spotty shadowing...

[azerkail]

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i shadow a family physician almost every saturday morning before work (9am-12noon). i say almost because he doesn't work every saturday nor do i always get time off for his office every saturday... i probably only really see him 3 times a month and that's a optimistic estimate.

that being said, i mean we're cool together, never seems to be very awkward and he's a very good teacher. he confided in his wife (my boss at work) that i was good with patients. i try to get them in small talk and not seem like an awkward kid behind the doctor... i just worry that my spotty attendance looks bad? i make it aware i'm doing classes and working at the same time... i just don't want to come off as "oh dude i only show up when i feel like it"*

*there were a few times i didn't go because i wasn't 100% awake that morning and yeah, i thought it would be unprofessional to yawn in front of patients... i haven't told him this either but i think i should mention it if possible.

tl;dr 2 questions

1. spotty attendance to a md shadow, good or bad? on good terms with him but worried about the recommendation letter.

2. not showing up sometimes because not really awake/heart wasn't in it that morning, is that okay? should i bring it up too?

 

[equinsu ocha]

tl;dr 2 questions

1. spotty attendance to a md shadow, good or bad? on good terms with him but worried about the recommendation letter.
2. not showing up sometimes because not really awake/heart wasn't in it that morning, is that okay? should i bring it up too?

1. Depends on what he expects. Does he expect you there and you're not showing up? Maybe you should discuss his expectations. Either way if you want a LOR I'd step it up a notch until you have that.
2. Seriously? once you get into medicine you will probably be sleep deprived and it will definitely beat you down. How bad do you want it?

 

[dmf2682]

2. not showing up sometimes because not really awake/heart wasn't in it that morning, is that okay? should i bring it up too?

Seriously? Grow up.

 

[LifeTake2]

Are you worried about getting an LOR or your application?

For an LOR you may have an issue if you can't show up and behave like an adult.

As far as your application, they don't really care. However, you need more breadth honestly. The purpose of expecting shadowing is to show you know it really means to be a Dr. Sporadic mornings with one FP is not a good picture. Try to find either a specialist or two, or maybe the local ER. You don't need hundreds of hours, just to show you know medicine isn't like Scrubs or ER.

 

[azerkail]

i totally deserve the answers for number 2... lol now that i look at it i'm going 'what am i thinking?'

for number 1, if i do more time with him saturday mornings like during breaks from school would that work? i'm also looking into other physicians to shadow as well, but he was the best one to fit my schedule with work and school at the time i started. speaking of local ER, i'm trying to find work as a ER tech as well...

 

[kduck]

You don't need a LOR from a doctor you shadow. Letters from professors are sufficient. (at least for MD applications; I'm not sure about DO)

 

[LifeTake2]

You don't need a LOR from a doctor you shadow. Letters from professors are sufficient. (at least for MD applications; I'm not sure about DO)

While *technically* correct, a LOR from a physician is never a bad thing.

A primary purpose of medical school applications is to decide if you are worthy of being a doctor, nobody better than a current MD/DO to support the argument you are.

 

[crazycooljoel]

To answer, I do not see why it is bad because it is volunteer; however, if the physician is expecting you, then at least make a phone call and tell him or her that you are not feeling well enough to be seeing patients that day or at that specific time. The medical school that you apply to will not know that you did not show to shadow a physician because it is not documented, just don't mention it in the interview. Shadowing is not a medical school requirement, respectively; however, it is highly recommended to shadow enough to know what your future medical career may be like and that you can handle it and enjoy it.

On another note, ignore the unkind comments. There are a lot of cocky pre-med on this message board that likely won't make it, medical schools will see ones "cockiness" and won't accept them because they don't want to produce cocky physicians.

 

[dmf2682]

On another note, ignore the unkind comments. There are a lot of cocky pre-med on this message board that likely won't make it, medical schools will see ones "cockiness" and won't accept them because they don't want to produce cocky physicians.

If the OP was in the air force and his poor little heart didn't feel like showing up for duty on any given day, what would happen to him? If nothing, I guess if my kids want to serve their country and grow up at the same time I'll have them join the marines.

And what says you'll make it, teapot? We're not unkind, we're realistic. And you're a cocky premed too, for criticizing us.

 

[stick]

If the OP was in the air force and his poor little heart didn't feel like showing up for duty on any given day, what would happen to him? If nothing, I guess if my kids want to serve their country and grow up at the same time I'll have them join the marines.

And what says you'll make it, teapot? We're not unkind, we're realistic. And you're a cocky premed too, for criticizing us.

Snap!

 

[crazycooljoel]

If the OP was in the air force and his poor little heart didn't feel like showing up for duty on any given day, what would happen to him? If nothing, I guess if my kids want to serve their country and grow up at the same time I'll have them join the marines.

And what says you'll make it, teapot? We're not unkind, we're realistic. And you're a cocky premed too, for criticizing us.

Thank you for making my point.

 

[sector9]

search doesn't find this specific problem...

i shadow a family physician almost every saturday morning before work (9am-12noon). i say almost because he doesn't work every saturday nor do i always get time off for his office every saturday... i probably only really see him 3 times a month and that's a optimistic estimate.

that being said, i mean we're cool together, never seems to be very awkward and he's a very good teacher. he confided in his wife (my boss at work) that i was good with patients. i try to get them in small talk and not seem like an awkward kid behind the doctor... i just worry that my spotty attendance looks bad? i make it aware i'm doing classes and working at the same time... i just don't want to come off as "oh dude i only show up when i feel like it"*

*there were a few times i didn't go because i wasn't 100% awake that morning and yeah, i thought it would be unprofessional to yawn in front of patients... i haven't told him this either but i think i should mention it if possible.

tl;dr 2 questions

1. spotty attendance to a md shadow, good or bad? on good terms with him but worried about the recommendation letter.

2. not showing up sometimes because not really awake/heart wasn't in it that morning, is that okay? should i bring it up too?

Shadowing is usually written on your application as # of hours per physician and then total number of hours. The average premed has like 50 hours of shadowing split between a few specialties. If shadowing once a week in the morning is how it works best into your schedule, then that's fine. However, I would honestly suggest that you instead start using that time to volunteer instead. You can knock out shadowing in a few days since adcomms really don't care about your long term commitment to it.

LORs from physicians you've shadowed are not very useful either unless you need one to fulfill a school's LOR requirements (almost always DO schools). Such a letter amounts to a character reference letter basically, since they can't speak to your academic abilities in a classroom and they don't get to see you interact with patients in a meaningful way (beyond simple pleasantries).

All of this post assumes that you know what shadowing is (standing in a corner, watching the doctor interact with a patient and then asking the doc some follow-up questions later). If you are actually volunteering there then that's a different story. You mentioned that you talk to patients but it's unclear about what that interaction amounts to.

 

[mvenus929]

While *technically* correct, a LOR from a physician is never a bad thing.

A primary purpose of medical school applications is to decide if you are worthy of being a doctor, nobody better than a current MD/DO to support the argument you are.

Eh... it depends what you do. If you're just shadowing, an LOR from that physician is going to do you next to know good. What can they say about you other than 'he showed up on time and was quiet'? If you're actually taking the initiative and interviewing patients or helping out or something, then yeah, it might be worth it. But many physicians aren't good writers either, so keep that in mind.

OP... I'm not sure I see your dilemma here. You're shadowing 3 times a month for 3 hours. You miss a weekend here and there, which amounts to 1-2 weekends a month. You're still there the majority of the weekends. I'm not sure I'd consider that 'spotty' shadowing, and I really don't understand why you're so worried about it.

No wonder our first years are so paranoid still, if these are the things they were worried about before coming here.

 

[azerkail]

All of this post assumes that you know what shadowing is (standing in a corner, watching the doctor interact with a patient and then asking the doc some follow-up questions later). If you are actually volunteering there then that's a different story. You mentioned that you talk to patients but it's unclear about what that interaction amounts to.

idle chatter, small talk, empathizing or sympathizing with their situation. if the doctor wants to get into explaining (say for example, why their blood tests appear anemic but they really aren't) with the patient, the interaction between patient and i is more like two students getting tutored... its really awesome.

as for the hard comments about question 2, partly its my fault for making it seem like 'oh woe is me, i didn't get up before 9am on a saturday, better skip the md office so i can sleep in before work because i was up all friday night partying...' in truth i haven't been with this doctor for long before this thought process. i sometimes work late fridays and its nigh impossible to get me up at 7 the next morning. recently had to bury a family friend recently and its also an important time in my culture to have weekly religious events i can't really dodge out of all the time (coupled together really killed my consistency). i do believe i owe him a proper explanation next time i see him, but i bet he took this weekend off to watch tiger play at the pga... 😛

granted, yeah scumbag move to be jerks to each other on a internet forum, but i also am graciously accepting the kick in the butt... lol