Principle

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 following 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.

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 (MD) 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 Participant — Phase 2 and Phase 3 Medical learners at any Memorial Campus

Outside Shadowing Opportunities — Physician Shadowing Opportunities offered to learners outside of the Physician Shadowing Program which can include shadowing opportunities:

• with physicians who are not registered for the program; 
• in Canadian provinces outside of Memorial campuses (i.e., outside of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) and Prince Edward Island (PEI)); and
• which occurs outside of the Academic Year.

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

Shadowing Coordinator — Junior and Senior level positions with the Student Medical Society (MedSoc) that are elected by Learners in Year 1 and Year 2. The class 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. The Physician shadowing program is coordinated by shadowing coordinators within the first- and second-year class.

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 in accordance with the regulations and policies of the participating institution(s).

1.2. Depending on physician and learner availability, Shadowing Coordinators, elected by medical learners of a particular cohort, shall match learners and physicians such that:

1.2.1 Every participating Phase 2 learner will shadow one (1) physician participant each month for up to six (6) months from January to June for a maximum of twelve (12) hours per week.

1.2.2    Every participating Phase 3 learner will shadow one (1) physician participant each month for up to ten (10) months from September to June for a maximum of twelve (12) hours per week.

1.3. The specific shadowing shifts can be a mutually agreed time between the Physician and Learner Participants. Learners are expected to prioritize academic responsibilities and are strongly encouraged to utilize the available time in their schedule. Learners must not miss lectures or other academic sessions for shadowing activities.

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

2.0. Shadowing Outside the FoM Physician Shadowing Program: 

2.1. Learners wishing to seek shadowing opportunities outside the Physician Shadowing Program should speak directly to the Learner Success Consultant in the Office of Learner Well-Being and Success (LWS) and notify their class Shadowing Coordinator. 

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 in the future. 

2.1.2.  Any Outside Shadowing Opportunities (as defined above) typically require the approval of the applicable provincial or territorial medical regulatory authority. It is the learner’s responsibility to ensure all such requirements are met. Consultation with LWS is required prior to the commencement of any shadowing opportunity. 

2.1.3. LWS is unable to approve international shadowing experiences.

2.2. 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).

3.0 Participant Responsibilities 

A.0. Learner Participants must: 

A.1. Attend the Physician Shadowing Orientation session; 

A.2. Register for the Physician Shadowing Program by completing the Learner Specialty Selection form;

A.3. Complete and sign documentation for the Personal Health Information Act (PHIA) Level 2 certificate; where applicable. 

A.4. Complete and sign the Confidentiality Oath for Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services and/or the Confidentiality Oath for Health PEI and submit to LWS; 

A.5. For participating institutions outside of Newfoundland and Labrador and PEI learners will complete the Confidentiality Oath and PHIA and submit to LWS; and 

A.6. Complete the Operating Room (OR) Scrub Course.

B. 0. Shadowing coordinators are responsible for verifying that every learner has completed all necessary steps and has submitted all relevant documentation prior to shadowing as outlined on the LWS website.

C.0 Physician Participants must: 

C.1 Complete and sign the Physician Participation Form

C.2 Introduce the medical learner as a shadowing learner under their supervision and obtain verbal consent from patients, whenever possible.

D.0 Approximate Program Timeline 

D.1. All requirements for participation in the Shadowing Program (as outlined in Article 3) will be completed during the fall, prior to the start of the winter session in January. 

D.1.1. Shadowing Orientation lecture will take place in the fall (September-October). 

D.1.2. OR scrub course will be completed during the fall, prior to the start of the winter semester in January. 

D. 1.3. Shadowing matches will be made by the Shadowing Coordinator prior to the start of the program each year.

Procedures:

There are no procedures associated with this policy.