Congrats! You decided you are interested in attending PA school! Or maybe you want to see what all the fuss is about and decided it was smart to gain shadowing experience before going all in. Either way, shadowing a medical provider is a great way to peek into what the day-to-day life of a PA actually looks like. My recommendation is to find as many diverse shadowing opportunities as possible. I shadowed several different medical providers before I chose the PA career path. During my first two years of undergrad, I was deciding between becoming a PA, a physician, a nutritionist, or embarrassingly a CIA agent!
The ultimate reason why I chose PA school over medical school is that I asked questions and I listened to the answers. I asked every PA I came across, “if you could do it all over again would you still go to PA school?” They all said yes. I also asked every MD or DO I came across the same question. “If you could do it all over again would you still go to medical school?” About half of them said they would and the other half said they wish they had known PA school was an option. If they had they would have gone that route. Regardless of your intention of shadowing, do not waste the opportunity. Ask questions and form connections if you can. You never know if there will be a job opportunity down the road! Okay, now that you agree it is smart to shadow, let’s dive into some ideas on how to look for a shadowing experience!
Related: How to Gain Clinical Experience Prior to PA School
Use personal connections to gain shadowing experience
I had a neighbor that was a PA that I shadowed for several weeks. I also had a friend whose mother was a PA and another friend whose father was a physician. Don’t be afraid to ask for opportunities. What is that famous quote? “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” The worst thing they can say is no. If that happens follow up with “do you have any colleagues that would be able to accommodate a student?” Be gracious. Most people want to help but might have a stressful crazy busy job as it is. Adding a student to the mix might seem like too much.
Contact local hospitals
This can be a little tougher as there will likely be paperwork you need to fill out and an actual application process. However, once you are in the hospital records it would be easier to switch around to different departments. This way you can gain several different shadowing experiences under the same roof. First, check their website. There are likely rules on what is and isn’t allowed. If you can’t find the information you are looking for, or you have further questions then I recommend calling the HR department directly. It might be more difficult to go through a specific medical provider. They may not have any control over if you can shadow or not. If you’re not getting a response try walking in and asking to talk to someone. That will make it a little harder for them to ignore you.
Reach out to private medical offices
There may still be paperwork required to shadow in a private medical office but the process should be simpler. Do you have a medical provider you see as a patient? That might be an easier way to casually bring up that you are interested in shadowing. You can say something like, “I always have such a pleasant experience whenever I come to see you as a patient, I was wondering if your office offered shadowing opportunities for students interested in the medical profession. I could see myself working in (fill in the blank of what medical specialty you are asking to shadow in) in the future.” If you don’t see anyone as a patient, that’s okay. Draft a professional email and send it out to medical offices in the area. Wait two weeks and then follow that up with a phone call. Ask if they received your email and show your interest in simply learning.
Ask your college for help with obtaining shadowing experience
Does your college or university have a pre-PA program or any other organization that assists students with placement for shadowing opportunities? Or maybe you know someone that has recently applied to PA school. Ask them who they shadowed and if they would be willing to share that person’s contact information so that you can reach out. Ask the people in the organizations you are in for any ideas.
Applying to PA or medical school is no joke. It takes time and work to make things happen. Never say no to a shadowing opportunity if it presents itself. You never know where that may lead you and what doors it may open. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t put the work in and ask the questions. While shadowing is required for most PA schools. Don’t just do it and check it off as something you need to get done. Really try to make the most of your time and learn as much as you can. Have you been able to land shadowing experience in a different way? Please comment and share below, it might help someone else out!
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