How to gain shadowing experience?

[myfunnyusername]

Do I need to start volunteering first and only then ask doctors in the hospital about shadowing or can I do it even without association to the hospital? Also, how do you even go about it? Do you just find some doctors on LinkedIn and then email them? I am a non-trad working full-time now, thinking about the switch

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[krc78]

I’m a career changer. I found my first few shadowing opportunities by messaging alumni from my alma mater who are now attendings. I have a few mutual LinkedIn connections with docs (even though I barely know the primary connection), and people there have been receptive as well.

 

[petomed]

I too was fulltime during my premed path and can appreciate how challenging it is to break into the field without having an 'in'.

I asked my PCP and it was no big deal for me to follow him around for an afternoon. After that I applied to all the hospitals in town that advertised a formal volunteering program on their website. In the end, it was on me to physically call these places and get my voice in the ear of the volunteer coordinator. That eventually led to another ER shadowing experience but not volunteering because that required a university affiliation (at least in the ER). I really liked the sum total of these shadowing experiences, so at that point felt comfortable enough to begin the online prereq coursework. I then pretty quickly landed a volunteering opportunity after becoming affiliated with a university.

So to condense, my recommendation is to begin volunteering asap. Shadow if you can't land a volunteering gig, but only for as many hours as is needed for you to determine that medicine is something you need to pursue. And please, run if it isn't something you need to do! Then volunteer during your coursework. Sustained volunteering is really important both for you and your eventual application to medical schools. You'll inevitably circle back to do more shadowing if you end up applying to medical schools.

 

[NonTradTerry]

I reached out to friends and relied on their connections...I also called like 80 clinics and asked them...I heard back from like 3. They have still been using covid as an excuse to not do shadowing....it's tough, but just keep at it and you'll get a couple people who genuinely want you to shadow...and I got 2 LORs out of the situation. I ended up with about 80 hours of shadowing

Non-Trad, Career change (mechanic -->med school), two kids, 39....

 

[Goro]

1) Ask your family doctor
2) If #1 isn't feasible for your doctor, ask if s/he knows someone who would allow you to shadow
3) Try getting a scribing job, which combines patient interaction, scribing, and is employment
4) Try hospital or clinic volunteering, and see if you can network with the clinicians there for shadowing

 

[okyeah]

I work as a CNA and I plan to just email some docs I have had minor friendly contact with to meet them, introduce myself, and shadow them for a little bit. It can definitely be hard if you aren't working in a hospital. (Even if you're working in the hospital it's hard lol). I feel many doctors are closed off from the rest of the staff.

But if you have a good/close relationship with a provider that treats or has treated you that can also be a good start.

 

[alwaysontime]

You can always reach out to providers in your area on Linkedin (it helps if you personally know them or have a mutual connection, of course, but that isn't 100% required).

From my experience they would at least be open to a discussion revolving around shadowing, at the minimum. Some may even welcome the idea to great pleasure.

Good luck, hope you give it a try.

 

[CitrusPeel]

I agree it can be intimidating and tricky to get shadowing experience, especially if you don't live in an area with a lot of hospitals! I also worked full-time and agree with the advice above to contact your own doctor if you have one. Additionally, I had more luck:

a) contacting free clinics, especially those connected with medical schools.

b) finding a specific, less-common specialty you are interested in and contacting physicians in that specialty.

c) specifically trying to find doctors who were nontrads themselves (either asking around if you have clinical connections or via Linkedin stalking lol).

Good luck!

 

[Hollow Knight]

I cold called like probably 100 offices in undergrad. I only got like 4 yeses. But those were enough.

It sucks, but it is what it is. When you find a doc who takes you, maintain that relationship.

Edit: also, when all of y'all become attendings, please take students for the love of all creation. Let's break the cycle you guys.