Your first time shadowing orthopedic surgery can definitely feel overwhelming. But with the right mindset and a little preparation, it can also be the day you realize you’re in the right specialty.
I remember the first time I scheduled a shadowing opportunity with an orthopedic surgeon. I was ecstatic that I was finally able to get into an OR but then the thought of how to prepare became a bit overwhelming. It seemed that there was just so much I did not know. If you have felt like that, don’t worry, it is completely normal. Here are my tips and tricks on what to wear, how to act, what to watch for, and how to make the most of it so that you knock your shadowing experience out of the park.
What to Wear and Bring
The first thing to consider is what to wear. A good place to start is by emailing the person who helped set up the shadowing and ask if there is a specific dress code in the clinic or OR. In the past, for clinic days, I would wear a nice polo, khakis/dress pants, and dress shoes. I tried to keep it professional and formal but still comfortable. Depending on who you shadow though, you may be required to wear a button down and potentially a jacket. Unfortunately, as I am a man, I do not know much about the female wardrobe and what to wear so apologies on that. Typically for an OR day, regardless of what you wear, they will give you hospitals scrubs to put over your clothes. In the past I would wear something similar to the clinic like a polo, khakis/dress pants, and dress shoes.
For both the clinic and the OR, you don’t need to bring much. I typically bring: lunch, pen, small notebook, and a water. Just have something that you can take notes on so you don’t have to pull out your phone to write something down.
How to Act When Shadowing
The most important thing to remember is to be polite to everyone, not just the attending you are shadowing. This includes members of the team such as techs, nurses, and residents. Being polite to the entire team will help you build a good reputation with that office and that attending which could lead to more opportunities in the future. You will also want to clearly introduce yourself to anyone you meet with a smile. I have found just adding a smile had an enormous positive impact on interactions with new people.
When actually shadowing, make sure to not interrupt during critical moments. Save your questions for calmer moments away from patients or after the case ends. Try to ask thoughtful questions pertaining to the case that would help you understand the topic more or questions about orthopedics that are difficult to find online.
Examples:
In Clinic:
- What clinical findings led you to that treatment decision?
- How do you usually explain this condition to patients?
- What do you look for when deciding if surgery is appropriate?
In the OR (ask during downtime or after the case):
- What makes this step of the procedure especially important?
- How do you choose the implant or fixation method?
- What are the most common complications you anticipate with this surgery?
Career Insight:
- What made you choose orthopedics as a specialty?
- What do you look for in medical students on rotation?
- What early experiences helped you prepare for residency?
- Are there any skills I can build now that will help me later?
Here are some examples of questions that I have asked or would ask if I were shadowing. Keep them simple but use them as a way to learn and build a stronger relationship with the attending. If they can see you are genuinely curious about what they are doing and are open to learning, they may want to help you more in the future.
What to Look For and Learn
The main point of shadowing is to see and learn what orthopedic surgeons do and reflect on if that is something you would want to spend the rest of your life doing. Some things to pay attention to, especially during surgery in the OR, is the anatomy and surgical techniques used by the surgeons. Anatomy is not set in stone as it seems in the textbooks. There is so much variation that is not shown in textbooks and shadowing during a surgery is an amazing way to see it. Focus on the differences that you may see and how the surgeon responds to them. Also pay attention to the types of surgical techniques the surgeons use as they can vary from surgeon to surgeon.
When in the clinic, try to learn from how the surgeon interacts with the patients. Every surgeon is different and you can take away a lot of tips and tricks that you can implement into your own patient interactions. Along with patient interactions, for both the OR and clinic, see how surgeons talk and communicate with their team. An important component of an efficient and well working team is communication and you can learn a lot when shadowing.
How to Stand Out (Without Overstepping)
Always be on time or early. It looks terrible on you if you arrive late to a shadowing opportunity as the attending is allowing you the opportunity to shadow them. Be open to help with any small tasks that they have and be enthusiastic to learn. Also, do not go on your phone or become distracted when they are with a patient. Spend every moment that you can interested in learning from the attending. Lastly, make sure to express gratitude at the end of the day. Let the attending know that you greatly appreciated the opportunity to shadow and learn from them.
After the Shadowing Experience
Always send a thank you email, again expressing gratitude for them allowing you to shadow. If it went well, ask to shadow again or if they may have any other opportunities. If you made a good enough impression, the attending could possibly help connect you with research. Also, log your research experience, writing down what you did and what you saw will help you remember for later.