Unless you are qualified as a nurse, EMT, etc, you should really not have any hands-on contact with a patient while shadowing. The main purpose of shadowing is to get a feel for how PA's interact with patients, nurses, and doctors. I see shadowing as more of a time to learn about the career than actual medical techniques/procedures (although you will pick things up along the way). I don't think you should ever have to pay to shadow a PA. In my experience, PAs tend to look out for each other and want to promote the occupation; thereby making them more than happy to help you out if at all possible. The best advise I can give for shadowing is to keep a log of patients you see and things you observe...it can be a very rewarding experience! Hope this helps! 🙂
