I asked this Physician if I can shadow and he sent me an observership form application. It basically states that once accepted you will get an observer tag and can come into the hospital whenever you want to observe over the course of 60 days. There is also a $100 fee. I'm confused...
...is paying money to shadow actually a thing??
You aren't paying money to shadow. You are paying money to be credentialed and for the small imposition that random observing students are. The observership fee at our hospital is $250.
Something people forget is that everything costs money. We gain nothing from having students follow us around. The physicians gain nothing, the institution gains nothing. On the flip side, someone has to sit badge them, someone has to credential them, gotta do a background check, someone has to organize them coming in, someone has to spend the time communicating with them prior to coming in etc. Is it bureaucracy at it's finest, sure. But, at large multi-billion dollar hospitals/institutes, it is reality. Every minute that a secretary, assistant, resident, attending etc. spends on that student is time lost from their 'work day'. Most of us are happy to do it. Point of fact, I've coordinated 6+ this summer alone and several have transitioned into doing research with me. But, it is extra work. Now multiply that by every office in every department in the hospital. I may be willing to work for free, but you bet your bottom dollar most others are not.
Students can find smaller offices/clinics that have less red-tape. They can find places that have funding set aside specifically for this. We just negotiated with a local major private undergrad to have an established shadowing opportunity for their students. They are covering the costs associated with it. But, the reality is, if you are looking to shadow, you are providing nothing and getting a significant service in return.
