Terrible Shadowing Experience

[UpQuark]

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I recently started shadowing in my home town (by town I mean a place in the middle of nowhere with a population of 20,000) at a private cardiologist practice. I shadowed the Doc for about 5 hours. During this period, he only had FOUR PATIENTS. The Doc was uninterested in everything I asked him, didn't care to explain his reasoning for treatment for patients when I asked. I basically watched him take 2 hours to fill out a simple form for an insurance company. I tried to make myself seem interested in whatever he was doing but could not help restrain some yawns and feel totally bored and longed for his practice to close. I then asked him about the next time I could come in and he said he would call me (which he hasn't for about a week now...)

Fortunately, my university is in a large city with a university hospital. But the downside, however, is that none of the surrounding hospitals allow undergraduates to shadow physicians due to stringent HIPAA regulations. While private practices exist, I do not have transportation to get to these places which are pretty far away.

I'm currently a junior, so this is my last year to shadow before applying during the summertime. If I cannot find anybody to shadow, will this hurt me? (I've had about 2 years of clinical volunteering being around doctors in the ER and cardiopulmonary rehab clinics, but it's not "formal").

 

[ILikeDrugs]

How many miles away are these private practices?

 

[deleted307836]

I think it's a given that you should forget about shadowing with him or his group ever again. I would maybe try asking some physicians in the city your university is in (possibly private practice FM docs there) to see if they would allow shadowing.
Also, if you do volunteer at a hospital in your metro area, it may be more lenient with students shadowing.... that's how it works with the hospital I volunteer at (it's still a pain though).

 

[jvesco22]

How many miles away are these private practices?

^ This

and you better not say 3 hours. LOL

 

[deleted307836]

I recently started shadowing in my home town (by town I mean a place in the middle of nowhere with a population of 20,000) at a private cardiologist practice. I shadowed the Doc for about 5 hours. During this period, he only had FOUR PATIENTS. The Doc was uninterested in everything I asked him, didn't care to explain his reasoning for treatment for patients when I asked. I basically watched him take 2 hours to fill out a simple form for an insurance company. I tried to make myself seem interested in whatever he was doing but could not help restrain some yawns and feel totally bored and longed for his practice to close. I then asked him about the next time I could come in and he said he would call me (which he hasn't for about a week now...)

Fortunately, my university is in a large city with a university hospital. But the downside, however, is that none of the surrounding hospitals allow undergraduates to shadow physicians due to stringent HIPAA regulations. While private practices exist, I do not have transportation to get to these places which are pretty far away.

I'm currently a junior, so this is my last year to shadow before applying during the summertime. If I cannot find anybody to shadow, will this hurt me? (I've had about 2 years of clinical volunteering being around doctors in the ER and cardiopulmonary rehab clinics, but it's not "formal").

Sorry, I guess I missed that sentence. Agree with the others though, finding a way to get yourself to these practices is for sure your best bet.

 

[Barcu]

Fortunately, my university is in a large city with a university hospital. But the downside, however, is that none of the surrounding hospitals allow undergraduates to shadow physicians due to stringent HIPAA regulations. While private practices exist, I do not have transportation to get to these places which are pretty far away.

Really, you can't shadow? That seems odd. Usually you do have to fill out forms and maybe do a background check or jump through some other hoops, but it seems odd that it is not allowed. I would look into that again. Maybe if you find a specific doc who would be willing to let you shadow, you can get around this. That's usually what happened with me, you pretty much gotta find someone first.

Shadowing is not super important. You have the clinical volunteering which is good. It is good to have, of course, because it gives you insight into the daily life of a physician. However, you do not need hours upon hours of it. I would still try and find some more opportunities. Where do other people shadow? Use those places as a start.

 

[boko]

i sort of have the same problems as you and i would suggest personally contacting a doctor in the hospital(email or phone) and then see who will allow you do shadowing...usually the volunteering office will say they dont offer it so talk with the doctors instead..Hope this helps and Good Luck!!

 

[Sankaku]

But the downside, however, is that none of the surrounding hospitals allow undergraduates to shadow physicians due to stringent HIPAA regulations.

I ran into the same problem at a local hospital where I wanted to shadow, but I found a way around it by becoming a volunteer. After a TB test and some paperwork (including HIPAA stuff) I got a hospital ID badge and none of the doctors had any issues with letting me shadow. I did also volunteer there, so it was a two for one as far as my applications went. This route might be something to look into, depending how difficult it is to get into their volunteer programs.

 

[GATA4]

I agree with the above post saying that you should personally contact the private practice of a physician and inquire about setting up a shadowing schedule. You may have to call a lot of places, but there should be one that is able to let you come in and check stuff out.

If you can set up a schedule somewhere that's not too far from home, I would suggest finding a friend that could take you and pick you up from the respective place. It couldn't be that hard to find someone able to do that, right?

On another note, I might even suggest calling that cardiologist back to check and see what's up. Even though you apparently had a terrible time, he might have just had something on his mind. You never know.

So, I would say that you give him another call and see if he will let you come in or not. Sometimes shadowing isn't all people crack it up to be, but you should take whatever you can get. You can always learn from a specific situation, even though some are more desirable than others. If he doesn't answer or even return your call, then contact someone else and see if you can't set up a transportation schedule with a friend.

Best of luck dude.

 

[TTigers70]

I ran into the same problem at a local hospital where I wanted to shadow, but I found a way around it by becoming a volunteer. After a TB test and some paperwork (including HIPAA stuff) I got a hospital ID badge and none of the doctors had any issues with letting me shadow. I did also volunteer there, so it was a two for one as far as my applications went. This route might be something to look into, depending how difficult it is to get into their volunteer programs.

+1 on getting the ID badge. Most hospitals (at least larger ones) have some protocol for this kind of thing even if it isn't to sign on as a volunteer. After completing the HIPAA certification, I even got an email address on the hospitals server (more less access into certain restricted cyber areas and a way to contact others without asking for their contact info -- the address was like firstname.surname or something similar).

 

[alwaysaangel]

(I've had about 2 years of clinical volunteering being around doctors in the ER and cardiopulmonary rehab clinics, but it's not "formal").

If these responsibilities include contact with patients and watching physicians work then you're fine.

Shadowing is something to do for applicants who can't find a more interesting way to interact with patients and see what a physician's job entails. If you've accomplished these two things then don't worry about it.

 

[UpQuark]

I ran into the same problem at a local hospital where I wanted to shadow, but I found a way around it by becoming a volunteer. After a TB test and some paperwork (including HIPAA stuff) I got a hospital ID badge and none of the doctors had any issues with letting me shadow. I did also volunteer there, so it was a two for one as far as my applications went. This route might be something to look into, depending how difficult it is to get into their volunteer programs.

I actually do volunteer at my Universities Hospital, have an ID badge, signed HIPAA forms, and taken a TB test, yet I have been told I cannot shadow there (asked in volunteer services and in the Neuroscience Institute). Maybe I should contact different departments within the hospital and find out?

 

[dice404]

I actually do volunteer at my Universities Hospital, have an ID badge, signed HIPAA forms, and taken a TB test, yet I have been told I cannot shadow there (asked in volunteer services and in the Neuroscience Institute). Maybe I should contact different departments within the hospital and find out?

Ask an attending. Volunteer services also told me that undergraduates are not allowed to shadow physicians at my local hospital. I decided to speak with a surgeon I know, and now I regularly scrub for operations...

 

[ahmcadams]

If you already have significant patient-facing volunteer experiences, I don't think you need to spend more time shadowing for application purposes. When I interview/review apps, I put almost no stock in shadowing beyond that it indicates a demonstrated interest in medicine. I think its main utility is in showing pre-meds what medicine is like on a daily basis. It's rarely useful for much more than that and, if it is, it's probably more than "shadowing."

 

[HumbleMD]

Shadowing is stupid. Find something else to get exposure to clinical medicine (volunteer in a free clinic, or at a family planning service), where you'll actually be contributing something instead of just getting in the way.

I shadowed a sum total of 0.0 hours before med school.

 

[Perimeter]

Shadowing is stupid. Find something else to get exposure to clinical medicine (volunteer in a free clinic, or at a family planning service), where you'll actually be contributing something instead of just getting in the way.

I shadowed a sum total of 0.0 hours before med school.

Yea, I agree. Shadowing is just plain stupid and awkward. If anything you should get an internship with connections, that's what I'm doing.