Hey guys. I'll be shadowing for the first time in a few weeks, but I know little to nothing about the doctors specialty (he's an internist, and I haven't taken college-level anatomy). For those who have shadowed in the past, did you buy books to "educate" yourselves before you shadowed? All help is appreciated!
Shadowing without knowing anything?
- Thread starter tmlayl
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I didn't... I think it's just helpful to go observe at first. If you think internal medicine is what you want to specialize in after shadowing him, by all means start doing some research so you can think ahead into how the Dr. may treat the patient. With the MD i worked with... I would make notes of symptoms, health conditions, etc. of the patient; then, i would come up with my own treatment plan and i would compare it to the doctor's. was pretty fun and it kept my mind occupied.
the treatment plan idea takes a little knowledge of medicine and familiarity with drug names and their purposes.
the doctor also showed me several books she preferred to use as references in her practice. hold off on buying a book-- maybe the doc your shadowing will have something to recommend rather than you just blindly buying what you think would be good.
good luck!
the treatment plan idea takes a little knowledge of medicine and familiarity with drug names and their purposes.
the doctor also showed me several books she preferred to use as references in her practice. hold off on buying a book-- maybe the doc your shadowing will have something to recommend rather than you just blindly buying what you think would be good.
good luck!
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Trust me dude, you aren't expected to know anything. The amount of stuff you are supposed to know increases gradually as you become a med student, resident, etc, but right now, don't worry about it. If you are super motivated you could read up on some of the cases you see and learn about the conditions, but I'd just go for the experience. Most of the docs I've shadowed have been really interested in stuff I do for fun / undergrad major / etc, and a lot of the time our conversation's not about medicine. Just don't be too uptight and try and impress him with your medical knowledge.
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Here is the amount of information that you are expected to know: ...
That's it.
That's it.
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Agree with the above posters. You're not supposed to know anything at all. That's why you're shadowing! To learn.
It's the know-it-all overachievers who probably get doctors really annoyed.
It's the know-it-all overachievers who probably get doctors really annoyed.
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Just pay attention and ask your questions when appropriate. Since it's your first time, I've found that it's easier to ask about the doctor's job: likes, dislikes, maybe the medical profession in general. Start broad...specific questions come later.
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Relatively speaking, you're going to know essentially nothing compared to the doctor regardless of how much you study now, so you should probably not worry about it. 🙂
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The idea behind shadowing is for it to help you decide whether you want to be a doctor.
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Most students know very little going in & they're not really expected to. Recently, a kid shadowed my dad & not only knew nothing but was texting friends about the experience all day. Some nurses commented about it, haha... Now that looks tacky but not knowing about medicine is why you're shadowing. I doubt most physicians would be particularly impressed by the level of knowledge you'd gain from "self study" anyway honestly.
That is if you're a pre-med. As a medical student, shadowing can help you choose what specialty is suited for you.
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Agreed. It's the same idea, really.
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No. You are not supposed to know anything at all. You are supposed to observe what a physician does on a daily basis to decide if you want to (a) learn about it over the course of 7+ years and (b) do it for the rest of your life.
I recently shadowed for the first time and went in basically knowing nothing. They understand where you are and 99% of them are willing to help you. From my experience, they aren't going to make you feel stupid. If you are asked if you know what something is, be honest. If you don't know, they will tell you all about it. You will be surprised how easy they are to talk to.
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Agree with this and most of the above.
However, I'd read a tiny bit before hand so that you don't feel as lost. If you have no understanding of anything, you're going to get slightly overwhelmed... and then bored, because you're essentially lost at sea.
I'm talking about basic stuff: where is the heart? what are common illnesses that an internist sees? How many fingers should a person have?
If you go off the deep end and read an entire chapter on the differential diagnosis of chest pain and the ways to distinguish between pleurodynia vs. angina vs. myocardial infarction, then I'm gonna have to punch you in the head.
Don't try to show off that you read. This is just so that you'll enjoy the experience more... not so that you can be a smart*ss.
Pointers:
Be interested.
Don't lean on anything.
Don't lie about your knowledge.
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your arent going to be expected to start diagnosing patients. dont worry
