Shadowing

• Professional schools encourage students to validate their interest in the health professions by spending time observing (shadowing) the day-to-day life of doctors in their field of interest. Shadowing helps students to:
• develop an understanding of the professional lives of physicians
• observe the relationships between physicians and patients
• discover and evaluate their interests in health professions
• To hear from current students, read this article from Eukaryon. Used with permission from Lokesh Kukreja '08.

Internships

• Internships provide an opportunity to explore a field of interest and gain valuable experience outside the classroom.  Students can earn academic credit for internships and become eligible to apply for internships for credit following the completion of two years of course work.  Internships allow students to:
• explore and gain insight into a wide range of careers
• learn to apply academic concepts and principles in real-world settings
• develop new skills that help distinguish them from other health professions applicants

How to Find a Shadowing Experience

Step One: Make a list
Step Two: Ask for the Shadowing Experience
Step Three: Interview for the Shadowing Experience
Step Four: Notify your Faculty that you got it!

·            Step One:  Make a list

Make a list of what you’d be willing to do in your Shadowing experience. (i.e. – how far would you travel?  How much time do you have available to shadow?  What experiences have you had that have solidified your interest in this field?  OR What are you curious about learning in this field?  What days are you available?  When would you start?)  The more you know upfront, the better they can quickly assist you.

THINGS TO CONSIDER: 

·         Aim for one afternoon a week for a period of at least 8 weeks during the academic year - more if the shadowing will take place over the summer.   (As if it were an extra lab)

·         4 hours seems like about the maximum per week that you should commit.  Otherwise you run the risk of bailing out when the semester crunch is on and have a less professional experience.

Make a list of any doctor you’ve ever come in contact with that would possibly be able to help you.  NEVER RULE ANYONE OUT!  You must start somewhere.  (i.e. – your family doctor, your neighbor back home’s doctor, the doctor you baby-sit for, the optometrist you visited once because you had a coupon, the doctor who has an ad on the back of your church’s newsletter…)  Secondly, ask everybody you know if they’d be willing to give you names or help you get connected with a doctor.  This is your ‘B’ list.  These are people that you’ll be connected with because of someone else.  (i.e. – your roommate’s mom is a doctor, faculty, the Health Center on campus doctor, the Career Advancement Center has a small database of alumni).  Lastly, the internet or the phone book.  They may seem like crazy places to look but YOU NEVER KNOW what you might come up with. 

·         Step Two:  Ask for the Shadowing Experience 

Once you start Shadow hunting, it is best to be ready for professionals to be calling you or contacting you via email.  The more prepared you are to talk with them, the quicker they can assist you. 

Below is a sample of what you could briefly say to someone over the phone or leave on their answering machine.  Remember, EVERY PHONE CONVERSATION WILL BE PERSONALIZED so feel free to modify, but here are some main points that you’d like to convey in under 30 seconds.

Phone script:   Hello.  My name is __________ and I am currently a pre-med sophomore at Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, IL – just 45 min. north of Rush Medical.  I read your biography on your web page and am very interested in learning more about what you do.  I was wondering if you would be able to take on someone to Shadow you this fall for approximately 4 hours a week.  (IF you know you’re schedule, you could add:  I have Monday and Wednesdays available from 1:00 – 6:00 and could block off 4 hours at your convenience on those days.  I can be reached at 555-555-5555 or via email at blank@lakeforest.edu.  Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

NOTE:  Be prepared for them to say "NO".  As you can well imagine, these professionals are swamped and barely have time to stop and think for a moment on their own let alone teach someone.  Be ready for them to abruptly say no and move on or assess the situation to see if they’d be willing to talk with you ONCE about the field.  You could ask them for  an Informational Interview (link to the CAC’s Resource handout page) or Networking Conversation.  You could ask them questions about their career path, offer suggestions for someone interested in entering the field or better yet, a name of someone else to call!

·         Step Three:  Interview for the Shadowing Experience

Even though the Shadowing Experience is unpaid and you are not receiving credit, you should still TREAT IT AS A FORMAL JOB EXPERIENCE.  If your Shadowing experience goes well, your mentor can often provide the most compelling letter for your application, or this might turn into an Internship.  Dress professionally, bring your Curriculum Vitae (CV) and arrive 10 minutes early.  See the Career Advancement Center’s Interview Handout (link here) for more information.

• Step Four:  Notify your Faculty that you got it!

To help you get started with your search, please contact the Career Advancement Center. They are in the process of formulating a list of doctors to ask for professional experience.