flesh always makes me want to barbecue.

 

[chronicidal]

Seriously, the acrid, smoky smell of Bovie is what surgery is about.

 

[WorldChanger36]

I know all of the hospitals in the Jacksonville area do not allow shadowing but instead have subsituted it with Student-physician interviewing, which is a great way to get a free lunch but not much else. The only way to get shadowing is to cold call doctors in a private practice, pray one calls you back, and is willing to set up a few shadowing sessions with you. Honestly they rarely give you more then two or three day for two weeks and letters of recommendation only seem to come out of D.O.s. They really are just to busy and I learned way more about doctoring from vollenteering in hospitals then from shadowing private practice doctors. Most of the time they just complain about how hard medicine is and how if they had to do it over again the would have gone to PA school or law school or something. Did enjoy how the private pratice doctors were quick to show me the pain of dealing with insurance companies and maintaining payroll. Shadowing does give the undergrad student a hint about medicine but little more.

Shadowing isn't exacting like test driving a car, it is more like examining the outside, kicking the tires and sitting in the back seat while the salesman drives the car around the block telling you all that is going to just suck with the car in the future, then once he finally park it tell you about how rewarding owning the car is once you work through those problems. The saleman then moves on telling you not to be to quick to decide but to call him back if you need another test drive.

Then of course you try to call the salesman back later and he is busy so you have to go to a different salesman who tries to sell you the same car but in a different color the exact same way.

 

[Big Dog]

I'd buy a Ferrari without test driving it. I mean, what's the point?

 

[spacecowgirl]

The health system I work for has banned all shadowing for any career. They direct students to programs and "boot camps" that are sponsored by the university or the state HRSA.

I actually think it's great. As a patient, I always feel obligated to say yes when I'm asked if a student can be present. I don't like the idea of a pre-health student in high school or college knowing all my bidness. I'm glad I don't have to have any more students shadowing me now either. It's a distraction and I don't know how valuable it really is for them.

 

[Nomdeplume]

Shadowing isn't exacting like test driving a car, it is more like examining the outside, kicking the tires and sitting in the back seat while the salesman drives the car around the block telling you all that is going to just suck with the car in the future, then once he finally park it tell you about how rewarding owning the car is once you work through those problems. The saleman then moves on telling you not to be to quick to decide but to call him back if you need another test drive.

Then of course you try to call the salesman back later and he is busy so you have to go to a different salesman who tries to sell you the same car but in a different color the exact same way.

I lol'd at this . Though some physicians that I've shadowed, they weren't trying to sell me anything very hard. A couple of them complained a bit, which was actually pretty helpful for me I think.

 

[Kaustikos]

I agree that having the receptionist or nursing assistant say, "Dr. Duck has a student with him today. If you'd prefer not to have the student present, just let me know." would be a good way to go about it.

I think that eliminates the majority of the problem. That and HIPAA training. 👍