Prospective medical students should plan ahead to ensure they can line up a shadowing experience. Dress appropriately and leave your phone off and out of reach when shadowing a physician. For prospective medical school students, shadowing a physician is an opportunity to learn about the complexity and difficulty of practicing medicine. These experiences allow them to observe doctors working hard at recording patient notes, handling challenging cases or explaining complicated procedures to a patient. These are also chances for premed students to confirm that medicine is the right career path and force them to consider the responsibilities and long hours associated with being a physician, along with whether they are willing to invest the years of hard work required to become a doctor. One medical student who had not shadowed a physician dropped out after the first six months of medical school because he decided he wasn't cut out to be a physician. By shadowing a physician prior to enrolling, he may have realized this and pursued another career option. Admissions committees likewise take these experiences seriously and may be concerned if a student lacks evidence of a shadowing experience on his or her medical school application. They want to know that applicants thoroughly understand the education and career they are committing to. But shadowing a physician alone isn't enough. It's important that premed students ensure they are getting the most benefit from the experience. Here are four common mistakes to avoid when coordinating with and then shadowing a physician. 1. Inadequate planning: To secure an opportunity to shadow a physician, you need to plan ahead. Otherwise, you could miss out. If you want to shadow a physician during a particular block of time – such as the morning or weekends – call the medical office roughly a month in advance. Email ahead of time to introduce yourself. Include some background – roughly a paragraph – about who you are, where you attend school and how far along you are in your training, in addition to your aspirations to become a doctor. If you are requesting to shadow in a private practitioner's office, this email may suffice to set up the shadowing opportunity. However, to shadow in a large medical center, you may need to complete multiple steps to arrange the experience. For example, do you have a physician's name, department or other contact to get started? You may want to ask a more senior premed student whom they shadowed or reach out to your premed adviser or an employee at the medical center for contacts. Don't be too surprised if you receive a negative response to your initial call or two, but always ask if the person has another recommendation for a physician who will allow you to shadow. Some centers may require you register through a volunteer office or apply for a visitor's pass. All of this takes time, so it's critical that you start the process early to ensure you secure a shadowing experience and on your ideal schedule. 2. Demonstrating improper etiquette: While shadowing, remember to dress appropriately – as you would for a job interview – and leave your phone turned off and out of reach. Be mindful of hospital rules – you can easily pick up on these simply by observing what other people do. For example, eating and drinking in patient care areas is prohibited, and you must wash your hands or use foam sanitizer before entering and after leaving a patient's room. You'll gain the most from your shadowing experience if you are closely watching and learning. And beyond demonstrating proper etiquette, be sure to display gratitude and thank the physician, nurses and other professionals who contribute to your experience. 3. Misunderstanding your role: Before you enter a patient's room, the physician will likely ask the patient if he or she is comfortable with you in the room. Most often, they will say yes. Keep in mind, however, that these patients have developed a trusting relationship with their doctor, but they don’t know you. Ask the physician whether you should personally introduce yourself as a prospective medical student – not to be confused with a medical student or junior doctor. If the doctor suggests you touch a patient during the examination, be sure to ask the patient's permission first. Also make sure the patient is covered with a blanket or sheet, especially if he or she is not the same gender as you, so that the patient feels less exposed. 4. Inappropriate timing of questions: Avoid asking a patient medical questions unless the physician offers you the chance. You could easily open Pandora's box because you don't know the patient's sensitivities and circumstances. Remember you are a guest in the room. Your foremost responsibility is to be considerate of the patient. However, if the opportunity to ask a question presents itself, consider this approach: "Thank you for letting me be here today. Since I am early in my training, I would like to learn from you what it's like from the patient's perspective to be going through this illness." If you have questions for the physician, wait until you leave the patient's room and are in a safe place, out of earshot of others, before asking them. Also know that you are bound by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, and cannot talk or write about the patient with anyone – not even your parents or significant other – except the physician and the medical team. HIPAA rules also prevent you from posting specific patient details on social media. A shadowing opportunity is a gift from the physician, medical team and patients – enjoy this observation and learning opportunity but also give it the necessary respect and effort. Source
