Today I saw a uterus!

[ussdfiant]

When I first found this board in August I posted the requisite "What are my chances?" post and the one thing that people seemed to say was to visit DOs and do as much shadowing as I could. I took that to heart and gave myself a goal of shadowing 10 DOs in 10 different specialties before (hopefully) I started interviewing (since AACOMAS says that my app should be verified by this Friday I should have plenty of time before secondaries roll in much less interviews). Anyway I have shadowed DOs specializing in OMM, Rad, and Peds (would you believe that these "strangers" are open to me shadowing but my family doc is giving me the run around!) Anyway today was Pathology and I have to say that it felt like the most medicine I had seen yet. Among the specimens being examined was a uterus, complete with cervix, Fallopian tubes and ovaries. Although I could not help thinking of the poor 36 year old woman who lost it, I was excited at the prospect of seeing it examined. I also saw a gall bladder complete with a "mulberry shaped calculus approx. 1cm in diam." Tomorrow Neonatology and Pulmonary medicine on the 25th.

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[dzl]

Hey, that sound really fascinating. Can ask you, how did you find DO's to shadow? How did you approach them? Thanks in advance!

 

[ussdfiant]

I went to the web sites of the various hospitals in my area, chose a specialty that looked interesting or that I knew very little about, and found the DOs in those departments and just called them. Most times, someone would get back to me within a couple of days.

 

[jules96734]

Originally posted by ussdfiant:
•When I first found this board in August I posted the requisite "What are my chances?" post and the one thing that people seemed to say was to visit DOs and do as much shadowing as I could. I took that to heart and gave myself a goal of shadowing 10 DOs in 10 different specialties before (hopefully) I started interviewing (since AACOMAS says that my app should be verified by this Friday I should have plenty of time before secondaries roll in much less interviews). Anyway I have shadowed DOs specializing in OMM, Rad, and Peds (would you believe that these "strangers" are open to me shadowing but my family doc is giving me the run around!) Anyway today was Pathology and I have to say that it felt like the most medicine I had seen yet. Among the specimens being examined was a uterus, complete with cervix, Fallopian tubes and ovaries. Although I could not help thinking of the poor 36 year old woman who lost it, I was excited at the prospect of seeing it examined. I also saw a gall bladder complete with a "mulberry shaped calculus approx. 1cm in diam." Tomorrow Neonatology and Pulmonary medicine on the 25th.•

Just curious. How is your family doc giving you the run around? Did he/she say yes at first and is now giving you all kind of excuses not to shadow him/her? Is your doc doing this because you are her/his patient?

 

[PTjay]

I work at a hospital as a rehabilitation aide and see a lot of the attendings and ortho surgeons. i really want to shadow some of these people but never seem to have the time to talk to the physicians. i feel awkward bothering them while they're rounding and i have my own work to be concerned with while i'm there. would it be terribly impersonal to send an email to some of these dr.s? i figured that way i could get a good deal of information to them while they have time to look at it. any thoughts would be helpful.

 

[jules96734]

Originally posted by PTjay:
•I work at a hospital as a rehabilitation aide and see a lot of the attendings and ortho surgeons. i really want to shadow some of these people but never seem to have the time to talk to the physicians. i feel awkward bothering them while they're rounding and i have my own work to be concerned with while i'm there. would it be terribly impersonal to send an email to some of these dr.s? i figured that way i could get a good deal of information to them while they have time to look at it. any thoughts would be helpful.•

That would be a good idea. They would know exactly what you are looking for. Then they may be able to set up a time and place to discuss the possibility of shadowing them or one of them.