Worth it to shadow a PA?

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So I have an opportunity if I want it to shadow a PA at a local radiation oncology clinic. Should I do it or keep looking for an MD/DO?

I've already got one neurologist who I'm going to shadow with, but I'd like to shadow 2 or 3 different docs during the summer while I have more free time.

If the point of shadowing is not to gain clinical knowledge but rather get a feel for what life as a doctor is like and observe the way they interact with patients, I guess the question is how different is the daily life of a PA from an MD/DO

 

[Dr McSexy]

I say go for it. If it's not interfering with anything, I'd take the opportunity. It may give you a chance to compare/constrast the two professions.

 

[mspeedwagon]

Go far it. No harm done. I think it's good to experience life in clinic.

 

[gadad]

It may give you a chance to compare/constrast the two professions.

+1

Everyone I come across wanting to go into healthcare (MD/DO, PA, NP, R.N., etc.) I urge them to look outside of their original realm of interest; especially if they have not been exposed to healthcare much previously.

The reason: med school/dental school/PA school/etc. is not for everyone. Not everyone wants the responsibility of being the M.D. (along with all of the schooling/training/debt); not everyone wants the job of a mid-level, etc.

Not that you have to spend hours and hours shadowing each field, just try to get a decent idea of what each one does. It's pretty easy to do; if you only shadow doctors, you could also pay attention to how they interact with mid-levels, nurses, etc. Take the time to talk to the others, and find out why they chose their particular field.

The reason I bring this up is two-fold: 1) I have a friend in my med school class who has a R.N. and a PA degree. He worked a few years in each profession before he finally decided to go to med school (he is most definitely an outlier---most would either find out beforehand what they think that they want to do with their lives, or they would just stick with their original choice). 2) There are some med students/residents that hate what they do; I'm not saying that that is totally un-avoidable, but maybe they would have found out that another career would have fit them better if they would have searched around some more.

In summary, shadowing should NOT be just for meeting admission requirements; it should be used as a tool to help you decide which profession you want to go into. Also, we can all learn something from everyone; if if you do not want to go into other fields, you can learn how to get along with them in the future etc.

 

[chman]

+1

Everyone I come across wanting to go into healthcare (MD/DO, PA, NP, R.N., etc.) I urge them to look outside of their original realm of interest; especially if they have not been exposed to healthcare much previously.

The reason: med school/dental school/PA school/etc. is not for everyone. Not everyone wants the responsibility of being the M.D. (along with all of the schooling/training/debt); not everyone wants the job of a mid-level, etc.

Not that you have to spend hours and hours shadowing each field, just try to get a decent idea of what each one does. It's pretty easy to do; if you only shadow doctors, you could also pay attention to how they interact with mid-levels, nurses, etc. Take the time to talk to the others, and find out why they chose their particular field.

The reason I bring this up is two-fold: 1) I have a friend in my med school class who has a R.N. and a PA degree. He worked a few years in each profession before he finally decided to go to med school (he is most definitely an outlier---most would either find out beforehand what they think that they want to do with their lives, or they would just stick with their original choice). 2) There are some med students/residents that hate what they do; I'm not saying that that is totally un-avoidable, but maybe they would have found out that another career would have fit them better if they would have searched around some more.

In summary, shadowing should NOT be just for meeting admission requirements; it should be used as a tool to help you decide which profession you want to go into. Also, we can all learn something from everyone; if if you do not want to go into other fields, you can learn how to get along with them in the future etc.

👍

Also, if I were an adcom, which I'm obviously not, I would look at it as a plus. For instance, if you are asked about the role of mid levels in an interview you will have something to say; "Well, when I shadowed a PA for a day I noticed blah blah blah."

 

[justdoit31]

Also if you spend a day with the PA you might meet a resident or someone else to come shadow another time.

 

[amakhosidlo]

I actually shadowed a dentist once and it came up in one of my interviews. They seemed impressed that I'd investigated other potential careers in the health sciences in addition to medicine. I'd imagine the same would apply for shadowing a PA, particularly if you can intelligently comment on why you're picking MD over PA...

 

[empty p orbital]

Thanks for the great advice... I'll do it. I've worked as a registrar in a regional trauma center ED for 1.5 years and I know that as a result my perspective is much more enlightened, even if I still chose medical school (which I almost certainly will) after having seen how nurses/secretaries/techs/and the doctors interact with one another.

For example, ER nurses sometimes have very different backgrounds, ideas, and frustrations with their jobs than, say, floor nurses do, not to mention the doctors. And while neither is really right or wrong I think it would be invaluable as a doctor (or anyone else) to understand where the people you spend so much of your time with are coming from.

 

[chman]

Thanks for the great advice... I'll do it. I've worked as a registrar in a regional trauma center ED for 1.5 years and I know that as a result my perspective is much more enlightened, even if I still chose medical school (which I almost certainly will) after having seen how nurses/secretaries/techs/and the doctors interact with one another.

For example, ER nurses sometimes have very different backgrounds, ideas, and frustrations with their jobs than, say, floor nurses do, not to mention the doctors. And while neither is really right or wrong I think it would be invaluable as a doctor (or anyone else) to understand where the people you spend so much of your time with are coming from.

For sure. One thing I noticed from my time in the working world is that the people, in any job really, that get promoted from a "lesser" position make the best bosses. They know how to relate to people and know the ins and outs of things much more than someone who goes straight to the top.