shadowing

[rmadell]

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Ok, so I have been e-mailing back and forth with a surgeon from one of the hospitals near here. I have never met her before (I just found her through the hospital directory). We had got to the point where she told me what days she is doing what, and I e-mailed her back saying what days and times out of those that would be good for me, but now I haven't heard back from her for almost 2 weeks. I know she is probably really busy, and I hate to be that annoying pre-med gunner, but I would also love to shadow her, and I don't want to miss this opportunity. Do you think it would be bad to send an e-mail being like, "I know you are probably really busy, so if you don't have time for me to come watch, I understand..." or something like that? Just to remind her about me? I feel like that is such a passive-aggressive way of going about it...but I don't know what else to do besides to move on and try someone else...Any ideas?

 

[extremophile]

definitely send her a reminder email. I've been through this, since I also shadowed a surgeon. They tend to be really busy and as pre-meds we are a pretty low priority (sorry, but it's true!), so there's a good chance she just forgot to get back to you.

so yeah, go ahead and send her a courteous reminder.

 

[AdamS]

If it has been two weeks, I think you're justified to send a follow-up... I wouldn't necessarily set it up with

"I know you are probably really busy, so if you don't have time for me to come watch, I understand..."

Sounds a little negative... She probably is just busy and lost track of the email... I'd just say something like

Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity. Are any of the dates that I sent you in the email from *** convenient for you? I look forward to meeting you in person.

Edit: And I don't mean to criticize at all - I'm just one of those people that is so picky with my wording in emails to professionals/higher-ups, lol.

 

[rmadell]

haha thanks...I am really picky about it too...I have been trying to think of a tactful way of saying it for a while but couldn't come up with anything...so thanks! I like yours a lot better than mine!

 

[AdamS]

No problem - good luck and enjoy the OR!!!

 

[Practitioner]

I would include the dates you asked for in the follow up e-mail as well.

"... dates I sent in my last e-mail, 12/12 or 12/13, are still ok?"

Alternatively, if any of the dates/days she provided you are still open and coincide with a day/date/time that works for you I would just show up and sing along the lines of something similar to "Hi, you had mentioned this would be a good time and I'm here to observe. Still ok?" etc.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[FloatOn]

Yep, sounds fine to me to send a reminder email. Doctors are really busy AND they must get a lot of email, so it's plausible that your email got lost among the many others. When I check my email, I'll read through some messages really quickly and decide to answer them later with a lengthier reply, but then they just slip into the oblivion of my inbox and I discover them a week or two later. Oops.

Anyway, have fun shadowing! Surgeons are fun. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes so you can stand in one place for hours and keep up with them!