Shadowing the same physician compared to diversity?

[Jla791]

Hey guys,

I received the amazing opportunity to shadow for a freaking trauma neuro-surgeon and I’ve loved it so much. I started to form a bond with him and got to ask. He works in a private setting; and has said I can shadow for him as long as I’d like.. the issue I see is, he also informed me that he has connections to other physicians and that I could easily ask to shadow them for a bit or change in my experience; I love shadowing for the current physician and honestly don’t even want to switch. I understand eventually I should try shadowing someone else but do adcoms see shadowing only one physician for many hours as a red flag? Do they want to see diversity or do they see my interest in this specialty as a good connection to my shadowing.

I don’t particularly have my eyes set on neuro-surgery, I just find the physicians practice so interesting.

Thanks guys.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[freedoctor17]

If you can get some primary care shadowing in that would be good.

 

[[Time]]

I have a similar case and would like to know as well!

 

[hebrewBAMmer]

I don't know if it's a red flag or not, but I would personally shadow physicians in several areas of medicine simply because it gives greater exposure to different fields of medicine and would at least get one thinking about which fields are interesting and which not so much.

 

[holdthemayo]

Hey guys,

I received the amazing opportunity to shadow for a freaking trauma neuro-surgeon and I’ve loved it so much. I started to form a bond with him and got to ask. He works in a private setting; and has said I can shadow for him as long as I’d like.. the issue I see is, he also informed me that he has connections to other physicians and that I could easily ask to shadow them for a bit or change in my experience; I love shadowing for the current physician and honestly don’t even want to switch. I understand eventually I should try shadowing someone else but do adcoms see shadowing only one physician for many hours as a red flag? Do they want to see diversity or do they see my interest in this specialty as a good connection to my shadowing.

I don’t particularly have my eyes set on neuro-surgery, I just find the physicians practice so interesting.

Thanks guys.

It sounds like you have a great relationship with this doctor, so continue to shadow them and feel free to ask for a letter of recommendation.

But...
Most medical students don't become neurosurgeons. I would shadow at least one other specialty to show adcoms that you have a more rounded picture of the medical field. You don't need to go crazy with it. Just a day or two is fine.

 

[Catalystik]

I received the amazing opportunity to shadow for a freaking trauma neuro-surgeon and I’ve loved it so much.

I understand eventually I should try shadowing someone else but do adcoms see shadowing only one physician for many hours as a red flag?

I hope you are shadowing this doc in the office setting and not just in the OR where doctor-(unconscious) patient interactions are all you observe.

I would be leery of an applicant with a very one-sided view of medicine through observation of a highly-competitive field.

I agree that you need some office-based primary care shadowing, too. Any other specialty you want to add is fine as well, but more elective.

 

[Jla791]

I hope you are shadowing this doc in the office setting and not just in the OR where doctor-(unconscious) patient interactions are all you observe.

I would be leery of an applicant with a very one-sided view of medicine through observation of a highly-competitive field.

I agree that you need some office-based primary care shadowing, too. Any other specialty you want to add is fine as well, but more elective.

I shadow him 2-3 times a week and only on fridays he does surgeries, he does surgeries in a different city and does pain consults at his clinic which is located in my city.

So I get the best of both worlds, I see interactions between patients when they come in for pain related issues and then I also see surgeries being performed on a scheduled basis.

 

[MeatballParmHero]

It sounds like you have a great relationship with this doctor, so continue to shadow them and feel free to ask for a letter of recommendation.

But...
Most medical students don't become neurosurgeons. I would shadow at least one other specialty to show adcoms that you have a more rounded picture of the medical field. You don't need to go crazy with it. Just a day or two is fine.

You say a day or two is fine, what do you mean by that? I understand the general idea of not going overboard, but a day or two of one doctor? Multiple specialties?

I only ask because I am just starting to shadow and have shadowed a nurse, cardiologist, and CT surgeon(currently) and would like to know how much shadowing I should go about doing for a particular doctor/specialty and just in general. Also I am a mere high school graduate about to start freshman year of college.

 

[candbgirl]

You need around 50 hours total with a chunk shadowing primary care doc, including spending some time in the office, clinic hospital etc.. Shadowing is passive so don’t go overboard with one doc.

 

[holdthemayo]

You say a day or two is fine, what do you mean by that? I understand the general idea of not going overboard, but a day or two of one doctor? Multiple specialties?

I only ask because I am just starting to shadow and have shadowed a nurse, cardiologist, and CT surgeon(currently) and would like to know how much shadowing I should go about doing for a particular doctor/specialty and just in general. Also I am a mere high school graduate about to start freshman year of college.

The post below sums up what I meant. It sounds like OP has plenty of total shadowing hours, but maybe needs some exposure to other specialties. This is especially true because OP's experience is in a specialty that most medical students don't (and can't) end up in. I would be less concerned if OP had only shadowed a FM, IM, Gen Sur or another of the specialties that most medical students realistically go into.

You need around 50 hours total with a chunk shadowing primary care doc, including spending some time in the office, clinic hospital etc.. Shadowing is passive so don’t go overboard with one doc.

 

[khunmohdokhtar]

I didn't shadow at all my freshman year, my sophomore summer I shadowed a orthopedic surgeon that was a "visiting fellow" at my local cancer institute for a total of 12 hours, (does this count?) In my junior summer (right now), I have been shadowing my former pediatrician for almost 3 months now about once or twice a week for either a full (9-5) or half (1-5pm). --Btw I am doing some form of a five-year plan.

I am approaching the end of my shadowing experience with the pediatrician in which I will have a total of 30-40 hours with just him. I have previously told him of my former shadowing experiences (the above and a pediatric plastic surgeon for 2 days during my senior year of highschool) and he told me he knows the plastic surgeon and would be willing to put in a word if I ever wanted to shadow him again (the plastic surgeon). I am planning on taking up his offer, as well as asking for a LOR and sending him a thank you card as I have greatly appreciated the opportunity.

I have been interested in plastics since 8th grade (really), and pediatrics as of late. I would also like to shadow a neurosurgeon, I understand its recommended that we shadow a good mix of non-primary and primary as well as MD and DOs...Any suggestions on how I should move forward?

Any help or suggestions would be great!

 

[JeSuisUnDoc]

It’s not about what guy you like, it’s about getting exposure to different areas of medicine.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[rdyotz]

I'm confused shadowing your pediatrician for 3 months, once or twice a week for 4-8 hours at a time and you only have 30-40 hours? Once a week for 4 hours for 12 weeks should be closer to 50. And 50 is sufficient shadowing

 

[khunmohdokhtar]

I'm confused shadowing your pediatrician for 3 months, once or twice a week for 4-8 hours at a time and you only have 30-40 hours? Once a week for 4 hours for 12 weeks should be closer to 50. And 50 is sufficient shadowing

Well the time frame is three months and I shadowed once a week, I got sick for a while in the first month and then I had to switch from a (roughly) 9-5pm to a 130-5p once my summer classes began mid summer... also keeping in mind there the days I shadowed fell on a holiday twice.

-- also anyone have an answer to my first question? If shadowing a "visiting fellow" (see initial post) counts?

 

[Catalystik]

I shadowed a orthopedic surgeon that was a "visiting fellow" at my local cancer institute for a total of 12 hours, (does this count?)

Yes.

 

[aldol16]

I think you should at least shadow another specialty. I'm sure you realize that trauma neurosurgery isn't what the vast majority of physicians experience on a daily basis so you should at least know what the bread and butter of medicine is for several specialties.