The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine will allow medical students to spend time observing practicing physicians outside of the curriculum. This program is not part of the WSU medical education and will not impact your success in medical school but can help inform your specialty choice. These are to be observational experiences only and not involve any hands-on contact with patients. Students are still expected to behave in a professional ethical manner and follow the general rules of health care.
To keep patients, students, the clinics, and the school safe the following criteria are to be followed:
- Students need to identify physicians willing to let them observe and that they are a practicing licensed physician.
- These experiences cannot be scheduled during required curricular activities, nor can absence be used for these experiences, and they cannot be scheduled during clinical campus weeks (CCWs).
- The student shadowing cannot interfere or cause conflict with any third- or fourth-year clinical rotations.
- Students are responsible to ensure the clinical site will allow observers.
- Students are not representatives of the WSU College of Medicine during these experiences and should not wear white coats or WSU badges.
- Students must be in good academic standing, which for MS1s means they are not eligible until they have received a satisfactory grade for FMS 501.
- Students can do these observation activities while on leave of absence as long as the activities are part of an official program offered by a clinical organization. The college does not cover students’ malpractice insurance while on leave.
- Students in the clinical years are not eligible for shadowing. LIC students should arrange career exploration days through their campus to gain these types of experiences and fourth year students can arrange elective rotations.
The student interested in observing a practicing physician begins the process by submitting a shadowing request form, at least two weeks prior to the expected experience, and uploads a signed waiver. The student is responsible for completing any onboarding paperwork required for the clinical site.
After receiving the shadowing request form Student Affairs will confirm that the student is in good academic standing, that the waiver has been signed by both parties, and that the time does not conflict with curricular activities and does not fall within a clinical campus week. Student Affairs will keep a record of the signed waivers and a database of all requests and shadowing information. Student affairs will inform the appropriate clinical campus team of the request.
The appropriate clinical campus team will make sure that the provider is not on the “do not use list.” They will also make sure that the shadowing activity does not conflict with other curricular needs. The campus team will inform student affairs and the student that the criteria have been met.