The BEST way to ask a DO to shadow?!

[Nimzy328]

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Hey everyone!

I have FINALLY found a DO that I will hopefully be shadowing soon. I was just wondering what is the best way I can approach her to do so. She works at a children's hospital and specializes in child abuse and neglect. I was going to email and ask her to set up times/dates but I was wondering what would be the most appropriate way to do so??

Also, once this show gets on the road, how many hours would be a good fit? (Im a sophomore with this volunteering/shadowing being my first college experience in the medical field..) What would be the best way for me to ask her if I can continue to shadow her? Should I give her a thank you card at the end of the first time??

any and all advice is welcome and very much appreciated!

 

[ScottMontgomery]

Hey everyone!

I have FINALLY found a DO that I will hopefully be shadowing soon. I was just wondering what is the best way I can approach her to do so. She works at a children's hospital and specializes in child abuse and neglect. I was going to email and ask her to set up times/dates but I was wondering what would be the most appropriate way to do so??

Also, once this show gets on the road, how many hours would be a good fit? (Im a sophomore with this volunteering/shadowing being my first college experience in the medical field..) What would be the best way for me to ask her if I can continue to shadow her? Should I give her a thank you card at the end of the first time??

any and all advice is welcome and very much appreciated!

You can try calling the office (which is usually a PITA way to get ahold of a physician), stopping them while at work might not be the best idea.

I would suggest either emailing as you said, or writing a letter with your intentions, and that you are interested in shadowing her and why.

Just present yourself as a student, your looking to better your education and exposure to the medical field, and specifically following the life of an Osteopathic physician.

 

[cliffhuxtableDO]

Just call and explain you're applying to DO schools and it should be enough.

 

[jslo85]

Hey everyone!

I have FINALLY found a DO that I will hopefully be shadowing soon. I was just wondering what is the best way I can approach her to do so. She works at a children's hospital and specializes in child abuse and neglect. I was going to email and ask her to set up times/dates but I was wondering what would be the most appropriate way to do so??

Also, once this show gets on the road, how many hours would be a good fit? (Im a sophomore with this volunteering/shadowing being my first college experience in the medical field..) What would be the best way for me to ask her if I can continue to shadow her? Should I give her a thank you card at the end of the first time??

any and all advice is welcome and very much appreciated!

First off, I would actually advise you to find a different DO. I've shadowed and had preceptorships with 5 different doctors and I can tell you that during the beginning if you're not very familiar with the physician and he/she with you, they will be very hesistant on letting you meet with their more "difficult" patients or ones who come with a rather touchy reason (I'm a guy, the problems were mainly pap smears 🙁). In your case, child abuse is an extremely delicate situation that both the physician nor the patient may wish for you to be around with. Physicians will always have to ask the patient (even for medical students working with them) whether they would allow a student to observe. Not that I want to rain on your parade, I'm just speaking from experience and I can see potential problems occurring. But hey who knows, I think that it would be a great experience to talk about in your PS or interviews if you were able to get experience from this.

Just be polite and either call or show up at the office and leave a note for the physician. If you choose to phone call, either leave a note with the receptionist to leave for the doctor or if he works in a joint practice, have the receptionist transfer you to his/her nurse. Explain clearly that you are a student interested in osteopathic medicine and will be applying soon and that you would like to have the opportunity to speak with the doctor about his/her own experiences working as a D.O. and some general questions that you may have. No need to mention you need a letter or clinical shadowing, you can do that when you actually go in and talk with the doctor. Once he/she has a better feel of who you are after talking with you in person and seeing you, he/she will be far more receptive in helping you out than through something as impersonal as e-mail. Hope this helps.

 

[GraceEuphoria]

With my first few attempts, I wrote letters and while those never panned out ultimately, the physicians did still agree to let me shadow them. Writing a letter or leaving a message with a nurse is a very effective way to get it done. Just don't be surprised when sometimes it takes them two weeks to get back to you- their patients are a higher priority 🙂 Also, just a word of advice, I always tried to incorporate in the letter why I wanted to shadow THEM not just anyone- for ex. one was a young female DO in peds, all three of which were characteristics I was interested in seeing in action.

The DOs I actually ended up shadowing occurred because of connections. One was in the same building as a friend's dad, who was an MD in the same field. I worked with his nurse to set that one up after my friend left a message with her initially. The second one worked in the clinic where I had volunteered for a year. Something like that is your best bet- my letter of rec from him was AWESOME even though he and I had barely spoken before those days I shadowed, he knew I had been committed there (an underserved population's pediatric and prenatal clinic) for a long time. Since you are only a sophomore, I would recommend trying to do something like that. Volunteer in a clinic or hospital and make connections with people that will be more likely to help you. Good luck!!

 

[jm192]

It may sound kind of, I don't know, harsh?

But I called and left a message with the receptioinist that I'd like to shadow him. He called me back a week and a half, maybe 2 weeks later, and I flat out told him I was applying and needed a letter. I shadowed for 3-3.5 hours, and he seemed happy to help me with the letter.

I had plenty of shadowing experience already. So, if you're actually looking to shadow, ignore most of that.

But if you're concerned with a letter, I don't think you have to do 40 some odd hours of shadowing for a physician to help.

Most, especially DO's, had to get a letter of their own. They know all about it, and tend to be glad to help.

 

[Nimzy328]

thank you all so much! this was VERY helpful!
wish me luck!!

 

[Jamers]

Hey everyone!

I have FINALLY found a DO that I will hopefully be shadowing soon. I was just wondering what is the best way I can approach her to do so. She works at a children's hospital and specializes in child abuse and neglect. I was going to email and ask her to set up times/dates but I was wondering what would be the most appropriate way to do so??

Also, once this show gets on the road, how many hours would be a good fit? (Im a sophomore with this volunteering/shadowing being my first college experience in the medical field..) What would be the best way for me to ask her if I can continue to shadow her? Should I give her a thank you card at the end of the first time??

any and all advice is welcome and very much appreciated!

I sacrificed a chicken in his office. When they saw my ritual to the Osteopathic Gods, I was in.

 

[Morsetlis]

Gods? You mean there's more than one?

 

[ArkansasRanger]

Here's how you ask.

"Hey, doc. I'm _______(insert name). I wanna be a doctor when I grow up too, and I'd really enjoy watching you manipulate someone. Tuesdays after 10:00 am are great for me. See you then!"

 

[ScottMontgomery]

Here's how you ask.

"Hey, doc. I'm _______(insert name). I wanna be a doctor when I grow up too, and I'd really enjoy watching you manipulate someone. Tuesdays after 10:00 am are great for me. See you then!"

lol, hell if you ask like that, you might actually get to perform surgery im thinking!!

 

[175961]

"Can I shadow you so as to see what your job entails and so that I can get a little experience in the world of medicine?"


that is all. seriously.

 

[DocHomer]

"Can I shadow you so as to see what you're job entails and so that I can get a little experience in the world of medicine?"


that is all. seriously.

That's really all there is to it. Don't over think the trivial things...you will be institutionalized before you even apply.