Should I shadow today?

[BobaBoba]

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I am supposed to go in and shadow a doctor today. There has been a flu/cold virus going around and I seem to have picked it up. I feel like I should definitely not go in because of the possibility of spreading this to one of the patients on top of not feeling up to it anyway. I feel bad canceling since the doctor is letting me come in. What do you think?

 

[Spinach Dip]

If it's just a little tickle in your throat, you could wear a mask at all times.

If you are clearly ill (sneezing all the time, a nose like a faucet...) it would probably be better to stay home. Just make sure to tell the doc why you have to cancel and ask for a make-up date asap.

 

[deeproots]

I think if I were a doctor and a student came in sick, I wouldn't be pleased that the student is risking the health of my patients.

This happened to me in undergrad. I went into the clinic and told the doctor, in person (in her office--not around patients), that I wasn't feeling well. That way, she could see that I'm not BSing and canceling at the last minute. She appreciated it because she was seeing two newborns that day, and we got to reschedule 🙂