#universalprecaution

[globalcitizenspresscollective]

#universalprecaution rule number 1 nothing comes in btw my money rule number 2 never be number 2 rule number 3 do me how you want be done this shit is fun for me learned long enough from the ogs strictly business never personal so I don’t say much https://www.instagram.com/p/Bp5aAaEFR3s/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=8gw1dfom4u34

[wayfaringmd]

Advice to Premeds: What should I ask the doctor I'm shadowing?

I just started shadowing a doctor and I already ask him quite a few questions but I think my questions are somewhat generalized and he might be getting a little irritated. Do you have any suggestions on the kind of questions or topics I should bring up? What kind of questions did you ask the doctors when you were shadowing? Thank you! :) -universalprecaution

I really don’t remember what I asked way back in the day. I tend to learn a lot from observing, so I don’t usually ask a lot of questions, which can be misconstrued as disinterest on my part. But I can think of things that I would hope a good med student or shadower would be asking in their minds while they watched on. Since you’re a pre-med, it is to be expected that your questions will be fairly general. But here’s some suggestions:

1) ask about the specific patients you’ve seen with him. How did he arrive at the diagnosis? What other diagnoses was he considering? How is Mr. so and so from a month ago doing? Has he followed up yet?

2) Ask for explanations of treatment choices. Why did he order that x-ray or that ultrasound? Did he pick that blood pressure med at random or what was his reason for picking that one? Why that antidepressant? Why that antibiotic? What if the patient had been allergic, what would he have used then? How do those meds even work?

3) Ask what lab results mean, and what he is planning to do about them. Ok, her triglycerides are high. What now?

4) Ask about those weird physical exam things he does. What does he learn by twisting a patient’s knee this way and that? Why look between toes on diabetics? Why check lower extremity pulses?

5) Ask him his opinion on things. Why did he pick his specialty? Would he do it all over again if he had to? What are some challenges or things he doesn’t like about his job? What aspects of his job were unexpected to him when he was a pre-med? Does he like his EMR (probably not)? What does he wish he had studied or learned before becoming a doctor? What non-medical skills does he think a good doctor needs?

6) Notice things that he does frequently or meds that he tends to prefer. Ask why these are his favorite. If he doesn’t give a patient a med they ask for, ask him why (once the patient is gone). 

7) Go home and read about conditions, medications, or labs that you have seen or heard about in the office that day. That is sure to raise more questions for you, and likely answer a lot of tedious ones that you didn’t care to ask. Ask him what websites or resources would be good for you to go to to learn more. Some docs will also loan you books and journals. When you give it back, be sure to comment on something you’ve read so they know you read it. 

Don’t bombard them with questions, certainly, but ask enough to show that you are interested.