Things to read/look over before shadowing a doc

[mkat]

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I am going to shadow an internist at a general hospital next week and I was wondering what material I should look over so I don't feel so clueless the entire time. I am going to refresh my knowledge of anatomy. Anything else? Maybe read stuff about insurance? What about medical equipment? Are there any online resources that cover this stuff succinctly?

I have volunteered at hospitals before, so I know about HIPAA and all that jazz.

Thanks in advance. 👍

 

[greatnt249]

I am going to shadow an internist at a general hospital next week and I was wondering what material I should look over so I don't feel so clueless the entire time. I am going to refresh my knowledge of anatomy. Anything else? Maybe read stuff about insurance? What about medical equipment? Are there any online resources that cover this stuff succinctly?

I have volunteered at hospitals before, so I know about HIPAA and all that jazz.

Thanks in advance. 👍

They usually don't expect you to know much of anything, especially if you're a premed.

 

[sandmanhere]

I studied alot of A&P before I shadowed. If you have taken Hematology you should look over that too. I shadowed a family doctor and he thought it was interesting looking over a CBC (complete blood count) with him.

"Hey Doc- your patient has low Hemoglobin."

 

[schrizto]

I took some anatomy before I shadowed and it was slightly impressive that I knew some information about endocrinology. Really, there isn't anything you can "study" for shadowing, though.

 

[gluon999]

Let me break it to you. No amount of studying is gonna make you not feel clueless in there. So I suggest, just take it easy and try to absorb whatever you can. Heck, I am almost an MD and still feel clueless sometimes on the floors. If you must read something when working with an Internist, I'd recommend googling CBC and BMP and figure out what the lab values mean, b/c that is their daily grind.

More practically though, I'd ask the physician about his life and career and why he went to med school and Internal Medicine and would he do it again if he had the choice?

 

[zinciest]

I kind of agree with what everyone else is saying. When you shadow, you are seeing the doctor apply all of the knowledge accumulated up to that point. I don't think you can catch up to him/her (at least to the level where you could really understand what's happening) just by reading up.

 

[ILikeDrugs]

You are there to learn and not there to show off your general chemistry knowledge. Just because you don't know the name of a muscle off the top of your head doesn't mean anything. The doctor isn't going to think or tell you, "Wow! What a loser you are. You don't know the name? Have you ever thought about going to barber school?"

 

[bannie22]

you are there to pick up little things. general science things, but more to understand how their day works... the amount of patient care, standing up... that kinda thing. ure not even expected to talk much... -.-

 

[J1515]

"Hey Doc- your patient has low Hemoglobin."

Please don't say this. If a pre-med ever said this to me I'd think he was a tool.

Don't study anything. You are not there to learn medicine. You are there to learn if medicine is what you want to do with your life.

 

[BlueElmo]

You don't have to read anything. You're just going there to observe.