Shadowing??

[Astharia]

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When you shaddow a doc do you typically do it during a spring break/summer type scenario and do it 40+ hours a week or for like 5 hours every Friday for a few months? Between volunteering in a lab on campus, being an SI leader, working in a hospital and taking care of 3 kids at home I'm having trouble trying to fit this in, and it's the last thing that I KNOW I need to do outside of school.

Also, what's the attire for shaddowing? Do they usually let you observe surgeries?

Thanks 🙂

 

[threesparrows]

Either way works (once weekly or continuously for a week or two).
What you get to observe depends on what kind of doctor you're shadowing. It's not unheard of to observe surgeries as a premed.

The attire is usually business casual unless you're specifically told otherwise.

 

[Major]

One of my first shadowing experiences was with an ER Physician. I called my local hospital, asked what I had to do to shadow an ER doc. They got me scheduled, hippa etc. the only time that worked for me at the time was at night so I did several night shifts with the ER doc and it was a blast!


That is the great thing about the ER, always open. So you could do some shadowing on the weekend or at nights.

 

[Astharia]

Thanks! I've actually worked in 3 ERs doing registration stuff. I will agree that night shifts are pretty awesome. 🙂

 

[anosh123]

So motivating. I am also applying to medical school and was doubted by many. I took a few years off to gain experience and study for the mcat. Now this is my year to apply. I am confident in my acceptance and your story truly I inspired me. I have a friend with a situation similar to yours. He was told that he should take another route because schools would not consider him. Needless to say, he is now a practicing physician who has been my mentor for the last 4 years....Life is all about the story You create. Never give up on your dreams future doctors!!!


anosh g

 

[Apollo1]

I currently shadow an IM attending, but am only able to fit it in periodically. He's actually been really cool about it, and is usually able to accommodate me. Ditto regarding the EM shadowing: I volunteer in an ED, and one of the admitting persons got me set up with an attending; all I have to do is clear the internal hurdles they might have for shadowing in the ED, and I'll be set.

Always go business professional on the first meeting, and if they say you can downgrade, go business casual later on. Business casual in the corporate world can mean jeans, but not in this situation.

 

[Astharia]

Thanks everyone! I called the doc I wanted to shadow and her office manager asked for a contact at my school? Not sure who does that, and my advisor didn't know either, so I'm still working on it. I thought I'd do a 40 week to start with and maybe more with this one physician. My next question, how many hours total shadowing is sufficient on an app, and how many hours should you log with one physician before requesting a LoR? I know this one pretty well, so it won't be tough getting to know her through shadowing, but I'll of course shadow more than one doc, maybe 3?

 

[Astharia]

One of my first shadowing experiences was with an ER Physician. I called my local hospital, asked what I had to do to shadow an ER doc. They got me scheduled, hippa etc. the only time that worked for me at the time was at night so I did several night shifts with the ER doc and it was a blast!


That is the great thing about the ER, always open. So you could do some shadowing on the weekend or at nights.

I realize this is an old thread, but I had a question and wondered if maybe you had any advice. A doctor friend of mine has invited me to shadow her, but the hospital won't let me because of some contract with my school that needs to be had (I don't think they're familiar with undergraduate shadowing, as they said that that's their typical process with med students). Any advice? What did that hospital do for HIPAA requirements where you shadowed?

 

[Apollo1]

You didn't ask me, but I'll chime in.

Don't try to fight it. Your UG has no incentive to go to bat for you, and med students are at the hospital in their capacity as students, while you'd be there of your own volition. Thank your friend for their consideration and keep the door open for future possibilities. The hospital probably had Underdog read or sit through a HIPAA presentation, then take a quiz.

 

[willow84]

I shadow about two full days per break. My last two breaks I've shadowed a surgeon, and that has included full days in the OR observing surgeries.

 

[CBFutureHelper14]

I shadow at my local hospital. I am already a volunteer at the hospital, so all I had to do was fill out some more paperwork and I was set. I am shadowing a Critical Care physician and I enjoy it.

 

[orangeblue]

I am volunteering at a local public hospital and was told that the hospital doesn't do any shadowing b.c they already have medical students as it is affliated with the local medical school.

Anyone had a similar experience? I guess the next thing to do is to call a bunch of hospital volunteer departments and ask if they permit shadowing?
I can only do nights and weekends (until the summer, when I'm more open) so right now, its just ER Volunteering...

 

[YellowfinGuy10]

How do you keep tabs on shadowing? For application etc

 

[ADSigMel]

How do you keep tabs on shadowing? For application etc

I've been wondering about that as well. I've just been keeping track on my phone in a note.

I've been shadowing in private practices, but I'm about to start at a local hospital, where a physician friend is helping me work around the "med students only" policy.

 

[CBFutureHelper14]

I've been wondering about that as well. I've just been keeping track on my phone in a note.

I've been shadowing in private practices, but I'm about to start at a local hospital, where a physician friend is helping me work around the "med students only" policy.

Thats how I keep track. I make notes of the time I am at the facility as well as what happened during the time I was there. Not sure how to "officially" document it.

 

[ADSigMel]

You make notes of what happened while you were there? I would be very careful about that. Many facilities don't allow any "protected health information" to leave the premises. I'm sure you aren't attaching the patients' names or other identifiers to your notes, but it might be worth your while to just consider noting that kind of information in the aggregate. Like, "March 7-13, saw three positive Flu A tests, observed four shoulder relocations, threw up during one triple heart bypass...." Something like that, just to make sure that no one who found your phone could possibly use it to identify anything about anyone's health issues.

 

[willow84]

How do you keep tabs on shadowing? For application etc

I have an Excel spreadsheet with tabs for volunteering, tutoring, and shadowing tracking (perhaps slightly neurotic?). I just add general notes for every day like, "watched a mastectomy, observed pathologist testing tissue sample."

 

[YellowfinGuy10]

Oh ok. it just seems like there would be an official way of documenting things.

 

[yeshymae]

I know it isn't for everyone but working as a Medical Scribe works just as well as shadowing. There are a few benefits to it, for example you get paid to be there. Also, you can work only a few shifts a month for a year and still be able to walk away with great material for medical school applications and interviews.
The down side is that it completely sucks. Mostly bc you get paid garbage (but garbage is still better than nothing) and your job isn't the most important in the rest of the staff's eyes.
But as I said, it's good for experience. My company sucks big time, the doctors i work with all hate their job, but at least i am getting experience. If i can smell the patient, I can use it as experience. (that's what the company says) and i have seen a lot already. even though i work at a hospital that is super small (12 beds) and it isn't a trauma center.