By Megan Wang
Introduction
As a prospective pre-med student, shadowing a doctor is an essential activity that can take you the extra mile. In a typical shadowing scenario, you would follow a doctor through their day and see how they balance work in a clinic, hospital, or even operating room. In addition, shadowing can provide pre-med students with valuable experiences and give them a sense of what their future career could be like. For current medical students, shadowing is often a required component for graduation.
That being said, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most clinics are closed and hospitals have drastically limited the number of people who can access their facilities. Thus, it has become much more difficult to secure a shadowing opportunity. Luckily, there is a solution…virtual job shadowing!
What is virtual shadowing, and what are its benefits?
Virtual shadowing is exactly what you think it is—shadowing a doctor in a virtual format! Through an online platform such as Zoom or YouTube, you will still be able to see what goes on in a doctor’s daily life, without being there in person.
There are numerous benefits that come with virtual job shadowing. Firstly, you are able to experience a shadowing opportunity from the comfort of your own home. While this doesn’t translate to an in-person shadowing experience, virtual shadowing is still an amazing way to explore your desired career in greater detail. Secondly, virtual shadowing opportunities are more accessible compared to in-person shadowing. In a normal shadowing experience, there can only be one or two students shadowing a physician; however, virtual shadowing allows hundreds of people to gain shadowing experience. Finally, virtual shadowing allows you to meet doctors that you wouldn’t be able to meet under typical circumstances. If there is a doctor halfway across the country whose work you are interested in, you can reach out to them and ask if they are willing to host a virtual shadowing day for you. You are no longer confined to shadowing local physicians; instead, you can observe doctors anywhere you desire!
Where to find Virtual Shadowing opportunities
For high school students, specifically, there are two major ways to obtain a virtual shadowing experience. The first one is to find a doctor who is willing to let students shadow live through a virtual platform. There are some non-profit organizations that have a selection of shadowing opportunities posted on their Instagram page. Examples of these organizations include Webshadowers, Prehealthshadowing, and Dentalshadowers, to name a few. Students can register for a shadowing opportunity through a form and access the experience through a Zoom link at a designated time. In some cases, students may even be able to collect volunteer hours through their shadowing experience!
Another way to virtually shadow is to go on Youtube and type in “A Day in the Life of a _______”. You will be able to find an ample amount of videos as many medical professionals vlog their daily experiences. Make sure to take your time browsing through the array of videos to find some that deeply interest you. The benefit of YouTube virtual shadowing is that you can watch the videos in your own time. Additionally, most videos are between 5 to 15 minutes long, so this is a great option if you are pressed for time.
Sources
https://blog.amopportunities.org/2020/09/09/faqs-on-pre-med-shadowing-experiences/
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