Shadowing..what do I do?

[priam18]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi guys, I was wondering if I could get some information about shadowing in general.

I'll be shadowing a couple of DOs soon and was curious as to exactly what I do when I shadow them. I'm guessing each doctor will have their own range of what the person is supposed to do, but just in terms of which questions I ask, what do I wear, etc..

I'm primarily asking because I obviously dont want to make a fool of myself if I'll be requesting a letter of recommendation from some of these people.

So, in general, how were your shadowing experiences? Any advice?

Thanks

 

[thanecyan]

I wear a button down and khakis and most of my questions are medically related. As for how the conversations go, in my experience, it largely depends on who you're shadowing. I once shadowed a physiatrist, who after a couple of hours, decided to drop me off at the physical therapy room because he had to attend a meeting. I just shadowed a family practioner who loved to talk, so it was extremely easy to carry on a conversation and he was very willing to tell me exactly what he was doing with each patient.

 

[MCATTT]

Hi guys, I was wondering if I could get some information about shadowing in general.

I'll be shadowing a couple of DOs soon and was curious as to exactly what I do when I shadow them. I'm guessing each doctor will have their own range of what the person is supposed to do, but just in terms of which questions I ask, what do I wear, etc..

I'm primarily asking because I obviously dont want to make a fool of myself if I'll be requesting a letter of recommendation from some of these people.

So, in general, how were your shadowing experiences? Any advice?

Thanks

Hi there. I was in the same situation two months ago. My advice to you is not to worry too much because doctors understand us.
Clothing is usually depend on what kind of doctors you are shadowing. But normal clothings would serve the need in most of the cases.
I shadowed a surgeon and his PA give me proper cloths when they allow me to go inside the operating room.
Usually you don't have to do anything while shawdowing. 😀

 

[HunterGatherer]

Don't wait to discuss what is needed to get a solid LOR. Asking more than 1 DO for an LOR is good because you can never tell who are the LOR slackers.

 

[KeyLime]

Wear Comfortable shoes because you will probably be standing around a lot. I mostly observed in my shadowing experiences, and the doctors did all of the talking and interacting with the patients.

 

[priam18]

I hear everything you guys are saying and appreciate it, but it seems a little awkward for me if I just shadow a doctor for a day, then at the end...'Say, how about you write me a letter of recommendation?'

How much chance has that doctor had to know me enough to write a decent letter of recommendation? Or do doctors understand that's just the way it works?

Tangent: So I use the AOA website to look up DOs in new york, and call up an anesthesiology senior resident (she is the only DO anaesthesioligist registered in NY). She tells me I need to speak with some other lady, who then tells me that they're gonna have to 'clear' me (after I explain to her what shadowing is, as apparently this is the first time in the history of her working at that hospital that she's ever heard that term.) Anyway, she said she'll get back to me on Friday.

 

[jkhamlin]

Hi guys, I was wondering if I could get some information about shadowing in general.

I'll be shadowing a couple of DOs soon and was curious as to exactly what I do when I shadow them. I'm guessing each doctor will have their own range of what the person is supposed to do, but just in terms of which questions I ask, what do I wear, etc..

I'm primarily asking because I obviously dont want to make a fool of myself if I'll be requesting a letter of recommendation from some of these people.

So, in general, how were your shadowing experiences? Any advice?

Thanks

I always wear HEALTHCARE business casual: Button down shirt, slacks, WHITE tennis shoes, lab coat.

I go with the flow, and let the doctor lead. I try to stay out of the way and ask questions when the doctor and I are in his office away from the patient. Learn to walk fast and eat without chewing, unless you go to a pharmaceutical rep lunch. Some doctors keep you on your toes, some will narrate, some will be very friendly and informal, and some will merely tolerate you. As time goes on, you begin to learn what the doctor expects, and you learn what they are ok with such as talking during a patient exam, etc. Of course, you can talk all you want during procedures where the patient is sedated, just be careful what you say, because 1. The doctor is still judging you, and 2. Sometimes the patient can still hear you and remember, although this is rare.

 

[HunterGatherer]

Do you know how many LORs you are going to need between now and when you get your first paid job after residency? Now is a good time to learn how to ask for these things up front. You could just ask "what do you need from me so that you can write a nice LOR". It should make things less awkwards later on.

 

[Andromeda]

If you know what kind of medical questions to ask, go for it--but don't worry if you don't understand what is going on. Don't forget to simply talk to them about the profession. Find out what life is like and what has been rewarding and not-so-rewarding. Do your best to be able to walk away from the experience understanding what you like and don't like about medicine and understanding what qualities the doctor has that you would like to have or would not like to have when you become a physician.

 

[st.exupery]

I would definitely ask for it in the beginning. I think they will appreciate your honesty since they can most likely already anticipate your intention anyway.

I wrote a bunch of letters to DOs saying I would like to put in time to help them out (I used to be an office manager at a doc's office) and/or shadow them and in return, if they felt comfortable doing so, would appreciate a LOR. Since you have already arranged it, perhaps at the close of the day, you can say something along the lines of "I really enjoyed my time spent with you, it was a valuable experience, I'd love to continue shadowing you or assisting you in any way I can. I was wondering if we continued working together, and you feel comfortable doing so, if you may be able to write me a letter of recommendation in support of my applying to DO schools."

Kind of round about, but I think it's common for DOs to be asked and the politeness will be appreciated.

 

[Irongirl03]

When I shadowed a family practice DO I would just watch him interact with his patient. When he used his OMM he would explain to me what he was doing and what he was looking for which I found very interesting. I asked a few questions while in the patient's room and some inbetween patients. I also shadowed a pediatrician MD on his hospital rounds and he let me listen to heart & lung sounds of his patients. Both doctors were very friendly and welcoming!

 

[Marthea007]

I agree with what everyone has said, it really just depends on the person you're following and what they feel like doing. Just pretend to be a fly on the wall if that's what they want.

Random question, did anyone have trouble actually getting a hold of someone to shadow? I have called so many people and no one returns my calls or the one place that did, the doctor no longer worked there. I'm getting a little frustrated... 😡

 

[jkhamlin]

I agree with what everyone has said, it really just depends on the person you're following and what they feel like doing. Just pretend to be a fly on the wall if that's what they want.

Random question, did anyone have trouble actually getting a hold of someone to shadow? I have called so many people and no one returns my calls or the one place that did, the doctor no longer worked there. I'm getting a little frustrated... 😡

I had tons of trouble for a couple of years. After a while, though, I started running into more and more physicians through various volunteer activities, work, shadowing, etc. and eventually had more physicians offering me shadowing than I could possibly accept.

The best advice I could give someone is to find a residency program in their area if possible, and contact the director. Ask them if you could shadow their resident and faculty physicians. You can get shadow a lot of different physicians in a short amount of time, and develop relationships with some that will help you in the future.

 

[HunterGatherer]

Good advice. since you live in PA try to find hospitals where PCOM has their students doing rotations and you should be able to find DO attendings and residents. There may be some DO residency programs near you as well or the PCOM match list may show you hospitals where you can find DOs. YOu could either volunteer and ask to shadow DOs you run into or use the more direct route and talk to the program director.

The best advice I could give someone is to find a residency program in their area if possible, and contact the director. Ask them if you could shadow their resident and faculty physicians. You can get shadow a lot of different physicians in a short amount of time, and develop relationships with some that will help you in the future.

 

[fitnessexpert]

I ended up shadowing at a small county hospital clinic. If you have them available it was amazing. I had no idea how many aspects of medicine a rural physician uses. It was ER, sport medicine, long-term care, recovery, surgery all in one day. It was crazy! One issue was I had to travel 30 minutes to get there, but it was SO worth.

I do want a family, so I did end up asking about family issues, schedules, medical ethics, and really personal stuff but the physician was totally cool with my questions. I think it shows that you are really researching how medicine is going to effect your life. It is not all academics it takes a toll on family, friends, significant others, etc. A couple of months ago I was at DMU for an interview and they said something that really stuck in my head. They talked to us about how medical school is only 7-9 years of your life. Your family and friends are forever so take care of the family issues so they don't interupt your medical school.

 

[122206DO]

I'd show up in khakis and button shirt. Don't interrupt the doctor especially when he's with patients. They usually will let you know when they want to show/tell you something. Be enthusiastic, be on time, show your interest. Try to enjoy your time there. I'd shadow once a week for a couple months. Give the doctor a thank you card for writing you a letter.

 

[Marthea007]

How long do you think you should shadow someone so that they can write you a good LOR? I found a DO that practices OMT but I'm going to be meeting her for the first time on Thursday so she knows absolutely nothing about me. I plan on telling her ahead of time that I would appreciate a LOR if she feels she's able to write one and let her know that she can ask me any questions at all. But I'm trying to figure out how much time I can take off of work to go and see her. Stupid full time jobs ruining everything! 😡

 

[jkhamlin]

How long do you think you should shadow someone so that they can write you a good LOR? I found a DO that practices OMT but I'm going to be meeting her for the first time on Thursday so she knows absolutely nothing about me. I plan on telling her ahead of time that I would appreciate a LOR if she feels she's able to write one and let her know that she can ask me any questions at all. But I'm trying to figure out how much time I can take off of work to go and see her. Stupid full time jobs ruining everything! 😡

You can do it with just an interview with the physician. It is up to the physician what they feel they can do. Of course, the more they know you the better, but I got an LOR the first time around after one day of shadowing. That is how it is done sometimes.

 

[Marthea007]

You can do it with just an interview with the physician. It is up to the physician what they feel they can do. Of course, the more they know you the better, but I got an LOR the first time around after one day of shadowing. That is how it is done sometimes.

Oh wow, I didn't realize some give it that soon. I've been trying to find people that I've know for a lot longer than a day. Sweet, thanks! 😀