When shadowing, when is the best time to ask the doctor questions?

[SexyMariGal]

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I don't want to seem uninterested while I'm job shadowing, but I have a hard time figuring out when would be good times to talk to the doctor or ask questions. I have asked questions sometimes during procedures like what certain tools are or what the doctor is doing, but sometimes I feel like I might be interrupting the doctor's concentration, and then there are other times when the doctor needs to be talking to the assistant about the procedure at hand.

Like some of the other questions I would like to ask the doctor would be about normal day to day stuff about the business side of dentistry or taking continuing education classes, maybe ask for tips and advice on getting in dental school and what it was like for the doctor while in school, etc. When would be good times to sort of "chit chat" about these things? I don't want to be rude during while the doctor is working, you know?

Also, when it comes time for me to apply, what would be the best way to ask for a letter of recommendation, or should I ask for it earlier on, just in case the doctor doesn't want to write me one? And, if I want to shadow some specialists that the doctor uses for referrals, what is the most polite way to ask?

 

[AmbitiousRX]

I think it would be best to just ask him. "Do you mind if I ask questions during the procedure? I don't want to distract you or anything."

I like to act like I'm writing a report on the field like a reporter. I always take notes and essentially ask for whomever I'm shadowing's life story. This way they're more open when you ask questions about the actual field. They get a kick out of it and it makes them feel good and it's really useful to you. Dentists, pharmacists, physicians etc. work really hard to get where they are. I once asked a clinical pharmacists I was shadowing's college days in Kappa Psi and it was fun for us both.

When I shadowed a dentist we had lunch together, but I asked him questions during the procedure too.

 

[doc toothache]

When prompted.

 

[rodneymoss]

whenever you want lol.. I just asked when like the time was right. You'll find out what I mean when you start shadowing.

 

[chp23]

I usually asked questions during periods of waiting or downtime, like when waiting for impression material to set. When I was about to watch a particularly interesting procedure, I usually told the doctor that it was my first time observing that type of procedure and asked him to explain it step by step. That way, whenever he was talking, I knew that he didn't really need to concentrate so it was ok for me to ask questions. Or if I felt like any questions I had were too awkward to ask in front of a patient, I literally just went up to him in his office and asked if he had time to discuss the case.

I asked him for a letter of rec at the beginning of April the June before I applied, giving him three months to write it.

 

[dantemac]

Anytime, really. During downtime the doctor can get into it, or during the procedure he can explain it too. In fact, sometimes the patients get interested by the topic.

With kids sometimes it is not appropriate to discuss certain procedures. Pulp dying and their teeth being eroded by acid might scare them, even though you want everything explained.

 

[KittySquared]

"Don't speak unless you're spoken to." from "All Night" by Busta Rhymes.

 

[Tirekicker]

Make sure to save questions that might make the patient uncomfortable. Don't be a dork like me and ask something like, "so now you're scraping the infected tissue from the bone?" Naturally, I got a dirty look from the student performing the procedure. 🙄 Save those for the office.

 

[wired202808]

I don't want to seem uninterested while I'm job shadowing, but I have a hard time figuring out when would be good times to talk to the doctor or ask questions. I have asked questions sometimes during procedures like what certain tools are or what the doctor is doing, but sometimes I feel like I might be interrupting the doctor's concentration, and then there are other times when the doctor needs to be talking to the assistant about the procedure at hand.

Like some of the other questions I would like to ask the doctor would be about normal day to day stuff about the business side of dentistry or taking continuing education classes, maybe ask for tips and advice on getting in dental school and what it was like for the doctor while in school, etc. When would be good times to sort of "chit chat" about these things? I don't want to be rude during while the doctor is working, you know?

Also, when it comes time for me to apply, what would be the best way to ask for a letter of recommendation, or should I ask for it earlier on, just in case the doctor doesn't want to write me one? And, if I want to shadow some specialists that the doctor uses for referrals, what is the most polite way to ask?

All questions should be saved until you can talk privately in her/his office to build rapport. Ask for a letter after you've shadowed the doctor for a few months. Regarding the specialists, I would ask a month or so into shadowing if thats possible to get referrrals. Just be nice and build rapport!

 

[yellowjeeep79]

Let the doctor dictate the conversation. If he or she are asking you small talk type questions, by all means, you can ask him/her the same type questions. Likewise, if she is explaining a procedure, ask specific questions about the procedure. I will typically have a person shadow me for a couple of days and up to a week. I generally take them to lunch a couple of times. During the lunch or at a private talk at the end of your shadowing are good times to ask the money/satisfaction/would you do it again type of questions.

 

[Helms99]

It really depends on who you are working with and the "culture" at the office. I've worked in an office with a few dentists and some are super approachable while others are super unapproachable. You just need to use your common sense and try to build rapport.

 

[Bis-GMA111]

definitely talk to the dentist before the workday and ask if it's ok if you ask questions here and there. i talked about a lot of things esp. during lunch breaks

 

[dantemac]

It really depends on who you are working with and the "culture" at the office. I've worked in an office with a few dentists and some are super approachable while others are super unapproachable. You just need to use your common sense and try to build rapport.

Agreed. If the dentist is quiet and doesn't take the teacher approach, just watch and passively learn. If they love to explain stuff, ask away.