I have tried two approaches and enjoyed the results 🙂
1) going on the websites of nearby hospitals (often affiliated with universities) and finding physicians e-mails in the fields of medicine that I am interested in (hematology and neurology). They often have them listed by department (internal medicine, emergency, etc) and/or on a central search (search for physician in this department, with this name, etc.).
- after identifying 5-10 docs that are close by and in the field(s) I want more exposure to, I draft an e-mail and send it to them (bcc). My e-mail contains about of information about who I am (year, major, university, and other basic info), why I am interested in shadowing, what I hope to get out of it, what sort of time frame I am considering (start to end date and hours involved weekly), and any relevant experience I have (research, volunteering, etc). I then ask them if they would be willing to let me shadow them, at their convenience- I give a wide range of times that could work for me and say that I am flexible and can adjust to their time availibility. - I have tried up to 15 physicians in one e-mail. I always get a few responses. I have shadowed for over 200 hours. I have shadowed in internal medicine, MS clinics, and neurocognitive clinics. I have a few more planned.
- 1 thing to remember- if you hook up with a cool doctor stick with him/her- he can often give you additional insider connections to shadow other doctors in the same or different departments.
2) I look up the offices of a handful of doctors that I am interested in shadowing, pick an afternoon, and make my way over to their offices (hopefully all in the same place or close to one another- clinics or hospitals)- I introduce myself to whoever is available on my list, and keep introducing myself until someone commits- I have never not been successful- MAKE SURE to be confident in your presentation, enthusiastic in your request, and to communicate how little burden you will be/how flexible you are. Find ways to differentiate yourself. be creative. make them laugh. give an indication that you will either be pleasant to have around, a joy to teach, an inquisitive learner who values the experience for its own sake and not for its instrumental value, and if nothing else, will not pose additional time costs to already overworked physicians.
- I go in with the attitude that if I want to make it work- I will-and I always do. There is no set system- no absolute approach that works for everyone or that must be identified before you can shadow. Make your own system-identify your own strategies.
* Don't view yourself as just a lowly pre-med student who needs to be told what to do and how and when to do it- be respectful but don't wait for the answers to come your way. Strike a balance. appreciate the structure and find ways to creatively work your way into it. - consider yourself as a talented, bright, aspiring physician who is worth each and every minute of valuable instruction. There is never a time that is too early for you to deserve to learn from the best and with the best.
Most physicians love teaching. Make sure that you let them know how much you love learning. Perfect Match, for everyone.
* Don't be afraid to ask questions once you have set up doctor shadowing (about patient cases, about the physician's ideas/opinions/reflections,etc. on diagnoses, treatments, the health care system, medicine in general, experiences that have been valuable to them in their development as individuals and physicians, etc) Be a energetically/critically involved observer. You don't need a degree to start investigating.
