Standard Shadowing Ettiquette

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Are you a male? Shirt and tie.

If you're a female, whatever you consider equal to that.
 
Presumably it's OR shadowing with the anaesthesiologist no? Or is it a pain clinic? If it's OR you'd probably be given scrubs

edit:
arc5005 said:
what if he told me, "I'll get you some scrubs"
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Yeah, then it doesn't matter at all. Don't wear anything ripped or ridiculous that would make a bad impression for the few minutes that you meet them before changing, but it would in my opinion be very silly to wear dress clothes just to enter and exit the hospital.
 
Glazedonutlove said:
business casual always
change into scrubs there
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operaman said:
This. Always best to err on the side of dressed too well.
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Even when not having to change into scrubs, i always go business casual. The residents and attendings confuse me with a resident or student whenever i wear a tie so i ended that practice of dressing formally for shadowing
 
I always went business casual; didn't want to out-dress the physician I shadowed who never wore a tie or white coat.
 
I always wear a shirt/tie/dress pants to shadowing.
 
Wear business casual clothing. Make sure to bring a notebook, prepared beforehand with questions. Also know when to talk and when not to...
 
I never knew this....

Been showing up with a t-shirt and shorts for most of mine. Maybe thats why one of the surgeons gave me scrubs lol.

Good to know 😵 Good question.
 
Concur with the above. When in doubt, just ask. Ive had physicians tell me to come business casual and others say to wear a tie. Regardless, business casual should be the minimum. It's not about comfort or common sense or anything like that rather maintaining a professional environment in the clinic. The patient needs to feel like there is a reason you are sitting in the room, intruding on their private consultation/procedure and it will make you, the physician and the clinic not look like crap if you at least look like a member of adult society.
 
Lucca said:
Concur with the above. When in doubt, just ask. Ive had physicians tell me to come business casual and others say to wear a tie. Regardless, business casual should be the minimum. It's not about comfort or common sense or anything like that rather maintaining a professional environment in the clinic. The patient needs to feel like there is a reason you are sitting in the room, intruding on their private consultation/procedure and it will make you, the physician and the clinic not look like crap if you at least look like a member of adult society.
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Yes, but this is OR shadowing, so it has nothing to do with patients or clinics or anything like that. You arrive, walk to the scrub machine/changeroom, and thus ends the period of time during which anyone can see your clothes.

If the person you're shadowing seems formal or you have no idea and are nervous, then sure business casual. As someone mentioned above though, it seems odd to out-dress the physician you're shadowing. I didn't shadow at a teaching hospital so maybe there were some differences because of that, but everyone I saw came in sweaters and jeans before changing to their scrubs. After the first day if that's what the physicians are doing I wouldn't give a second thought to your clothes as long as you don't look like a hobo.
 
NotASerialKiller said:
Yes, but this is OR shadowing, so it has nothing to do with patients or clinics or anything like that. You arrive, walk to the scrub machine/changeroom, and thus ends the period of time during which anyone can see your clothes.

If the person you're shadowing seems formal or you have no idea and are nervous, then sure business casual. As someone mentioned above though, it seems odd to out-dress the physician you're shadowing. I didn't shadow at a teaching hospital so maybe there were some differences because of that, but everyone I saw came in sweaters and jeans before changing to their scrubs. After the first day if that's what the physicians are doing I wouldn't give a second thought to your clothes as long as you don't look like a hobo.
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Oh yah if u are just going from the physicianro to the or it probably doesn't matter
 
Wear slacks, button up, and a tie (assuming you are a guy). Depending on who you're shadowing, you can wear tennis shoes (for example, IM inpatient, ED, though they might give you scrubs, surgical inpatient) or dress shoes (office visits). Even if you're going straight to the OR and changing into scrubs, you still will be with a doctor and might be seen by his/her patients. He/she is doing you the favor of letting you tag along and learn something, so make the effort to look professional in return.
 
Lawper said:
Even when not having to change into scrubs, i always go business casual. The residents and attendings confuse me with a resident or student whenever i wear a tie so i ended that practice of dressing formally for shadowing
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Duuude when I change into scrubs though they all think I'm a resident.

"Are you gen surg?"
"What? No, I'm just...I'm no one. 🙁"
"Oh....wtf where's gen surg?"

To answer the question OP: Once you know where the scrubs room is, the doc would prefer you to come directly in scrubs already changed. Mind you this is for OR only. I have gone in clinic in scrubs once (cards) but that was only because I came directly out of the OR and....you know what, in retrospect, I should have changed but didn't. I still looked official though, I think. Anesth docs walk around the pre/postop rooms in scrubs so.
 
i wouldnt wear scrubs or else you cant really get in the OR - thats what I had to do last year when I was shadowing
 
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