Shadowing a Dr for learning - any help appreciated

underthestars

Wed, Jan 01 2020, 2:36 am

I am not sure where exactly to place this. My DD is learning in NY and is interested in becoming a Dr, specifically a cardiologist. She would like very much to shadow a Dr either in NY or in Cleveland (where we have family for her to stay) over her winter or summer break (or both). We live OOT and have NO connections in the medical field. Can anyone suggest how my DD can succeed in finding this? She has called/emailed and contacted everyone she knows and so far has had no success. She has called/emailed doctors she doesn't know and still no success.

Any advice/help would be appreciated.

Thank you

happyone

Wed, Jan 01 2020, 2:43 am

if your daughter has an option of Cleveland, Cleveland Clinic is rated number 1 in the USA for cardiology. Try Mrs. Shapiro from the Bikur Cholim, she may have long term relationships with that cardiac team and someone may do it for her. if you need her contact info?, PM me.

Rutabaga

Wed, Jan 01 2020, 4:56 am

Personal connections are usually the best way to connect with someone like this. Does your daughter know any doctors personally, even if they're in a different field? Maybe they can connect her to someone. Does she have a primary care physician? Maybe that would be a helpful connection. Are there any doctors in your extended family or circle of friends or anyone who is good friends with a doctor? Are there any doctors who daven in any of the shuls you daven in? The Jewish world is small and you or your daughter should be able to network enough to find someone willing to let her shadow them.

Another option is for your daughter to contact an organization that promotes women in medicine to see if they could set her up with someone. A quick Google discovered this one https://www.amwa-doc.org/ but I also remember reading about a frum organization that just held a conference. I'm blanking on the name but I'll try to find it for you.

Hatzlacha!

ETA: Found it! https://www.jowma.org/

underthestars

Wed, Jan 01 2020, 6:16 am

chmom- are there other areas of medicine you can recommend that will not be as intense as this? Can my daughter speak with you? She is getting a lot of negative encouragement if she wants to remain frum & have a husband & family. Any thoughts? (I know I drifted from my original post but your mentioning you are an MD perked my interest in other aspects of her life now)

Amarante

Wed, Jan 01 2020, 8:27 am

underthestars wrote:

Why would this specialty be considered more intense than other specialties.

A cardiologist is not a cardiac surgeon. My PCP is a Board certified cardiologist - she was a female. My father's PCP was also a cardiologist. Their schedules did not seem more grueling than other doctors as they kept normal office hours.

Petra

Wed, Jan 01 2020, 9:44 am

There are shadowing programs at most large health systems like Cleveland Clinic, Case Western, etc. She would just need to contact the education department. She would have to do some training most likely to learn about HIPAA and other related issues and make sure she has a TB test and maybe other required immunizations before she is able to shadow. In my institution, the education dept will match the shadower with a physician or dept.

chmom

Wed, Jan 01 2020, 10:22 am

underthestars wrote:

I don’t think that cardiology is more intense than any other field in internal medicine. If that is what she likes she should go for it. Often students change their minds during rotations anyway so nothing is set in stone.
My thoughts on the whole staying frum/ marriage/ children issue is
1. people say a lot of stupid and ignorant things when someone dares to do things that are not cookie cutter, especially women.
2. yes, the beginning is intense but if she really wants to do this, she should , instead of afterwards being resentful and unhappy with her chosen profession
I happen to think that medicine is unbelievably gratifying, I cannot think of anything else I would like to do
She obviously needs to marry someone who is on board with her chosen career
3 why is staying frum an issue any more than any other area of study. Working on shabbos is sometimes necessary but it is not breaking Shabbos it is allowed and AYLOR.

sevengirl

Wed, Jan 01 2020, 7:40 pm

I don’t know what she is up to academically- but if she wants the clinical exposure piece (and likely not the jewish mentor - reach out to jowma for that), this is a great opportunity- https://med.nyu.edu/rusk/educa.....apply
Applications close on Friday so she should get on it if she is interested, or having it in her mind for next summer:

allcuteonesrtak

Wed, Jan 01 2020, 9:43 pm

I totally agree that she should reach out to JOWMA.
Thai is why they were founded - to help and empower frum female physicians, that they CAN do this, that they can be frum, a wife a mother, and a physician.
They have mentors and opportunities to Shadow etc.
She should definitely reach out!

headabovewater

Wed, Jan 01 2020, 11:21 pm

If she is capable of doing it, let her go for it. I have a female relative who is doing a residency (with a family). It isn't easy, but she has no regrets. Cardiology can be a bit more challenging, because it's generally longer training than other specialties. After med school, most cardiogists do a 3 year internal medicine residency, followed by 3 to 4 years of cardiology training. That's 6-7 years of training AFTER med school (with very long/difficult) hours. It's great that she has great aspirations.

allcuteonesrtak

Thu, Jan 02 2020, 9:43 am

headabovewater wrote:

Cardiology isn't more challenging than any other internal medicine specialty.
4 years for residency after med school is a given.
Most specialties requires additional years for a fellowship.