E-Shadowing During COVID-19

March 13th, 2021
by: Nidhi Navaratna

Pre-med 101: E-Shadowing During COVID-19

Hello all! My name is Nidhi Navaratna, and I’m one of the Pre-med Medical Assistants (PMA) here at Hill Vascular and Vein Center. I’m an aspiring physician and will be applying to medical school this upcoming cycle. I’m here today with a guide for my fellow pre-meds who may be having difficulty finding in-person clinical experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s no secret that the medical school application process–already lengthy and arduous–is being transformed as a result of the pandemic. As we adapt to MCAT rescheduling, remote interviews, and updated admissions guidelines, it is important to be aware of alternatives to in-person opportunities. This brings me to today’s topic: e-shadowing.

As many pre-meds may already know, a shadowing experience is an essential part of our medical journey. Shadowing a physician allows us to observe the doctor-patient relationship firsthand and understand the day-to-day duties and responsibilities of a doctor. With many hospitals and clinics enforcing strict COVID-19 guidelines, it is now tougher than ever to find a physician open to shadowing. Luckily, several remote “e-shadowing” opportunities have been launched over the past few months. Many of these programs introduce audience members to various topics in medicine, present case studies, and feature guest speakers and Q&A panels. The best part? You don’t even have to leave your room.

So far, I have come across two general approaches to remote shadowing. The first approach is presentation-based. A physician or other healthcare professional will present a PowerPoint about their speciality and then hold a Q&A panel to answer audience questions. This is a great way to learn about various medical specialties, specialty-specific training, and even other healthcare professions.

The second type of e-shadowing approach is case walkthroughs. The doctor (or medical student, in some cases) walks the audience through each step of a case from patient intake and physical exam to diagnosis and treatment. This approach is more immersive as it often involves audience participation and thus active learning. Both styles, however, have their merits, and I encourage my peers to try out each approach if possible.

Below, is a list of four virtual shadowing programs I’ve come across so far, classified by approach. I’ve also included some general comments for the programs I have attended or currently attend.

1. HEAL Clinical Education Network

• Cost: Free
• Approach: Case walkthrough
• Host: Mitra Sharifi, a 4th year medical student at Indiana University School of Medicine
• When: Wednesday 5 PM PST / 8PM EST.
• Comments: I attend HEAL’s e-shadowing program every Wednesday, and I’ve found it to be one of the best virtual shadowing opportunities out there. Using a database of patient videos from ReelDx, Mitra walks you through patient intake, diagnosis, and treatment for 3-4 unique cases per one-hour session. Each session focuses on a different topic such as pediatrics, general surgery, neonatology, and palliative care. Mitra’s presentations are fun, engaging and interactive. She asks the audience to supply differential diagnoses for each case before revealing the correct one–a fantastic opportunity to practice your diagnostic skills before medical school! Furthermore, students can receive a monthly certificate for hours completed after passing the quizzes held after each session. Be sure to take notes as you will learn a LOT of medical terminology throughout the session!

2. E-Shadowing by Medical School HQ

• Cost: Free
• Approach: PowerPoint presentation, Q&A
• Host: Dr. Ryan Gray, founder of Medical School HQ
• Time: Monday 5PM PST / 8PM EST
• Comments: I’ve attended this program a few times over the last couple months. Each week, a new physician presents about their specialty and answers audience questions. As someone who is interested in specializing down the line, I was introduced to fields previously unknown to me, including dermatopathology and aerospace medicine. The structure of each presentation varies, with many speakers including case studies in their presentation.

3. Virtual Shadowing

• Cost: Free
• Approach: PowerPoint presentation, Q&A
• Host: Dr. Raymond Fowler, an emergency medicine physician
• Time: Tuesday 5PM PST / 8PM EST
• Comments: I highly recommend this program for pre-meds interested in all aspects of medicine. Sessions cover topics such as medical law, the role of technology in medicine, and even spirituality and burnout in medicine. The program features speakers from a variety of healthcare professions including physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners. Previously recorded sessions are available on YouTube. 

4. Webshadowers

• Cost: Free
• Approach: PowerPoint presentation, Q&A
• Host: Pre-med students Airyn Hutt and Isis Ramos
• Time: Varies – view upcoming sessions here
• Comments: This is a speciality-focused program that features guest speakers and rotating physicians. I haven’t yet attended, but given that it’s hosted by fellow pre-med students, it seems worthwhile to check out!

In addition to this list of programs, many new opportunities continue to be launched by the day as the medical community adapts to pandemic circumstances. I hope this post can reassure my fellow pre-meds that though traditional pre-med experiences remain on pause for now, there are many alternative opportunities to help us prepare for medical school and beyond. Go forth and learn!