Cool Things To Shadow As A Preclerk

[Thunderbirds]

Hello, 2019 here. Having finished my first year, I realized I ended up shadowing a lot of things I kinda already knew (eg. Emerg, Internal, Anesthesia, Obstetrics, ICU, etc.) I am fairly certain on what I want to do, but I want to take second year as an opportunity to see things I will probably never ever see again (but at same time, keep exploring my career path that I think I want).

So I ask med students/residents: what are some cool/weird things you shadowed? Just for sake of shadowing. Eg. Emerg psych, or forensic pathology (it ain't CSI), or STI clinic, etc. Any disease specific clinics? 

[mononoke]

What are you fairly certain on doing? it'll help with recommending stuff that are completely different

 

for example, forensic path and forensic psych were both pretty cool

[Thunderbirds]

Probably IM, but maybe anesthesia or FM. Good to know that forensic path and psych were good experiences for you. 

[Lactic Folly]

Neurosurgery (see the brain 'beating'!)

[mononoke]

Probably IM, but maybe anesthesia or FM. Good to know that forensic path and psych were good experiences for you. 

In that case, on the 'opposite side' of the spectrum would be surgery - I would recommend transplant, you get to ride in a helicopter and transport organs

[Albertan10]

In that case, on the 'opposite side' of the spectrum would be surgery - I would recommend transplant, you get to ride in a helicopter and transport organs

really? I've been in on a ton of transplant ORs. Both donour and recipients. It seemed that the harvest and transport of the organs was done in a complete seperate process. Unless there was an organized donour and recipient, which would be done in the same hospital. But, from my experience the organs would be coming from all sorts of different distant locations from an entirely seperate process. 

 

I was never offered a helicopter ride =(

 

If going IM and just looking for short experiences, i agree check out some cool surgeries. Neurosurg, transplant, even some ortho, robotic surgery... 

[shikimate]

Routine hospital autopsy is mostly boring. 

 

If you want to see something you'll never see again as IM I suggest pediatric/fetal autopsy, abortion clinic, or something along the lines of gynecologic/pediatric subspecialties

 

I still remember the exasperated face of IM colleagues when a pelvic exam was needed.

[GrouchoMarx]

i think derm is a good observership. nice mix of pathology and clinic. if they have specialized clinics like for bullous disorders or cutaneous lymphomas, check them out.

pathology might be a good thing to observe for a week to see if youre into that. shikimate is right though, hospital autopsy is boring and there isnt much learning contrary to popular belief. spend time with some gross resections but mostly do micro work. look at slides. 

check radiology out too. 

radiation oncology is different, and you wont get a lot of opportunity to see it later so thats a good one.

ophthalmology as well. see if you can observe retina clinic for a week.

 

youll get more out of doing clinics than standing around the OR. at least that was my experience.

 

the pattern is that it would be a good idea to observe specialties that are not mandatory in clerkship.

[Doc_911_doc]

For OR - ortho lets you do quite a lot I find!