shadowing

[MechEng2Doc]

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Hello,

I'm trying to find a doctor to shadow but I'm having trouble composing an email to send out to different people I'd be interested in observing. What exactly do you say in your email. I realize we should be polite and courteous, but is there a certian way to write these emails that will increase chances of a doctor agreeing to let me follow him/her around. If anybody can post any suggestions or a even a sample of an email they sent out that would be really helpful.

How about shadowing a resident in there last year. Does anybody think that's a good idea, or should I just stick to attending docs.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

Any shadowing (i.e. evena resident) will expose you to clinical medicine, and will therefore be helpful.

While email is a great non-intrusive way to establish contact with doctors, I'd follow up your emails with phone calls.

 

[RxnMan]

Hello,

I'm trying to find a doctor to shadow but I'm having trouble composing an email to send out to different people I'd be interested in observing. What exactly do you say in your email. I realize we should be polite and courteous, but is there a certian way to write these emails that will increase chances of a doctor agreeing to let me follow him/her around. If anybody can post any suggestions or a even a sample of an email they sent out that would be really helpful.

How about shadowing a resident in there last year. Does anybody think that's a good idea, or should I just stick to attending docs.

Thanks for the help.

Unless I know someone or otherwise have a Dr. contact, I'd call or show up in person instead of email. Teaching hospitals are the best for this, since they're used to students hanging around. Just call the department that you're interested in and ask the secretary who'd be willing to take students - trust to their knowledge, because if they've been around at all, they will have seen how some attendings treat students. If nothing hits, choose a different department. Lather, rinse, and repeat.

For an email, I'd say

Dr. So and So,

I am a pre-med student interested in your specialty and Dr. XYZ recommended I speak to you about shadowing opportunities. Is there a convenient time that I could come by and see you do some procedures (or see you take care of pts)?

Cheers,

RxnMan


Any longer than that and the doc will lose interest - their mental bandwidth is pretty short with out-of-the blue stuff if it isn't immediately relevant. Thus, the reference and your purpose in the first line.

 

[blee]

Definitely start with email. The physician with whom I spent the most time is either in clinic or already on the phone while in his office; email was the most reliable way to be assured of a response. YMMV, of course, but I've found that most physicians (particularly those younger than, say, 60) are consistently good at replying to emails.

 

[GradTX]

I work at a large academic medical center, so I emailed some residency coordinators and found out that my institution strictly forbids any shadowing because of hipaa issues. I thought I'd have some luck at a teaching hospital! How common is this? I really don't want to start cold calling people I don't know.

 

[Pemberley]

I work at a large academic medical center, so I emailed some residency coordinators and found out that my institution strictly forbids any shadowing because of hipaa issues. I thought I'd have some luck at a teaching hospital! How common is this? I really don't want to start cold calling people I don't know.

This happened to me at Tufts-NEMC (which I am already associated with in multiple ways!)... I contacted multiple people there and got the same answer from each one. Naturally, Tufts's own admissions committee is as keen as any other on people having shadowing experience, which is a contradiction that I will not hesitate to bring up if I have an interview there.

I e-mailed across town to MGH and the first guy I contacted was super-helpful and set something up. If you don't live in a town with multiple centers, you just might be hosed.

-Pemberley

 

[blee]

I don't know whether the hospital where I shadowed has any such policy, but my strategy was to directly contact a doctor whose practice interested me. The somewhat older, more established physicians tend to be a little less strict about these things, policies or otherwise.

 

[Dr brain doc]

I am preparing my little shadowing e-mail too, but I was wondering what I should expect when I shadow? For those who are currently shadowing or have shadowed, what are you allowed to do, what is not permitted? Are you allowed any hands-on experience? Also, how long should I shadow any one physician?


Another question:

I want to get some hands-on clinical experience, and my current university offers courses for phlebotomy, EMT, paramedic, etc. They are only a couple of months long, but the courses have a requirement for clinical hours, which should give me some great hands-on clinical experience. Are there any opinions out there on which course would be most helpful, and since I will be a PhD applying to MD, would training as an EMT or phlebotomist appear unfocused to med school committees?

Thanks!!

 

[RxnMan]

I work at a large academic medical center, so I emailed some residency coordinators and found out that my institution strictly forbids any shadowing because of hipaa issues. I thought I'd have some luck at a teaching hospital! How common is this? I really don't want to start cold calling people I don't know.

HIPAA got rid of a lot of voounteering opportunities. However, some docs will let you into the OR anyways. But if you work in a academic center, you should have gone through the HIPAA training already - did you tell the RCs that you were already cleared with HIPAA?

 

[RxnMan]

I am preparing my little shadowing e-mail too, but I was wondering what I should expect when I shadow? For those who are currently shadowing or have shadowed, what are you allowed to do, what is not permitted? Are you allowed any hands-on experience? Also, how long should I shadow any one physician?


Another question:

I want to get some hands-on clinical experience, and my current university offers courses for phlebotomy, EMT, paramedic, etc. They are only a couple of months long, but the courses have a requirement for clinical hours, which should give me some great hands-on clinical experience. Are there any opinions out there on which course would be most helpful, and since I will be a PhD applying to MD, would training as an EMT or phlebotomist appear unfocused to med school committees?

Thanks!!

Depending on the doc, you may be allowed to be in the same room as the patient, or, you may be able to drill and plate a fracture. Just keep shadowing different docs until you get the exeperience you want. It also helps to talk to the doc from the outset to gauge the level of involvement he or she will allow.

There's no 'lack of focus' in training to be an EMT - you're trying to gain clinical experience, correct? I decided that route was too expensive for me, ($ & time,) but it's a reasonable way to get into the health care system.

 

[Dr brain doc]

Depending on the doc, you may be allowed to be in the same room as the patient, or, you may be able to drill and plate a fracture. Just keep shadowing different docs until you get the exeperience you want. It also helps to talk to the doc from the outset to gauge the level of involvement he or she will allow.

There's no 'lack of focus' in training to be an EMT - you're trying to gain clinical experience, correct? I decided that route was too expensive for me, ($ & time,) but it's a reasonable way to get into the health care system.

Thanks for your comments!

The EMT class that I plan to take is offered 3 days a week from 6pm-10pm and is about 2.5 months long. Time is also a consideration for me. I am trying to finish up experiments in the lab and begin studying for the 2007 MCAT. I need this clinical experience because I have not volunteered in a clinical setting since finishing undergrad in 2001.

Do you think that it would also help with MCAT prep, since my MCAT studying now would focus mostly on content, and I havent cracked an undergrad science book in 5 yrs?