Shadowing
So you are interested in becoming a doctor? Something or someone has sparked your interests in this profession. For me, it was my pediatrician. I grew up with terrible asthma and I was always at the doctor’s office – but going to see my pediatrician was such a great experience. He had this calming nature about him. He made me smile every time I saw him. He had such an affect on me as a kid that becoming a pediatrician was on the top of my list of specialties for a long time.
So where do you start to get more information? SHADOW, SHADOW,SHADOW. This is the best way to find out what the doctor life is all about. This is also another way to find great mentors. Maybe you know what kind of doctor you want to be and maybe you have no clue. If you have no idea, here is where I would begin. There are surgical specialties and the non-surgical specialities. The cool thing about being a physician is there are some specialties that you can do a little of both.
Here is a list of the non-surgical specialties:
https://www.sgu.edu/blog/medical/ultimate-list-of-medical-specialties/
Here is a list of the surgical specialties:
https://www.facs.org/education/resources/medical-students/faq/specialties
Do you need help finding a physician to shadow? Maybe I can help?
Let me know what questions you have?
Contact me at info@themedmentor.com
Don’t forget to check in every two weeks where new content will be added and all answers to questions will be posted!
Thank you! I thought your pediatrician’s impact on you was very interesting, I also think the idea of shadowing if you want to learn more that you mentioned is a great opportunity and I can’t wait to try it!
Thank you for your perspective on Shadowing! I have found it very difficult to shadow as there are so many rules and privacy violations. Any advice on how to navigate this?
You are correct. Nowadays it will be challenging to find shadowing opportunities but as we navigate this pandemic hopefully more opportunities will surface. I think the ER is a great place to shadow because you will see everything. It’s good to go on the weekends because there will be more patients. I began my scribing in the ER and learned so much just from observing the patient-physician interactions. There are also plenty of procedures that are done at the bedside that can be exciting to see.
Thank you for your perspective on shadowing! The benefits from doing so definitely seem like they would help you move forward in your career. I’ve asked a family friend about shadowing before, but there seems to be a lot of restrictions in doing so. Do you know anywhere that is likely to take on those wanting to shadow a doctor?
Unfortunately as the COVID numbers increase it will become more difficult to shadow. The hospital will definitely be more difficult to get in compared to a private clinic nowadays. If you are not able to shadow you can always communicate with a mentor/physician through email or zoom. You just have to be a little creative on how you can get your questions answered.
I have shadowed a pediatrician as well, and I loved it. That is my top career choice! Do you recommend sticking to one career for shadowing or looking at multiple?
That’s great that you have already shadowed and found something you enjoy! I would highly suggest looking at other specialties and having a top 5 list of career choices. There are so many cool specialties that you do not want to limit yourself.
Thank you for all of your guidance on shadowing in the medical field. Knowing that it can be very competitive, how early do you suggest getting involved and what are the prerequisites to shadow a medical professional?
Good question. I think high school would be a great time to shadow a physician if you are even the slightest bit interested in the medical field at that age. There are not any set prerequisites. You just have to understand that you are not only shadowing a physician but also getting the privilege to hear the patient’s story and their history. You must understand patient confidentiality and HIPAA. The provider should obtain patient consent prior to you coming into the room to observe. Hope this helps.
Thank you for sharing your own advice! It helps with me making decisions that are going to help me in the future. I have not shadowed yet but really want to in the future!
I found it very interesting that your encounters with your pediatrician is one of the reasons why you wanted to be physician! It’s crazy what an impact we can have on people. I also really want to try shadowing! It seems crucial to learning more about the job and getting experience.
Howdy! Would you mind if I share your blog with my myspace group?
There’s a lot of people that I think would really
appreciate your content. Please let me know. Many thanks
yes of course!