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Shadowing a radiologist for a day

Basically in a few days I am gonna be shadowing a doctor at my local hospital and she specialises in radiology. Is there anything I should do beforehand, like should I read anything on radiology because I know very little about it. So any suggestions on some stuff I could read or watch before the day?
Original post by catfanny
Basically in a few days I am gonna be shadowing a doctor at my local hospital and she specialises in radiology. Is there anything I should do beforehand, like should I read anything on radiology because I know very little about it. So any suggestions on some stuff I could read or watch before the day?


What is this placement for?

I don't think you'd be expected to know anything about radiology, so I personally wouldn't bother reading up on it. Just try to observe everything, from the way she communicates with her patients and how this differs when she speaks to her colleagues.
It would be better if you had a few questions in your mind you could ask her; such as, what made her specialise in radiology, why she wanted to be a doctor and what she finds challenging about her job etc.. Asking questions shows interest, so try to ask her as many as you can :smile:
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by catfanny
Basically in a few days I am gonna be shadowing a doctor at my local hospital and she specialises in radiology. Is there anything I should do beforehand, like should I read anything on radiology because I know very little about it. So any suggestions on some stuff I could read or watch before the day?


Radiology quite a niche specialty, not even medical students get that much formal experience of it so she won't be expecting you to know lots about it as a sixth former or college student.

Radiologists are experts in anatomy and pathology, so you could ask her questions about the sort of conditions she's diagnosing, if it's something you're interested in. If you're with a patient e.g. in an ultrasound or interventional list, she would hopefully take the opportunity to point things out to you and in turn you can observe how she interacts with the patient, how she reports findings, the manual dexterity required to perform procedures etc.

The point of the work experience placement isn't for you to become educated in radiology or medicine or surgery etc, but to observe what the doctors are doing and considering whether that would be something you'd be suited to and interested in doing someday, so I don't think you really need to do anything specific to prepare for it. Just turn up, be curious, record observations which you can later reflect on, and ask questions if something interests you.
Reply 3
Original post by games211
What is this placement for?

I don't think you'd be expected to know anything about radiology, so I personally wouldn't bother reading up on it. Just try to observe everything, from the way she communicates with her patients and how this differs when she speaks to her colleagues.
It would be better if you had a few questions in your mind you could ask her; such as, what made her specialise in radiology, why she wanted to be a doctor and what she finds challenging about her job etc.. Asking questions shows interest, so try to ask her as many as you can :smile:


Original post by Democracy
Radiology quite a niche specialty, not even medical students get that much formal experience of it so she won't be expecting you to know lots about it as a sixth former or college student.

Radiologists are experts in anatomy and pathology, so you could ask her questions about the sort of conditions she's diagnosing, if it's something you're interested in. If you're with a patient e.g. in an ultrasound or interventional list, she would hopefully take the opportunity to point things out to you and in turn you can observe how she interacts with the patient, how she reports findings, the manual dexterity required to perform procedures etc.

The point of the work experience placement isn't for you to become educated in radiology or medicine or surgery etc, but to observe what the doctors are doing and considering whether that would be something you'd be suited to and interested in doing someday, so I don't think you really need to do anything specific to prepare for it. Just turn up, be curious, record observations which you can later reflect on, and ask questions if something interests you.


ahhh ok thank you both so much :smile:

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