Shadowing...

[goldandapager]

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Why would anyone want you to follow them around for weeks in a row? Wouldn't that just get annoying? Maybe some of us are too preoccupied with mission med school to consider being considerate.

 

[avksx]

Unsure if this is a troll attempt, but even if it isn't, thread sucks.



Your answer: Most doctors are happy to let pre-medical students shadow them. If you actually are interested in their reasons, ask one.

 

[amoiliz]

Why would anyone want you to follow them around for weeks in a row? Wouldn't that just get annoying? Maybe some of us are too preoccupied with mission med school to consider being considerate.

For the sake of argument I'll just say I agree with the following:
"The more you know,the more you know that you don't know $#^%"

 

[tennisball80]

I think some doctors may get annoyed. But, most of them are interested in educating premed students.

 

[Catalystik]

I agree it's probably annoying to many docs, but it's a way of "giving back".

 

[typhoonegator]

It can be annoying. Imagine having a high-school student staring at you while you study. Now imagine that the high-school student is as revved-up as the typical pre-med. It can be pretty funny.

However, we were all in your shoes at some point, and the above poster is right, many of us do feel a desire to give back. Personally, I think it is very important for y'all to get an accurate portrayal in your heads of what medicine is all about, rather than some idealized mental picture fortified by Grey's Anatomy.

Many aspects of medicine are fairly tedious, so it can be nice to have someone new around to talk to. I think some people do it because their colleagues ask them and they can't really say no and not look like a jerk. Some people do it to stroke their egos and show off how much they know.

By the time you're a senior resident or fellow, you are used to being responsible for medical students and interns, and you grow accustomed to having someone following you around and asking questions all the time.

So don't be self-conscious about shadowing. They're used to it, even if it seems strange to you, and they wouldn't have let you do it if they truly despised the notion.

 

[goldandapager]

Yeah, I understand that physicians are usually happy to help out and I'm not talking about shadowing someone a few times over the course of an extended period of time. I'm talking about something weekly or bi-weekly.

 

[alexlex143]

well. if they do get annoyed, I don't think they would let people shadow them. they know what they're getting into and they know what to expect, so if they knew it would bother them I doubt they would go through with it.

if I was shadowing a doctor, I would try to tone down the crazy and just be a pleasure to be around. I'm sure the docs would appreciate that.

 

[s1lver]

Why would anyone want you to follow them around for weeks in a row? Wouldn't that just get annoying? Maybe some of us are too preoccupied with mission med school to consider being considerate.

It's because the docs you're shadowing now have also shadowed/followed a doc around for weeks in a row. They were once in your position, too.

 

[YouNeverKnow22]

It can be annoying. Imagine having a high-school student staring at you while you study. Now imagine that the high-school student is as revved-up as the typical pre-med. It can be pretty funny.

However, we were all in your shoes at some point, and the above poster is right, many of us do feel a desire to give back. Personally, I think it is very important for y'all to get an accurate portrayal in your heads of what medicine is all about, rather than some idealized mental picture fortified by Grey's Anatomy.

Many aspects of medicine are fairly tedious, so it can be nice to have someone new around to talk to. I think some people do it because their colleagues ask them and they can't really say no and not look like a jerk. Some people do it to stroke their egos and show off how much they know.

By the time you're a senior resident or fellow, you are used to being responsible for medical students and interns, and you grow accustomed to having someone following you around and asking questions all the time.

So don't be self-conscious about shadowing. They're used to it, even if it seems strange to you, and they wouldn't have let you do it if they truly despised the notion.

I agree with this, all the doctors I've followed are all used to have people follow them around (residents, interns, med students) having me along for the ride isn't a big deal...the doctors love teaching me stuff and exposing me to things I otherwise would not have access to.

 

[goldandapager]

It can be annoying. Imagine having a high-school student staring at you while you study. Now imagine that the high-school student is as revved-up as the typical pre-med. It can be pretty funny.

However, we were all in your shoes at some point, and the above poster is right, many of us do feel a desire to give back. Personally, I think it is very important for y'all to get an accurate portrayal in your heads of what medicine is all about, rather than some idealized mental picture fortified by Grey's Anatomy.

Many aspects of medicine are fairly tedious, so it can be nice to have someone new around to talk to. I think some people do it because their colleagues ask them and they can't really say no and not look like a jerk. Some people do it to stroke their egos and show off how much they know.

By the time you're a senior resident or fellow, you are used to being responsible for medical students and interns, and you grow accustomed to having someone following you around and asking questions all the time.

So don't be self-conscious about shadowing. They're used to it, even if it seems strange to you, and they wouldn't have let you do it if they truly despised the notion.

Thanks for putting it in perspective.

 

[DocMcCoy]

I agree it's probably annoying to many docs, but it's a way of "giving back".

I think some doctors may get annoyed. But, most of them are interested in educating premed students.

It's because the docs you're shadowing now have also shadowed/followed a doc around for weeks in a row. They were once in your position, too.

Docs know why you are shadowing them. Wouldn't you want to return the favor once you become a practicing physician?