WHAT IS SHADOWING?

Shadowing (observing) is a great way for you to assess if a particular industry or career is a good fit for you. All HCEP shadowing experiences consist of one-on-one interactions with health professionals (doctors, PAs, PTs, dentists, nurses, etc.). The student is involved in the mentor's routine on an observational basis and may have limited interaction with their patients. Since HCEP is intended to assist Duke students’ EXPLORATION of health care careers, preference for shadowing assignments will be given to those students who are still in the exploration stage.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO SHADOW
    
* You are eligible to apply for shadowing after your first year at Duke; no applications from first-year students will be accepted.

* You must have accumulated 40 hours of hospital volunteering after high school (if you completed your 40 hours at a hospital other than Duke Med you will need to include verification of this in your application).

 * You must commit to shadowing at least 15 hours for the semester and be professional and respectful at all times.

 * You must submit a 1-2 page Reflections Essay at the end of your shadowing experience.

You will be notified by the Career Center once you've been matched with a health professional and you will then attend a mandatory info session where you will get the contact information for your mentor. It will be up to you to contact your mentor in order to work out a schedule that works best for both of you. Please note that these are extremely busy professionals who are taking time out of their day to mentor undergraduates. Some of them see their patients on rounds at 6am. While that may not be the ideal time for you to observe it may be the only time that fits with both of your schedules. We encourage only serious, motivated, respectful and professional students to apply. 

 
Shadowing Assignments
Students may choose their top three choices from a variety of specialties. However, because our mentor pool changes each semester, we cannot guarantee that your assigned shadowing mentor will be in your preferred area. If you ONLY want to shadow someone in a specific specialty then HCEP may not be the best program for you. Also, due to the popularity of the program, we cannot guarantee that you will get matched. We are working hard to increase our mentorship pool so that all students who apply to shadow can do so. In addition, you can meet with the Assistant Director for Health Careers, Jennifer Philips, to talk about effective ways you might contact mentors on your own.   

Remember that this is an opportunity for you to EXPLORE what a career in health care is like, not for you to determine what you want to specialize in. There will be plenty of time for that should you decide to pursue medical/dental/PA/PT/vet/nursing school. 

The Fall 2009 Shadowing Application is Due on Friday, September 11, 2009 by 5pm.

• Print out and complete the Shadowing Application and submit it to the Career Center by 5pm on the due date. Please allow up to two weeks from the deadline for your application to be processed and a response to be emailed to you. 

• You MUST attach proof of being compliant regarding the protection of private patient information. These two modules need to be renewed every year and it should take you about 25 minutes. To update your profile go to www.safety.duke.edu and log in with your Net ID. Choose “Courses Available Online” then complete “Compliance Update Training” and “HIPAA Privacy and Security Training for Non-Clinicians.” Please print out BOTH forms that say you completed the modules and attach it to your application. Your application is NOT complete without proof of have taken these two modules.
  

• You must attach a typed (NOT handwritten) essay of no more than 300 words (see application for essay topic).

• Turn your application in to the front desk of the Career Center located at 110 Page Building (just to the left of the chapel).