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Health Professions Advisory Office
  2. Opportunities
  3. Shadowing

Shadowing

SUMMER 2023 SHADOWING

Please keep in mind, shadowing at VUMC is a privilege and should not be taken lightly!  Failure to comply with any policy and/or requirement will result in the loss of privilege.

For Vanderbilt University Undergraduate Students ONLY
         (When shadowing at Vanderbilt facilities)

If you are  NOT a current Vanderbilt undergraduate student , please visit the VUMC Observational Experience website. You may also contact Linda Partridge at 615-322-2366.

CURRENT VANDERBILT UNDERGRADUATES  may shadow at Vanderbilt facilities by either independently finding a physician to shadow, or by applying through the VPS Shadowing Program. Either way, the requirements are the same, and listed below.

Everyone is encouraged to shadow consecutive semesters.  Not only do the schools/programs prefer (or require) longitudinal shadowing/exposure to the health professions, the approval requirements for subsequent semesters will be less. (You would not need a new background check, Health Screening Form, or TB test!)  

BADGES:

ALL shadowing Badges issued MUST BE RETURNED TO THE HPAO at the end of EVERY SEMESTER!  The expiration date listed on your badge will be your graduation year.  The HPAO will collect ALL badges at the end of EVERY semester, then re-issue the same badge IF you are eligible to shadow in future semesters.

Attire / Dress Code:

Dress professionally and modestly : dress pants and a tie for men, dress pants or a dress for women, and closed-toed shoes.

 

BEFORE you get started:

*** SHADOWING IS NOT PERMITTED IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT ***

THESE ARE THE 6 ACTION ITEMS TO COMPLETE BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR  RECORD: 
If you shadowed Spring 2023 and either met the minimum requirements or received an approved exception -  for Summer 2023 shadowing, you only need the Summer 2023 Shadowing Agreement. Click on the submission link at the bottom of this page. You must answer ALL questions in ALL surveys, but depending on how you answer the questions, the system will bypass any unnecessary requirements.

1)      Vaccination/Immunization Verification - THIS FORM is the ONLY form accepted
         It is YOUR responsibility to check the REQUIREMENTS and LIMITATIONS specified on the form.    
         (If you have not had a recent TB test, it could take you 2-3 weeks to complete the 2 Step TB Test)   

2)      VUMC Background Check (Valid for 1 year - Longer if you shadow continuously)
          (Click here for pricing information and to initiate the background check)

3)      Health Insurance Card – Images of the Front and Back of your Health Insurance Card

4)      Safety Quiz – Image of Certificate (Must be score of 100)
          Click here to view a PowerPoint Presentation
          Click here to take the Quiz

5)      Confidentiality Agreement – Image of SIGNED Agreement       

6)      HPAO SUMMER 2023 Shadowing Agreement  – Image of SIGNED Agreement
                     

  APPROVAL PROCESS:

  AFTER  you have completed & submitted  ALL  of the forms/surveys, The HPAO will review your items.
(Based on the volume at the beginning of each semester, this could take approximately 1-2 weeks.) 

  • If approved, you will receive an approval email with badge information. 
  • If your paperwork is not approved, you will receive an email with instructions for modifications.

SUBMITTING SHADOWING REQUIREMENTS:

Each shadowing form/requirement is considered a “survey”.

  • Once you complete each form/survey, you may continue to the next form/survey.  You will also be emailed a unique LINK/URL for returning to complete or modify a form/survey later
  • SAVE/BOOKMARK THAT LINK! 
         You will need that link in order to submit the REQUIRED Physician Signature Log and the Activity Tracking Sheet & Reflection at the end of the semester.
  • You can navigate to the various other surveys thru the “ SURVEY QUE ” (in the upper right corner of each survey)

Submit Shadowing Requirements (REDCap Survey Link Below)

AFTER you have done the "Before you get started" items listed above, Begin the REDCap Surveys and Submit your Shadowing Requirements

 SUBMIT SUMMER 2023 INFO HERE
   

Additional Requirements for Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital Shadowing

The HPAO and VA Hospital now have a Memorandum of Agreement for VU undergrads to shadow at the VA!

Students must find a physician to shadow at the VA hospital, submit the HPAO/VUMC paperwork/requirements, and attend a mandatory Shadowing Orientation Session.  AFTER approved by the HPAO to shadow, students must:

1) Complete the below documents and email them to Thomas.Gallagher3@va.gov also copying YOUR PHYSICIAN AND rudd95gladys@gmail.com, Chandra.Murdock@va.gov, and Angelique.Torres@va.gov

VA hospital shadowing - REQUIRED documents

2) Let the physician being shadowed know they must request for their supervisor or service chief at the VA to send an approval confirmation email to Thomas.Gallagher3@va.gov also copying rudd95gladys@gmail.com, Chandra.Murdock@va.gov, and Angelique.Torres@va.gov.

 

Requirements for Operating Room (OR) Shadowing

  • ONLY Juniors and Seniors will be approved to shadowing in an OR
  • These are to be Observational Experiences ONLY. Students are “observing” ONLY (same as shadowing in the clinics, etc). Students should not be “scrubbing in” and do NOT need a scrub class.

 

ADDITIONAL STEPS FOR SHADOWING IN THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OR:
(You will be turned away if you do not meet these requirements!)

NEW LIMITATIONS AS OF 3/1/22:

  • Observations will only be allowed Monday-Friday. Some dates will not be allowed, based on scheduling, and will be displayed in the observation calendar within the application.

  • Unfortunately, OR observation with residents will not be approved. Observations need to be scheduled with the primary attending. 

  • All students must arrive at 7:30am for their observation. No observations can be scheduled for arrival later in the day.

  • Each student will be allowed (1) 4-hour observation in the OR per school year. Additional hours can be obtained with the surgeon in the inpatient setting and in clinic.
  • If a surgeon is not available in the OR on a specific day, and wants the student to have an OR observation, the surgeon can work with a surgeon colleague to set up an observation to accommodate the student.
  • There will be a MAX of 2 students/observers permitted on the 3rd floor per day.
  • If a student is observing in the OR and the patient is COVID+ or on any form of isolation precautions, the observation experience will end and the student will be required to leave the OR.

PROCESS:

  • Vanderbilt juniors and seniors who have been approved by the HPAO are allowed to shadow in the ORs at VCH.
  • The Surgeon must approve EACH date of surgery for observation.
  • Click on this link to apply for approval:
    https://is.gd/vchorvisitor. 
  • You will receive a confirmation email from Courtney Crees when approved.

  ADDITIONAL STEPS FOR SHADOWING IN THE ADULT OR:

Junior and seniors who have been approved by the HPAO to shadow and have been invited to shadow in the OR by their physician mentor must now follow the below instructions in order to be permitted in the Adult Hospital Operating Room:

  1. Students must attend an online Perioperative Education class that takes one hour and occurs every other Friday from 8:00am – 9:00am. (PLAN AHEAD!!!)  
     a.) Go to this web address:

    https://redcap.vanderbilt.edu/surveys/

    b.) Then enter this code: FMR3HNDTY

  2. Send an email to css.linen.services@vumc.org  at least 1 week prior to shadowing and include:
  • Student Name
  • Scrubs Size
  • Last 4 Digits of Social Security Number (or unique 4 digit number) to be used as a Personal Identification Number (PIN)
  • Start date of Shadowing Period
  • End Date of Shadowing Period (If the student is shadowing for the entire semester, the end date would be the last day of the semester.)

Linen Services will reply giving the student a unique User ID to be used in conjunction with the 4 digit PIN.

Linen Services will have the student’s scrubs available at the scrub machines located in the 4th floor locker rooms. (VUMC Critical Care Tower - Female Locker Room # 4351 and Male Locker Room # 4357) Students will have 2  revolving “credits” for the machines.  Scrubs are tracked by student ID and must be returned at the deposit machines in a timely manner.

For questions regarding ordering scrubs, please call Linen Services at (615) 343-9431.