Physician Shadowing Policy

Physician Shadowing Policy

Office of Accountability: / Office of Students Affairs
Office of Administrative Responsibility: / Office of Student Affairs
Approver: / Senior Management Committee
Approval Date: / June 21, 2012
Review Date: / June 21, 2016

Overview

The Faculty of Medicine (FoM) recognizes that Physician Shadowing is a valuable experience in assisting students with speciality-related decisions during their undergraduate medical education. Shadowing provides the opportunity to establish connections with practicing physicians, often creating relationships with potential mentors and referees who may support their CaRMS application. Physician Shadowing is an on-going and integral part of the career planning program (MUN MedCAREERS) and helps partially fulfill LCME Accreditation Standard MS-19: “A medical education program must have an effective system in place to assist medical students in choosing elective courses, evaluating career options, and applying to residency programs”.

Purpose

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

Definitions

Physician Shadowing Registration
Student Participants
Physician Participants / A mandatory process of orientation and registration for medical students who wish to shadow physicians.
Pre-Clerkship students
Physicians who volunteer to allow medical students to shadow them

Scope

All Pre-Clerkship students in Undergraduate Medical Education (UGME) at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) and all physicians who volunteer to provide clinical exposure to those students who participate in Physician Shadowing.

Policy

Physician Shadowing isdesigned to allow medical students to explore speciality options early in their medical education through supervised clinical shadowing experiences in a variety of practice areas (up to a maximum of 12 hours per week), in accordance with the regulations and policies of the participating institution(s).

1.1 Student participants must:

1.1.1Attend the Shadowing Orientation session

1.1.2Register for Shadowing

1.1.3Complete and sign documentation for PHIA Level 2 Certificate

1.1.4Complete and sign Confidentiality Pledges for participating institution(s)

1.1.5Complete Eastern Health Orientation online training

1.1.6 Complete the OR Scrub Course in advance if shadowing in the OR

1.1.7 Use the Shadowing Attendance Form to record and track each shadowing experience

1.2 Physician participants must:

1.2.1Complete and sign the Physician Participation Form

1.2.2 Introduce the medical student as a shadowing student under their supervision and obtain verbal consent from the patient, whenever possible.

Non-Compliance

Students who are registered to shadow will be covered by the medical malpractice insurance provided by MUN through CURIE (Canadian Universities Reciprocal Insurance Exchange). There is no guarantee of coverage for students who are not registered.

Supporting Documents and Forms

Shadowing Attendance Form

Physician Participation Form