When Is It...

[Entragiana]

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When is it appropriate to begin asking physicians if you can shadow them or not?

When I was in high school, the AP Anatomy & Physiology class got to watch a knee surgery. Now, I'm not sure if they watched from a window, or if they actually scrubbed in and stood there.

If you're pre-med, do they let you scrub on surgeries to watch but not touch, or do they have a window to watch from (the window thing makes more sense, because if pre-med students scrubbed in to watch, then they'd pretty much just get in the way, but I may be wrong!).

I'm just asking because I think since I have some time (I just had a baby five months ago, and I work like, two days each week, both ten hour shifts) to try and get some clinical experience.

Also, would it be weird to ask my nearby OB office if I could shadow them for a few hours each week? I all ready know I'm interested in OB.

Thanks!

PS - I don't begin school until September of 2011. So because I'm not quite "pre-med" yet, I was just wondering if it would be inappropriate to ask right now.

 

[4ksibe]

So I guess you are saying you are just from high school? I volunteered in a hospital and I was allowed to watch everything. I was in a shock trauma and it was pretty intense. I wore scrubs and everything like everyone else in the shock trauma. Im not sure how it works at most places but they really let me watch closely. Plus if you are friendly with the nurses and tech personel, they might be nicer to you.
Shadowing your OB GYN is totally fine to ask now and tell them your interest about the specialty.

 

[Entragiana]

So I guess you are saying you are just from high school? I volunteered in a hospital and I was allowed to watch everything. I was in a shock trauma and it was pretty intense. I wore scrubs and everything like everyone else in the shock trauma. Im not sure how it works at most places but they really let me watch closely. Plus if you are friendly with the nurses and tech personel, they might be nicer to you.
Shadowing your OB GYN is totally fine to ask now and tell them your interest about the specialty.

I actually graduated high school two years ago, had a baby, and then decided that if I didn't become an obstetrician, I'd kill myself (not really).

But thank you for your input. I have an appointment with my OB for personal issues (ha) but I'll try and discuss it with her.

 

[image187]

It's never an inappropriate time to ask if you can watch someone and learn something from them. Go to a hospital (preferably an academic one, doctors there are used to having students around), put on a pair of scrubs, and go stand in for a surgery. Ask your OB if they know someone at a hospital nearby they can hook you up with. Chances are they do rounds somewhere and know pleny of other doctors.

This surgeon I shadowed really liked me and let me scrub in and stand closer to to action then all the med students in the room... so cool. Anyway, my point is that even though you're not in school yet it's never inconvenient to learn. Afterall, medicine is a teaching profession. It relies on it's art being passed on from generation to generation.