Tips on how to find DOs to shadow and write DO letter?

[BlueComet]

I am having trouble with the DO letter. Anyone have any tips on how to find a DO to shadow?

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[dr.grenouille]

Yes! Get on the medical school website of your university or the closest university with a med school and do a search for their fellows in certain specialties, for example, neonatology. Send all the DO fellows an email explaining your situation and see who responds. The fellow that I emailed was super awesome and so willing to help; after a few weeks of shadowing she even offered to write the letter. This worked for both myself and a friend that were on the verge of giving up!

 

[BlueComet]

The closest medical school to me is UCLA, how did you find DOs at the school and how did you get their emails? I seem to only find MDs and only their phone number is listed. Thank you so much for your help, this is the only part I am missing from my application.

 

[dr.grenouille]

Residency & Fellowship Programs - UCLA Health Department of Medicine - Los Angeles, CA

This website lists fellowship programs at UCLA. It looks like fellows emails might not be listed, so go through each field and if you see any DOs, email the program directors asking if they’d be willing to share their emails. I didn’t realize you were a west coaster, it might be slightly harder out there, but i’m hopeful it’ll work out for you! I don’t know how DO friendly UCLA is, but the school I shadowed at is a top ten and there were plenty of DOs, so I would keep looking. If UCLA doesn’t work out, you might have to travel a little bit, but it’s worth it. Just don’t give up!

 

[BlueComet]

Thank you very much for all of your help, I checked all the fellowship programs and unfortunately all faculty are MD. But I did a DO search near me and theres a hospital near me with many DOs but no emails listed just phone numbers to their office. Do you think I should call their office and ask if I could shadow or ask for the email of the DO?

 

[DrStephenStrange]

Go to doctorsthatdo.org search for Dos in your area, and call their office numbers on file and hope you get lucky with one (preferably at a teaching hospital, I found that they're more welcoming to students shadowing). That's what I did last year, and I only shadowed that DO for 2 days and she kindly accepted to write me a letter when I asked.

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[DrStephenStrange]

Thank you very much for all of your help, I checked all the fellowship programs and unfortunately all faculty are MD. But I did a DO search near me and theres a hospital near me with many DOs but no emails listed just phone numbers to their office. Do you think I should call their office and ask if I could shadow or ask for the email of the DO?

Yes, it's worth at least a try. What's the worst that could happen?

Sent from my SM-G950U using SDN mobile

 

[BlueComet]

Go to doctorsthatdo.org search for Dos in your area, and call their office numbers on file and hope you get lucky with one (preferably at a teaching hospital, I found that they're more welcoming to students shadowing). That's what I did last year, and I only shadowed that DO for 2 days and she kindly accepted to write me a letter when I asked.

Sent from my SM-G950U using SDN mobile

Thank you I will try this. I am also thinking of taking the day tomorrow to go around every private DO clinic in my area and asking in person if I can shadow.