Shadowing a psychiatrist is potentially the most difficult of specialty-based opportunities to get.
Patient confidentiality and practice liability are two massive obstacles that deter pre-med students, or anyone else looking to gain experience, from entering into this world.
But it is possible!
As a med student myself, I know several colleagues who’ve successfully shadowed psychiatrists. I’ve even managed it myself!
So in this article, I want to help. We’ll cover:
- How best you can increase your chances of shadowing in psychiatry
- What difficulties are involved
- Tips on how to make the most of the experience
Ready to get started? Let’s go!
What’s the best way to shadow a psychiatrist?
The best way to shadow a psychiatrist is to try hard to find a contact. Look for opportunities in mental health institutions first (before private practice). Oftentimes, it’s much easier to get consent there.
But let’s go further in this how-to guide.
What To Expect Shadowing a Psychiatrist
Background Checks
Patient Consultations
Psychiatry: A Day in the Life
What are the difficulties involved in shadowing a psychiatrist?
The reason why it’s hard to get opportunities shadowing psychiatrists (compared to other specialists), is due to the nature of their work.
Psychiatrists diagnose and treat mental illnesses and abnormal behavior. They also do this across a wide range of settings; from hospitals and private clinics to federal prisons and high-security mental institutions.
A psychiatrist’s work then, depending on what branch they find themselves, has certain risks involved.
But aside from threats of violence and dealing with potentially volatile people, there are other issues too. Patient confidentiality and trust are two of the biggest ones.
So here’s why it’s hard:
- Many patients present to psychiatrists in vulnerable states
- A lot of times, these states aren’t suitable for observation by random strangers
- The whole dynamic can interfere with diagnosis, treatment and a patient’s safety concerns
This is why pre-med students (or anyone else) can have such a difficult time shadowing in this area.
Legality and insurance, for many practicing psychiatrists, wouldn’t cover shadowing in the case of potential incidents.
So although a psychiatrist might be open to teaching, it’s often just not worth the risk.
Tips on finding a psychiatrist to shadow
Volunteering to work at a teaching hospital
Getting a position doing non-shadowing-related work in a teaching hospital could put you in contact with psychiatry residents or doctors willing to create an opportunity for you.
Teaching hospitals are best for this as they are already used to setting up shadowing programs and scoring an opportunity will probably involve less red tape.
As it’s a teaching hospital, specialists will probably be more open to mentoring you too.
Target state mental hospitals
Larger mental health institutions will generally be more organized and familiar with the concept of shadowing.
They’ll probably have more availability of psychiatrists or other mental health professionals too.
Run a Google search to find places close to you (that aren’t high-security facilities) that may have educational departments.
Reach out to medical schools
This worked for me (although indirectly).
Look for medical schools in your area and search their website for the psychiatry department homepage and send out a few emails.
State what it is you’re looking for and why you have an interest in the field.
Capitalize on contacts
Put the word out that you’d like to shadow someone in a mental health care facility.
Ask around your friends and family for possible connections. Maybe send a message out on social media.
It might seem like a bit of a shot in the dark but many people report finding psychiatrists to shadow this way!
How do you ask for shadowing from a psychiatrist?
Psychiatrists are doctors just like any others. Outreach aimed at them should be the same as it would be for a surgeon, general practitioner, etc.
Before you start with an introduction and your name, make sure you get their name and title right first.
From there, maybe explain your situation (where and what you study, etc) and how far you are into your studies. Then discuss why you’d be interested in observing psychiatry-based medicine and what it is about the field that appeals to you.
You might have to do some research into the role and the major pathologies (schizophrenia, depression, etc.) that they treat to do a good job here.
Finally, maybe end the request by discussing the psychiatrist’s own credentials and why you feel they’d be an excellent person to learn from.
Be tactful here and use your common sense not to insult them or be too over-enthusiastic in your praise. At the end of the day, they just want a thoughtful human response – not a huge essay to read!
Questions To Ask Shadowing a Psychiatrist
A good shadowing experience comes from going out of your way to understanding what it is you’re observing. Doing some research, learning about the role of a psychiatrist and the pathologies they treat, can go a long way in ingratiating you to both patients and doctors. It’ll also make the whole thing more fun too.
Some good (albeit general) questions to ask might include:
- What influenced you to go into psychiatry as a specialty?
- What are the most rewarding aspects of working in mental health?
- What are the most common challenges you face as a physician working in this area?
- How has psychiatry changed as a field during your time working in the field?
- Where do you see psychiatry going in the future?
- What would you recommend or suggest to people interested in becoming psychiatrists?
Of course, you’ll want to come up with some good questions relevant to the physician and the setting you’re shadowing in. Just make sure they wouldn’t breach patient-doctor confidentiality or cause any discomfort or unease to anyone.
Shadowing a psychiatrist: Reddit’s Tips
Look for opportunities with substance abuse programs
For psychiatry I was only able to shadow someone who leads the substance abuse program, everyone else said no because patient confidentiality is so high.
– GoldenPusheen
Target hospital-affiliated psychiatrists for shadowing opportunities
I had a ton of psych shadowing when I was applying. Adult and adolescent inpatient, outpatient, ED psych, ECT/TMS, you name it. Academic, hospital-affiliated psychiatrists are usually more open to it.
– A_Batracho
Ask for support from your pre-health/careers advisory service
I’ve shadowed a psychiatrist, but only for one day – it was set up through my school’s prehealth office. Basically, the doctor just asked each patient before his or her appointment whether it would be okay for a student to sit in on the session. All of the patients but one were okay with it.
– liketoast123
My Personal Experiences Shadowing in Psychiatry
Back before I started my journey into med school, I managed to get some experience shadowing in psychiatry.
It happened entirely by accident. I met a University of Liverpool med student on a surf trip one time, who pulled some strings and got me a chance to attend their University summer school’s taster session in the specialty.
Showing up in Liverpool, I had no idea what to expect. I’d never met a psychiatrist before (or been in a room with so many med students). So it was a surprise to me how passionate they all were!
The session ran over two days. The first day was a series of presentations made by UK-based psychiatrists talking about the specialty and their journeys into it.
Shadowing happened on the final day. It was arranged for us to enter Ashworth High-Security Hospital, a place notorious for having “Britain’s most violent patients“.
There, we followed around the main psychiatrist consultant, got to sit and talk to several patients and also see how the health teams ran the wards. It was an eye-opening experience!
But it was also entirely lucky. The coordinator, because I’d expressed a vague interest in maybe one day studying medicine and becoming a psychiatrist, somehow let me join med students.
And the only reason I had his contact was through a random meeting with a med student in France.
The lesson? Shadowing opportunities can come out of nowhere!
Final Thoughts
Shadowing in psychiatry, although difficult, can be a fascinating insight into the world of mental health and common problems patients can face.
You might have to persevere when it comes to finding physicians to shadow – especially given the problems discussed – but landing an opportunity is not unheard of.
Take my story as a case in point.
Image Credit: @anikolleshi at Unsplash
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Born and raised in the UK, Will went into medicine late (31) after a career in journalism. He’s into football (soccer), learned Spanish after 5 years in Spain, and has had his work published all over the web. Read more.