Shadowing a doctor? hospital volunteer question?
so i want to know more about volunteering at hospitals and shadowing doctors. i was reading into some college stuff (bs/md programs) and a lot of them required hospital experience, including shadowing doctors. how can i do this? how can i volunteer at a hospital (i've tried my local one, but they never got back to me)? also, how do i ask the hospital/a physician if i can shadow a doctor? its all kind of confusing, but i really want to do it. can anyone help?
Email etiquette in regards to emailing doctors about shadowing?
I recently emailed a doctor about possibly shadowing him this summer exactly two weeks ago. He emailed me back the next day saying that he'd love for me to shadow him and asked me what type of "opportunities" I was interested in. I replied back saying that (since he's a general surgeon) I'm really interested in observing surgeries, checking out the surgical skills lab, and, most of all, just being able to shadow him and see what he does as a surgeon/doctor. It was a pretty long response thinking about it now I guess. The problem is, he hasn't emailed me back and it's been two weeks. Should I give him more time? Should I email him again? If I do email him again, what do I say? Of course I don't want to be like "hey so since you didn't email me back...." but emailing him again after he hasn't replied is, in an essence, saying that without actually saying it. What's the most polite way of asking if he'd still be open to letting me shadow him? I've had this problem with doctors before but it's happened after I've shadowed them a couple times and so they already know me and it's a little bit easier to email them and remind them. I completely understand that doctors are very busy people and I know that if an email is too long sometimes they'll push it aside for later but never go back to it because they forget or something. So, I mean, it's not like I'm angry he hasn't emailed me back. I just think that maybe he needs a reminder? Also, I don't know if this matters or not, but I don't know this doctor personally. My parents are both computer people and there are no doctors in my family and I wanted to be able to shadow this summer so I randomly picked a doctor at the med school in my home town. I guess I didn't completely pick him randomly as I know, after reading about him, that he often holds one-day classes for high school students showing them around the med school and stuff like. So, I mean, I chose him because I thought I'd have a better chance of actually having him say yes to shadowing. Anyways, does anyone have any suggestions as to how I'm suppose to approach this problem? I don't want to be annoying but I also don't want to just sit back and do nothing because this is something that I want to do and he seemed really willing when he emailed me back the first time. Thanks!
What is the best way to approach doctors about shadowing them?
1. Nepotism.As mentioned, take advantage of your connections - they may be tenuous but it's better than approaching someone out of the blue.2. Proximity.Get a job or volunteer on a hospital ward, clinic or GP surgery. Be nice to everyone. If you don't directly interact with the docs, make it known that you want to do some shadowing and it's highly likely someone will put in a word for you. Or give it some time and then approach someone directly - it helps if they at least recognise your face. 3. Flattery.If you have to resort to contacting someone you've no connection to, flattery will get you everywhere. Mention their publications, things you've heard about their teaching/rapport with students, or even their popularity with patients. Make it clear what you want from them without being demanding, and don't send the same blanket e-mail to everyone. Lastly, invite dialogue - ask them a personal question relating to their work (one that doesn't require an essay to answer).
What is it like to shadow doctor? What lessons do you learn?
It all depends on the doctor you get to shadow. I have had incidents where the doctor would throw you out of the operation theatre if you were not able to answer his question. Sometimes they verbally abuse you also.But what you got to take from all this is you have to be strong. They do all this to make you fit to face any circumstance in your life. Especially the medical field can be daunting and taxing. You have to have a thick mental girth to take anything. You have to make sure you respect the patient, you must read well and so your homework about the procedure you are going to carry out.Another advise I would give you is, never stop asking questions to your mentor or your doctor. The more you ask the more you know. Every specialist was an intern at one point of time. And more the keeness you show to learn the more the doctors will be eager to teach you.No one is going to spoonfeed you with the hacks, tips or tricks you need to equip yourself to become a good doctor. You have to learn all this. The time you spend shadowing a doctor is the most vital in shaping your career because having all the theoretical knowledge is one thing and the acquiring the clinical skills is another. The time you spend with the doc will help you acquire these skills. And always have a circle of interns to discuss what you learnt that day, exchange ideas so you get to learn more. The more you know the better you become.Be mentally strong to face any situation with the doctor whom you are shadowing. At the end of the day he is also human, he has his ups and downs. Try to extract maximum knowledge, expertise from him and pass it on to others. This way you repeat the cycle and gain more insights to what you have already learnt.All the best
How old do you have to be to shadow a doctor?
I'm 15 years old and I've wanted to be a pediatrician my whole life. I was wondering if it would be possible for someone my age to shadow a pediatrician or if there is a certain age you have to be.
How can I shadow a doctor?
The easiest would be if you had relatives that were doctors because they would be the most accesible and chances are they know you and know you won't make a fool out of yourself. Basically shadowing a doctor means you'll just be with a doctor watching the doctor's job life for a few hours with no pay. At most the doctor might ask you to help him like fill paperwork or bring stuff, but you probably won't be doing anything like open heart surgery. You could ask your close friends if they have doctors in their families. If not, a family practitioner might be the third easiest choice but it's quite different to be an office setting than in a hospital setting. I never did any shadowing when I was in HS. Shadowing before actually starting med school is kind of unheard of in Mexico unless you have close relatives that are doctors. However it might be a good chance for you to see a real doctor's life for a few hours. Some hospitals offer volunteer programs that could help you in the long run to get acceptec in med school.
I'm about to shadow a doctor, how do I make sure I don't seem like a jackass?
The answer depends whether you are a premed or a medical student.PremedYou are there to follow the physician and observe their work. The purpose of shadowing is not your educational benefit, just to have you tag along for the day and see whether medicine is something you may want to work in someday.It is ok (and ideal) to ask questions every now and then but know your time and place. If there is a specific term mentioned regularly that you don’t understand and it’s making it hard for your to follow the discussion, it’s ok to ask. Just don’t bombard the doctor with truckload of questions that you could google the answer to. Don’t start asking questions in front of the patient (especially if it’s something that probably isn’t much use for them) and don’t try to prove the doctor wrong if you have read something that contradicts them (chances are you are wrong but even if you were right it is better not to try embarrass the doctor in front of a patient). Be on time and dress appropriately. Try to stay out of the way and don’t touch anything.Med studentYou are there to learn, try to maximize it. Do prep reading, ask smart questions, volunteer and ask to do stuff. I find that doctors are much more inclined to teach you and let you do something if you give them something in return. Be fun to be around (don’t be that person glued to their phone or checking their watch every 5 minutes and sighing loudly). Help them with small things. Keep them right.
Shadow The Hedgehog Questions?
ok i have a few questions about shadow: 1. at the end of STH, shadow throws down a picture of maria and gerald and says "goodbye forever, shadow the hedgehog", yet he appears in the very next game. what was the meaning of this then? 2. when shadow confronts dr.eggman, eggman tells him he is a robot on several occasions. but when shadow fights black doom, eggman says he is the real shadow, which is true? 3. in SA2, rouge discovers that shadow is not the original, and that his memories were all false. but the shadow "clone" or "android" eggman created has some of his memories. how is this possible? 4. in sonic battle shadow seems to have recovered his memories after the events of sonic heroes. but in shadow the hedgehog he doesn't remember anything? 5. do you think shadow is just a cheap emo colored douchebag version of sonic? or do you think he is a tragic hero who is nothing like sonic?
What should I bring when shadowing a doctor?
It really depends on what kind of doctor you are with and most importantly, what educational level you are at.I do not expect high school or college students to do anything other than dress nicely. At that point, I am mostly trying to show you what a physician’s life is like as I assume you are thinking about a career in it.If you are a medical student or resident I presume you are there to learn medicine. Bring a stethoscope and your white coat. Whoever you are shadowing may not wear one (I don’t) and not need or want you to wear one but it’s a lot easier to take it off than to wish you had it.Presumably you have clinical apps on your phone. It might be nice if your doc can’t remember a dosage on a medication to be able to look it up. But I really don’t expect you to be doing my work for me.And whatever level you are it, think of questions that you want to ask. Smile and be friendly to the staff and the patients. Most patients like it when I have a student with me and react well to it. A few don’t, and I won’t bring you in those rooms.And relax!