Shadowing Physician Assistants

One item that I forgot to mention in my first post was the value of shadowing PA's. I have so far shadowed two PA's, and I plan to shadow again on at least two more occasions before I apply. In this post, I will describe what it means to shadow a PA, as well as ways to find a PA to shadow.

So what does it mean to shadow a PA? In my experience, shadowing a PA consists of following a PA around for the day, watching how they perform their job. You get to watch the PA interact with the patients, fill out any paper work that needs to get done, and other various tasks done during the day. The most valuable part of the day, however, is being able to ask any questions you may have about the profession. In my past 2 experiences, both PA's I shadowed have been very open to questions, and answered many of my questions regarding applying to PA school, the profession itself, and why they decided to become a PA. The answers and tips they provided are incredibly valuable.

Because many schools ask for documentation of your shadowing experiences, it is helpful to keep a journal of your shadowing experiences, taking note of what you saw and learned during the day. When it comes time to apply to PA school, you can ask the PAs you have shadowed to sign off on your journal, and submit that as part of your application. I have begun to create a log of my shadowing experiences, and plan to continue to do so in the upcoming months.

As I mentioned above, at this time I have shadowed 2 PAs. My first shadowing experience was with a family practice PA. My day consisted of observing the PA see various patients in a doctor's office setting. I saw a variety of cases, such as a patient with a rash, a few BP medication checkups, and general physical exams. Though I learned a lot about the profession that day, I was able to recognize that family practice is not an interest of mine.

Last week I had the opportunity to shadow an orthopedic trauma PA in a hospital clinic. Most, if not all patients I saw were recovering from bone fractures, and were returning today for their follow up appointments. A majority of the patients seen were still in casts, and I was able to view a multitude of X-rays showing the initial injury, as well as the healing process, including various plates and support rods that were used to stabilize the broken bone. I found the day to be very interesting and informative, and would definitely like to shadow there again. It was here that I was given the idea of keeping a journal of my shadowing experiences. I was also lucky enough to get the contact information for a trauma PA at the same hospital, whom I hope to setup a shadow date with in the near future.

So how do you find a PA to shadow? The first thing I would recommend doing is contacting your states PA society, as they often have a list of PAs that are willing to have students shadow them. Through my states PA society, I was able to get the contact information for the orthopedic trauma PA I shadowed, and I am currently waiting to hear back about an ER PA near school. If you are unable to find a PA through your states PA society, the next thing you can do is contact doctor's offices or hospitals near you and ask if they have any PAs on staff. Once you are in contact with a PA, you can ask them if they are willing to have you shadow for a day. This is how I found the family practice PA I shadowed.

I hope you found this post on shadowing PAs informative. If you have any questions/comments, please feel free to hit the comment button below and leave me some feedback!