Will weekly phone mentorship count?

[CastleG8]

So I sent requests to a dozen DO physicians in my area and only one accepted me for mentorship. He is a Family Practice physician that works as a visiting physician for patients at their homes in the attempt to reduce ER visits and travels with a medical assistant.

We talk on the phone for 30+ mins a week and I shoot emails as well. He said we may do a face-to-face meeting, but he is also an hour away and our conversations take place while he waits for the medical assistant at a starbucks. We mainly discuss all things relating to his work and I talk about my progress and background. He said he does not know if I will be able to shadow yet due to privacy.

Additionally, I get to scrub up this week with a general surgeon, but I travelled across state lines for this opportunity and it is just for a day.

I will turn in my application for TMDSAS in 2 weeks and I will be able to add more shadowing after I turn in my application. What if I only shadowed the MD a day and continue my mentorship? Can phone mentorship be counted in terms of shadowing? It's one on one time.

I know this is probably scraping the minimum for shadowing, but would this be a red flag for my application? A single full day of surgery shadowing and weekly mentorship sessions over the phone.

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[spiffysteve]

Sorry, but I don't think that talking to a doctor on the phone would count. The main point of shadowing is to watch a physician work with their patient and learn what the work environment/lifestyle is like. While you can be told these things over the phone, actually being in the room with a physician and seeing them and being told them in an email are very different things. Although it was probably a helpful experience for you, I think you should try to scramble and find someone else to shadow before you apply.

Is there a reason that this surgery shadowing is only for one day? If you are super polite and attentive and pleasant, could you maybe see if there are any other shadowing opportunities there?

 

[Goro]

No, you need to see what a doctor's day is like, and seeing more than one doctor lets you know how different doctors approach medicine.

So I sent requests to a dozen DO physicians in my area and only one accepted me for mentorship. He is a Family Practice physician that works as a visiting physician for patients at their homes in the attempt to reduce ER visits and travels with a medical assistant.

We talk on the phone for 30+ mins a week and I shoot emails as well. He said we may do a face-to-face meeting, but he is also an hour away and our conversations take place while he waits for the medical assistant at a starbucks. We mainly discuss all things relating to his work and I talk about my progress and background. He said he does not know if I will be able to shadow yet due to privacy.

Additionally, I get to scrub up this week with a general surgeon, but I travelled across state lines for this opportunity and it is just for a day.

I will turn in my application for TMDSAS in 2 weeks and I will be able to add more shadowing after I turn in my application. What if I only shadowed the MD a day and continue my mentorship? Can phone mentorship be counted in terms of shadowing? It's one on one time.

I know this is probably scraping the minimum for shadowing, but would this be a red flag for my application? A single full day of surgery shadowing and weekly mentorship sessions over the phone.

 

[CastleG8]

Okay thank you all for the replies. I will hold off my application in order to find more shadowing opportunities.