Who should I reach out to find outside business hours shadowing?

[deleted555445]

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I work full-time, take post-bacc classes some nights, volunteer some other nights (clinical adjacent, but no MD's worked with), and work occasional weekends. I shadowed a neurosurgeon a few years back, but am looking to get more recent experience and potentially a letter of recommendation from an MD to include (all the professors I like are PhD).

I'm trying to figure out who the best doctors to cold-email would be. So far I think ER docs might be the best, as they may be more likely to have weekend/weeknight shifts. Does anyone else have experience doing a similar thing that can offer some advice?

 

[bluepeony]

I work full-time, take post-bacc classes some nights, volunteer some other nights (clinical adjacent, but no MD's worked with), and work occasional weekends. I shadowed a neurosurgeon a few years back, but am looking to get more recent experience and potentially a letter of recommendation from an MD to include (all the professors I like are PhD).

I'm trying to figure out who the best doctors to cold-email would be. So far I think ER docs might be the best, as they may be more likely to have weekend/weeknight shifts. Does anyone else have experience doing a similar thing that can offer some advice?

I think doctors at private clinics would be your best bet. If you email doctors at the hospitals, they might say no because of HIPAA.

 

[deleted555445]

Even if I have an active HIPAA certification, and previous experience volunteering/shadowing in a hospital? I'm worried private clinics would be pretty strictly 8-6 M-F, which I can't really swing.

 

[bluepeony]

Even if I have an active HIPAA certification, and previous experience volunteering/shadowing in a hospital? I'm worried private clinics would be pretty strictly 8-6 M-F, which I can't really swing.

Yes, each hospital has a diff policy. No harm in emailing though. Also, some clinics are open on the weekends.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Try urgent care clinics.

 

[candbgirl]

You really don’t need a letter for MD schools. There are a few exceptions but if that’s why you are dong this don't worry. Health Clinics are open on weekends. Or you could set something up on holidays or vacation or just take a day off from your job. Find a primary care doc to .shadow

 

[deleted555445]

I’m not necessarily doing it for the LOR (although I wouldn’t say no), but mostly because I haven’t had doctor or patient contact in a clinical setting since college 3 years ago. Also, at least one school I’m interested in says “at least one LOR from a physician or clinician recommended”.

Okay, I’ll look at some urgent care clinics in my area, maybe some free clinics.

 

[Cornfed101]

As far as primary care, you could probably shadow OBGYN if you are a woman. They frequently work all hours of the night.

 

[deleted555445]

I'm not, unfortunately I got this damn y chromosome. Do you think being a man would exclude me from OBGYN shadowing? I guess they'd want to be pretty sure I'm not a creep, which they probably can't do easily.

 

[LizzyM]

Do you know anyone socially who is a physician? Do you have any classmates, former classmates, neighbors who are physicians or who work with physicians? Networking in that way until you get to an emergency room physician (or a trauma surgeon) might be your best bet. Anesthesiologists and cardiologists also cover hospitals 24/7 for procedures that require their presence so those are other possibilities.

You may just need to take a day off to shadow a general pediatrician or other primary care doc. One day (8-10 hours) should suffice if you have 40-42 hours of other shadowing as well.

 

[deleted555445]

@LizzyM so you're saying I don't really need to do like 4 hours a week on-going, I might just need to spend the work day with a doctor? I think that's a lot more feasible, I have some PTO saved up.

I did about 60-80 hours of shadowing my senior year of college, took a class on anesthesiology and pain that involved shadowing the anesthesiologist one day (4-6 hours), and viewed a CABG from an atrium in high school, with various other clinical experiences interspersed. If I could just add on to that with a more recent experience before I apply next cycle, that would be golden.

In terms of socially knowing a physician, most of them would be in my hometown on the exact opposite side of the country, and I don't have plans to be home any time soon. I might try to ask through my alumni network. Alternatively, I may just start hanging out at bars near teaching hospitals and see who wants a friend 🙂.

 

[LizzyM]

@LizzyM so you're saying I don't really need to do like 4 hours a week on-going, I might just need to spend the work day with a doctor? I think that's a lot more feasible, I have some PTO saved up.

I did about 60-80 hours of shadowing my senior year of college, took a class on anesthesiology and pain that involved shadowing the anesthesiologist one day (4-6 hours), and viewed a CABG from an atrium in high school, with various other clinical experiences interspersed. If I could just add on to that with a more recent experience before I apply next cycle, that would be golden.

In terms of socially knowing a physician, most of them would be in my hometown on the exact opposite side of the country, and I don't have plans to be home any time soon. I might try to ask through my alumni network. Alternatively, I may just start hanging out at bars near teaching hospitals and see who wants a friend 🙂.

Generally what happened in HS stays in HS and isn't placed on your AMCAS application (the exceptions being publications or national presentations of research -- a rare event but noteworthy, or national or international athletic awards).
Alumni networks are good... if an alumnus who is a doc wants to help you network with docs in your area, or is in your area, that may work out well.
The general rule is that you want to have about 50 hours of shadowing and at least some of that should be with a primary care provider.

 

[deleted555445]

Got it. Don’t bring up HS.

My shadowing was a neurosurgeon doing his clinic hours. He would interact with patients, do check ups, most had been with him a while due to his focus on chronic CSF-volume related maladies. I believe that should count. I’ll try to get more up to date experience since that was 3 years ago, but I won’t stress as much about getting like a weekly shadow done.

Thanks for your advice @LizzyM!

 

[Cornfed101]

I'm not, unfortunately I got this damn y chromosome. Do you think being a man would exclude me from OBGYN shadowing? I guess they'd want to be pretty sure I'm not a creep, which they probably can't do easily.

Yes, you are likely excluded.

I mean there really isn’t that much maturity difference between a post bacc taking premed and a new first year med student, but society views it a bit differently. I think part of the application process is to make sure you aren’t a creep.

As a side note. I don’t have any primary care shadowing and I have 3 interviews so far this cycle. If they ask about it I will explain that I got all my shadowing via connections, and I don’t really know any primary care docs! I haven’t been to one myself for over a decade . Obviously try to get some primary care shadowing but it won’t completely sink your chances if you don’t.