Wait to starting shadowing or not?

[biogirl215]

(Sorry for all the questions--tell me if they bother you, and I promise I'll shut up for a bit! )

So I recently emailed a pod in my home about shadowing, and he sent back a very prompt reply telling me about what days are "shadowing days" at his practice. My question is that I will be going back to this area for only a week before heading out-of-state for a month of research and classes. Should I plan to shadow before I leave (2 days available for shadowing), or would it just be better to wait until I'm back after summer school and avoid the awkward "great to meet you! See you in a month!" situation. I think waiting make more sense logistically, but I'm so eager to start shadowing as well, so I really don't know. What do you think?

Thanks!

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[funfeet]

Shadow if you want. I shadowed someone back home and was only able to go one day a week (lasted abot month and half). Getting a rec was easy considering I babysat her kids. But for experience, it won't hurt to start now.

 

[Dr. Gangrene]

(Sorry for all the questions--tell me if they bother you, and I promise I'll shut up for a bit! )

So I recently emailed a pod in my home about shadowing, and he sent back a very prompt reply telling me about what days are "shadowing days" at his practice. My question is that I will be going back to this area for only a week before heading out-of-state for a month of research and classes. Should I plan to shadow before I leave (2 days available for shadowing), or would it just be better to wait until I'm back after summer schoo and avoid the awkward "great to meet you! See you in a month!" situation. I think waiting make more sense logistically, but I'm so eager to start shadowing as well, so I really don't know. What do you think?

Thanks!

If you just want to check out a practice and get a feel, go the 2 days.
If you are prepping someone to ask them for a letter of rec, maybe wait.
That is what I would do.

 

[el tobillo]

I agree with Dr. Gangrene. Maybe you could shadow the doctor for the 2 days and get a feel of the practice. You could also make some connections with that doctor, maybe meet other doctors he practices with during those 2 days as well as podiatry residents (if he works with any). That way, when you come back from your month(s) away, you can have even more options than when you started! Networking is key. Seriously though, start with this doc, and then see how many pods you can meet through him or whatever. The more you see the better!

 

[APMAHelp]

Shadowing is a great opportunity and if that one DPM didn't have time to have you in his/her office, then find another one. There's a list of those DPMs willing to mentor on the APMA website at www.apma.org/careers and if you can't find anyone on that list, you can always call the APMA and they will find someone for you to work with. There are so many great docs out there who really enjoy having students in their offices for a day, a week or longer. Take advantage of the opportunity and the time you have NOW.

 

[txlioness]

Shadowing is a great opportunity and if that one DPM didn't have time to have you in his/her office, then find another one. There's a list of those DPMs willing to mentor on the APMA website at www.apma.org/careers and if you can't find anyone on that list, you can always call the APMA and they will find someone for you to work with. There are so many great docs out there who really enjoy having students in their offices for a day, a week or longer. Take advantage of the opportunity and the time you have NOW.

That's how i found my mentor through the Mentor Network. I believe the website was www.aacpm.org.

He is AWESOME!!! Absolutely incredible bedside manner. His patients really love him to death and they seem more like friends than patients. He is always asking me to come to see surgeries especially if he knows they are interesting cases and even if they are routine. It is good exposure. He explains everything that he is doing and what instruments he's using, etc. He is involved in a residency program here in Texas so he has residents hanging around.

The one resident that I met last week was from Barry and he was really excited about finishing up. He chose to do a 2-year residency but already has a great job with a ortho group when is done. My mentor let him do the entire surgical procedure...bunionectomy, hammer toe, ligament lengthening, 2 huge lipoma removal. Not sure what the actual technical names for all the procedures but I will learn. I was so happy to see my first surgery.

I will continue to go see outpatients and surgeries as much as I can until I move. The exposure has been great

 

[Feli]

OP, I'd say to wait until you get back if you have no time crunch.

If you're talking about shadowing to get into pod school this fall, then you really need to get some experience ASAP and see if a podiatry career appeals to you.