What do you do when you shadow?

[avinash]

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Hey

What exactly do you do when you shadow a physician?

Do you just ask them if you can shadow them, or is there some speical chance/opputunity that is given to you.

 

[Budder]

If you have a Family physician or a friend who's a physician, you can ask him/her if you can shadow. If you don't know any physicians, I suggest you ask a pre-med advisor/committee. I asked my Family physician and he was really excited for me to shadow him. I also had a friend who was an internist, and I shadowed him as well. Both physicians are completely different, so it was great to see them relate with their patients.

 

[aj725]

Do you know your family physician very well--i.e. do you know him/her on a social level or do you just see them once every yr or 2 when you're sick?

It just seems awkward to randomly call up your own MD and ask to shadow--they may feel obligated because you've come in to see them a few times when you were sick. If they know you well, know you're premed, are w/ a teaching hospital and are used to students etc, it would be different.

Any thoughts--have your own physicians been happy to let you shadow?

 

[rewindthemovie]

I looked up a doctor at a local hospital and called their office number. I left a message asking if I could shadow and the receptionist called me back saying that she wants me to talk to her via e-mail and that's what I've been doing. Now I have a shadowing opportunity.



Basically, I could've waited and let my pre-med committe (called C.O.V.E. @ SLU) and let them do it, but i'd have to wait until my sophomore year and it's more competitive. So, taking the initiative yourself is the way to go.

 

[avinash]

great thanks for your responses,

but what do you do when you shadow? do you just follow the doc around and watch what he does?

also i barely ever meet with the phyisian, i pretty much dont get sick and if i fo its just the flu so i take advil, whatnot and im fine.
So i dont really have a family phyisian but rewindthemovie gave a good suggestion so i try that i geuss,

Thanks

 

[greubins]

i shadowed twice, once in high school and once last year. my parents are both docs so it made it easy to find someone to shadow. the first was a family physician. i just stood there and watched the exam for most of the patients. the doctor usually included me in the conversation but i never touched anyone.

the second time was in a cardio-pulmnology mini-clinic. i couldn't go into the examing room (i was a little pissed about this) while the doctor was there due privacy (which makes sense but what is the point of letting me shadow if i can't see what you do?!). instead, i eventually called in patients, took vitals and helped with the EKG with the PA. that's a bit better than just standing there because at least you get some experience touching strangers.

shadowing really depends on the physician you are with. i would ask them what kinds of things you would be doing when you are there and if you will be able to be in the room with them.

as for finding someone, maybe your college or university could give you some names of some MD alumni in your area that could help you out.

good luck!

 

[dshnay]

If you live in the bay area, check out General Hospital in SF. AFter 100hrs of volunteering they let you enter into a physician assisntat program where you kind of become like a med student, asking quesitons about procedures, helping the physician with work etc.