The less interesting parts of shadowing

[ebno]

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Hey, I know shadowing experiences differ based on specialty, location, etc. but I'm curious what you guys do during less interesting times of the day.

I sometimes attend morning briefings for an hour and then join rounds for 1.5 to maximum 3 hours. After lunch and rounds mainly all that happens is paperwork, dictations, and all. I still stay in case a resident or the doctor I'm shadowing wants to show me something and it's often been worth it. Sometimes I also do odd jobs for the nurses. However, a lot of this time is just me sitting in the office not doing much. Is there a way I could spend this time more wisely? Did you guys stay to shadow paperwork at all?

 

[BigBoss]

I only stayed for rounds and left.


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[Latteandaprayer]

So I was very dumb (still am...) and stayed for EVERYTHING. I shadowed this doc for 50 hours and it was terrible after a while because of all the paperwork. I am grateful, though, because I low key didn’t expect there to be that much paperwork, and it was a shock to my system in a way.

Leave after rounds, you already know there are tons of meetings and paperwork. I think that’s important to see once or twice, because I don’t think those aspects of the job are emphasized enough.

 

[bananafish94]

It's important to know that that side of the job exists, but it's not very valuable to your education to shadow somebody chart and do paperwork. I would suggest staying just for rounds, unless anybody wants you to take you to a lunch lecture or observe a procedure or something like that later.

 

[676188]

The doctors I'm currently shadowing run me off after seeing all the patients for the day (outpatient clinic).

 

[ebno]

The doctors I'm currently shadowing run me off after seeing all the patients for the day (outpatient clinic).

I could probably sleep at the hospital and nobody would tell me to leave lol that's why I haven't had a clear idea of when I should get going.

 

[676188]

I could probably sleep at the hospital and nobody would tell me to leave lol that's why I haven't had a clear idea of when I should get going.

If the hospital I'm at was like that I probably would sleep there, lol. I love hanging out at the hospital, even when its just "boring" stuff going on.

 

[ebno]

If the hospital I'm at was like that I probably would sleep there, lol. I love hanging out at the hospital, even when its just "boring" stuff going on.

Honestly, yeah, everyone is unbelievably friendly to me too so it's been a pretty good experience.

 

[Snickerdoodle1996]

When I shadowed and the surgeon did paperwork I would usually go shadow their other colleagues when offered or grab a snack if something else was happening later on. I did stay sometimes during paperwork but I did my own thing like researched things and wrote down notes from experiences from the day.

 

[RNtoMD87]

My time is valuable to me. If I'm shadowing, I expect to participate or at least be engaged in some meaningful manner. So far my expectations have been met.

 

[getdown]

If the hospital I'm at was like that I probably would sleep there, lol. I love hanging out at the hospital, even when its just "boring" stuff going on.

I'm sure all the MRSA, Klebsiella, pseudomonas bugs love you too.

 

[JugglesMed]

I have nearly 100 hours of shadowing and all of the doctors I've shadowed just tell me to leave after seeing patiens. They know there's no point to stay to see them fill in charts