Why do you want to become a doctor?
It’s the question that you will get asked a thousand times as a pre-med and eventually as a doctor. It’s important that you have an honest and good reason why: This is because many people can have a glorified idea of what a physician does, but this may not reflect the actual ins and outs of the job. So how can you find more about what being a doctor is really like? Shadowing. Here is a summary of the advice I've read, heard, and experienced.
1. Why do you want to shadow?
You might get asked this question by the office staff when you're making contact to shadow. Consider what goals you have for your clinical experience and reflect on what you want to get out of it. It's also a good idea to have a few reasons handy to explain when someone asks you this question - this will give your experience purpose and might inspire you about what questions to ask. Some examples might be: "I'd like to observe the patient-physician interaction first hand", "I want to gain an insight into the routine of a (neurosurgeon, general practitioner, endocrinologist) in a (private clinic, hospital, OR, ER) setting", or "I'd like to learn about the types of clinical cases a (cardiologist, nephrologist) sees."
2. Figure out your schedule
Before you begin to ask physicians if they will allot some of their time to teach you, figure out how much time you have available. Fill your planner with important days from your syllabi, work, and volunteer schedules. Decide how long you want to shadow and how often: This can range from everyday of your Spring Break to twice a week for three months. Some things to consider when deciding to shadow are exam dates, realistic commute times, and surgeries that can go longer than expected. Make sure to plan your observing days so as to not conflict with days you take tests and always factor in buffer time in case of traffic.
3. Finding a physician
Ask the people in your network if they know of any physicians willing to allow a pre-med to shadow them. These can include your friends, family, pre-health clubs, and pre-health or career adviser. If you don't know anyone you can shadow, search online for the specialties you want to learn about in your area on hospital websites. Some other helpful sites include www.vitals.com and www.healthgrades.com.
4. Making contact
Arranging shadowing dates is usually done by phone but can also be done through email. If you have a connection, mention it when contacting. If you don't have a connection, then cold call: Cold calling is when you call to ask to shadow a physician you have no ties to. Since you are not sure if the physician you are asking to shadow does so regularly, it is completely normal to get turned down a lot. This happens to everyone so don't feel discouraged if they never return your calls or say they don't have time or they don't usually do that. For this reason, I recommend making a list of doctors to contact; if you receive a "no", just cross it off and move down the list. Remember: if you don't ask, the answer will always be no.
5. Prepare
Make sure to get all of the necessary paperwork done before you want to shadow, keeping in mind time of processing. Some hospitals may require that you fill out an application, immunization record, or background check before you observe. Others are more chill and you can just walk in.
Regardless, you first want to find out the time, location, and person you are supposed to meet on your first day. If you are going to use a physician as a recommendation for applying to medical school, be sure to mention this to your contact. The most important thing you can do to prepare is to research the specialty you are observing and come up with a list of questions to ask. This is especially true if you are going to see a surgery and you know what it will be.
Some examples of general questions include:
- Why did you decide to go into healthcare?
-Why did you choose this specialty?
-What kind of cases do you usually see?
-How has medicine changed since you first started?
-Do you find you are able to maintain a work/life balance?
-What is something you wish you knew before becoming a physician?
-How does healthcare insurance affect you directly?
-What percentages of your time is spent in clinic, the OR, and completing administrative duties?
-Do you find that there are a lot of politics in medicine?
-What are the most important qualities a person needs to have to work in medicine?
Having these questions ready will make you a prepared observer and will allow more beneficial interaction with the doctor.
6. Attire
Ask if they prefer scrubs or business casual. If they say either, go in scrubs and comfortable tennis shoes. They may also provide a lab coat. If you to show up in business casual, be sure to dress modestly and comfortably - you WILL be on your feet all day! Ladies should wear closed toed, low-to-no heeled dress shoes, dressy pants, knee length skirts, and blouses. Men should wear dress shoes, slacks, button-down dress shirts, and a tie. Whatever you are wearing, remember that as a shadow you are only there to observe - be sure that your outfit is not a distraction.
7. Etiquette
Do not be late. The doctor can be late - you cannot. Be sure to respect the physician's time as it is very valuable. Be respectful to all staff because nurses, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, and technicians can teach you A LOT - and help you find the food and the bathroom when you need them. When following the physician, do not hover or get in the way. Ask questions during appropriate times (i.e. not during consultations, procedures, or in front of a patient). Never show disgust when seeing procedures or severe cases. Instead, be polite, enthusiastic, and gracious. Respect the patient's confidentiality by obeying HIPAA regulations and not taking photos and posting them on social media. In exam rooms, stand near a wall. In the OR if you are not scrubbed in, stay at least three feet away from the OR table and do NOT touch anything blue. If you must cancel, give at least two days notice. At the end of your observing experience, send a thank you card or email to the physician and staff.
8. Record
When filling out the AMCAS application, there is a Work/Activities section you need to fill with your experiences including shadowing. Here is an example of one:
Experience Name:
Start Date:
End Date:
Average Hours/Week:
Organization Name:
Country:
State:
City:
Contact’s First Name:
Contact’s Last Name:
Contact’s Title:
Contact’s Phone Number:
Contact’s Email:
Experience Description (700 max characters):
Make sure you have all of this information before you leave on your last day and fill it out as soon as you're done shadowing. This will make it easier for you in the future so you don't have to try to remember all of this. When you are shadowing, you should be writing down your observations on patient interaction, healthcare team interaction, what procedures you saw, what skills were helpful, and aspects on the physician lifestyle. Reflect on how your views of pursuing medicine, a certain specialty, or working in a certain setting have changed either negatively or positively. You should keep this information for when it's time to write your personal statement.
At the end of the day, when your feet are killing you and you haven't eaten and you need to pee, remember that doctors experience this and SO much more. Have reverence for the life you witnessed given, taken, or sustained. Respect the people who let you see them at their worst, and most of all be grateful for the opportunity to witness medical care in action because it just as easily could have been any of us.
