<p>My parents know these cool people who gave me the address of a very important cardiologist who lives in India. I'm lucky I suppose. This guy is very prominent in fact he travels all over and gives lectures in prestigious Universities everywhere, I think he just got back from one at Tokyo U. So he's a big shot, I have the oppertunity to tail him for a day. When I'm tailing him what should I look out for? What do I do there? Would it be too much to ask for a reccomendation from him?</p>
<p>I'm genuinely interested in the medical field and this is a very good oppertunity for me, but I dont wanna mess it up </p>
<p>One day isn't enough, in my view, to ask for a letter of recommendation. If you were to tail him for 2+ weeks, then maybe--and that's a big maybe.</p>
<p>The most important thing is just to absorb as much information as you can while you're tailing him around--dress relatively nicely, bring a notepad (but don't take notes in front of him--scribble your impressions, the names of the people you met, and anything else you learned as soon as you're done. But following someone around with a notepad is kinda wierd).</p>
<p>Yea 1 day I am also thinking is way less for a recc. unless he really likes me or something</p>
<p>I will be viewing a few surgeries which I cannot wait to do (I am no longer grossed as the site of blood) but I might just bring this small voice recorder and record my notes on that, I have a very small one and I could record anything interesting on that</p>
<p>thanks for the replies and anyone who has tailed a doctor, feel free to let me know how it was and what you did</p>
<p>also I have his email address now, I am going to send him a brief email letting him know who I am and what I do lol I totally don't know the ettiquette associated with this (if there is any)</p>
<p>Dress well, ask if you need to bring anything (lab coat?), show genuine interest, ask well thought out questions, don't interrupt him while he is working - more than likely he will point things out to you from time to time and offer to show you some things (accept that graciously without getting in the way of others). When (awake) patients (and familiies) are involved, remain in the background and just observe - that's not the time for questions. Make some journal entries at the end of your day so you can refer to your notes at a later time.</p>
<p>btw, about watching surgeries, from my own experience the surgeon--even if it's the person who you're shadowing himself--will talk to you very rarely.Cardiothoracic surgeries are obviously more complicated than, say apendectomies, so they need to concentrate. Every once and awhile they might say "this is the such and such part" but otherwise it'll probably be the super-friendly nurses that tell you the most interesting things and to whom you can ask questions too. </p>
<p>Again, this is only from my own experience.</p>
<p>i am currently doing a program where i shadow doctors for the whole month of july....i thought i would also hav lotsa stuff to ask but honestly they just kno so much more that i feel dumb asking</p>