Principle

Overview

The Physician Shadowing Program in the Faculty of Medicine (FoM) is designed to allow medical learners to explore specialty options early in their medical education through supervised clinical shadowing experiences in a variety of practice areas. The FoM recognizes that physician shadowing is a valuable experience that provides medical learners with the opportunity to establish connections with practicing physicians, often resulting in the creation of relationships with potential mentors and referees who may support their CaRMS application.

Physician shadowing is an ongoing and integral part of the career planning program (MedCAREERS) and helps partially fulfill the Committee on Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools (CACMS) accreditation standard 11.2 CAREER ADVISING: A medical school has an effective and where appropriate confidential career advising system in place that integrates the efforts of faculty members, directors of required clinical learning experiences, and student affairs staff to assist medical students in choosing elective courses, evaluating career options, and applying to residency programs.

Our Physician Shadowing Program is coordinated by learner Shadowing Coordinators within the first and second year class. These are MUCEP funded, class elected positions. The Shadowing Coordinators manage and update the list of participating physicians and coordinate the matching of learners to physicians using a fair and transparent matching process.

Purpose

To outline the requirements for medical learners and physicians who participate in the Physician Shadowing Program.

Scope

All Phase 2 and Phase 3 learners in the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) program at Memorial University (Memorial) and all physicians who volunteer to provide clinical exposure to those learners who participate in the Physician Shadowing Program.

Definitions

Learner Participants (for Physician Shadowing def) — Phase 2 and Phase 3 learners.

Physician Participants — Physician volunteers who are registered in the Physician Shadowing Program.

Policy

1.0. Program Provisions 

1.1. One (1) Phase 2 or Phase 3 Learner Participant is to be matched to one (1) Physician Participant each month of the academic year for up to a maximum of twelve (12) hours per week, in accordance with the regulations and policies of the participating institution(s). 

1.1.1. The specific shadowing shifts can be any time that the physician and learner mutually agree on. However, learners are strongly encouraged to utilize the available time in their schedule and to not miss lectures or other academic sessions for shadowing.

1.2. The program is voluntary for both learners and physicians. Participants can withdraw at any time. 

2.0. Shadowing Outside the FoM Physician Shadowing Program Match: 

2.1. Learners wishing to seek shadowing opportunities outside the Physician Shadowing Match should speak directly to the Learner Success Consultant in the Office of Learner Well-Being and Success and notify their class Shadowing Coordinator. Such outside opportunities include shadowing opportunities in Newfoundland and Labrador with physicians who are not currently registered for the program and shadowing opportunities in other Canadian provinces.

2.1.1. Learners may directly approach faculty who are not registered participants in the Shadowing Program to request shadowing opportunities. The learner must ask the physician to complete the Physician Participation Form and this must be submitted to the Learner Success Consultant and approved by a Director in LWS prior to shadowing. New physician participants will be encouraged to participate in the Shadowing Program Match in the future. 

2.1.2. Out of province shadowing experiences typically require the approval of the applicable provincial or territorial medical regulatory authority. It is the learner responsibility to ensure all such requirements are met. 

2.1.3. The Office of Learner Well-Being and Success is unable to approve international shadowing experiences.

Non-Compliance

Learners who are not registered with the Physician Shadowing program are not guaranteed coverage by the liability insurance provided by Memorial through CURIE (Canadian Universities Reciprocal Insurance Exchange).

Procedures: