Pre-med: Shadowing

Shadowing is an amazing experience, and a great way to find out if medicine is a career path you can really see yourself doing. It will help you find what specialty you like or an area of interest and can even be added to your resume. Here are five steps to follow to make your shadowing experience stand out.

1. Finding a physician.

This is the hardest part about shadowing, however it is possible! The easiest way to get connected to a doctor is through someone you know. This can be a friends parents or even your own doctor! If you don’t know any physicians, contact a local office or hospital.

2. Contacting.

Never be afraid to contact a physician because they were once in your shoes, and the worst thing they can say is no. You can email or call (if it’s someone you know personally, I would call). Introduce yourself and tell them what your studying/career goals in a short sentence. Then simply ask if it’s possible for you to shadow them for a shift or a few hours a week, whatever you’re looking for.

3. Questions.

Although you learn a lot from observing, it is important to have questions in mind to ask, so you can get the most out of your experience shadowing. Make sure you ask questions at an appropriate time, not right before they make a cut or are talking to a patient. Some questions you can ask include; what made you choose this specialty, what is your favorite part about your job/specialty, I saw/noticed you did this, why/what is it for. They will appreciate you paying attention and showing interest in their work.

4. Say thank you.

Of course, after spending time with a physician, you will say ‘thank you’ as you leave, but I also like to send a Thank You card in the mail. Not a lot of people send thank you cards, especially from my generation, and people truly do appreciate it. A hand written note about how impactful your experience was will also help for future shadowing and possibly a good letter of recommendation.

5. Keep a journal.

Even if you write this in a note on your phone it is super important. Write about what you saw, things you liked or didn’t like, and what you learned. This can be helpful when writing your personal essay for applications or even as motivation when feel like giving up.