emt8194 Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Hi everyone, Was just wondering if it was at all normal to pay to shadow someone in the field? I've seen a few programs were people offer a mentor-ship/shadowing opportunity and charge for it. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teacher2PAC Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 Based on my experience, no. There are many providers, especially PA-Cs who are willing to take on shadowers and mentees for no cost at all and will provide a letter of recommendation. It is best to save your money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpackelly Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 That would be a new low for our profession. Not saying that it could not happen, but it would be regrettable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyhoundGirl Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 I have never heard of anything like this. I offered to buy the PA a coffee or lunch to thank them, but they always turned even that down. I found Linkedin helpful for finding PA's to shadow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyM2 Posted March 10, 2016 Share Posted March 10, 2016 That would be a new low for our profession. Not saying that it could not happen, but it would be regrettable.Agreed. Though it can be a bit of a nuisance to have someone shadowing you, the experience is essential for all prospective PAs. It is also very rewarding to help the next cohort, or generation, of people to succeed in a great profession. In my mind, PAs, if they want to help their profession, should be willing to mentor prospective PA-S. Many people find mentoring to be very rewarding. At the risk of seeming judgemental, it seems shameful (perhaps a strong word) that professional PAs would charge for shadowing. Many rotation preceptors teach PAs for no pay, donating time and energy to help others who are being trained in a medical profession. No doubt offering shadowing opportunities is a valuable service that requires time and energy from folks who are already overworked, but to charge for shadowing just seems wrong on so many levels. But that's just one person's opinion. That would be a new low for our profession. Not saying that it could not happen, but it would be regrettable. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenmood Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 I would be very uncomfortable with this. What happens if you then ask that PA for a letter of recommendation? That is super common these days - I see pre-PA students requesting letters from PAs they've shadowed for a handful of hours. Have you then PAID for your letter? That doesn't sit well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nds1111 Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 I mean, I've seen it in this forum... it really is something else... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunningPAC Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Something sort of similar happened to me when I was looking for shadowing opportunities. The PA said it was fine for me to come shadow however I had to ask her supervising MD first for permission. When I asked the MD, the MD basically wanted me to work at least 5 hours per day, 4-5 days a week in the office (free labor, without pay) in order to shadow the PA. I thought that was ridiculous as I was already working a full time job and only looking to shadow 4 hours per week. I ended up looking elsewhere to shadow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Illumination Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 I had a very similar experience where I was asked to volunteer for 200 hours at a hospital before being offered any shadowing opportunities. That is more the opportunistic thinking of the volunteer department though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffee Posted April 4, 2016 Share Posted April 4, 2016 I found a craigslist post by a prePA student looking to pay to shadow. "Will pay $20 per hour." O.O https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/hea/5520663885.html From my experience, it's not that the PAs themselves don't want a shadow, it's that the companies they work for don't allow it because of HIPPA regulations. Though the shadowing requirement for PA schools make sense, it's just unfortunate that it's so hard to find an opportunity to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bips Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 yes, this happens and it's very very sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyM2 Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 I found a craigslist post by a prePA student looking to pay to shadow. "Will pay $20 per hour." O.O https://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/hea/5520663885.html From my experience, it's not that the PAs themselves don't want a shadow, it's that the companies they work for don't allow it because of HIPPA regulations. Though the shadowing requirement for PA schools make sense, it's just unfortunate that it's so hard to find an opportunity to do so. That doesn't really make sense. If the employer prohibits shadowing due to HIPAA regulations, then the PA should not ignore employer wishes and shadow for a fee. BTW, the importance of teaching, which extends to students, to shadowing and to new employees, is recognized and there are guidelines to allow it. These guidelines generally involve some HIPAA training and may require a signed agreement with the student regarding dress, comportment and respect for regulations and company policies. Patients also need to be introduced to the student, told why they will be observing and their permission needs to be obtained and noted in the medical record. As a patient, I am frequently asked to allow a non-provider to observe, including sales people. I always allow it. Maybe I should ask for a Hamilton. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
singstar Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 There's this website called SFBA for Bay Area PA shadow. its 100 to shadow for 2 hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiggySRNA Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 There's this website called SFBA for Bay Area PA shadow. its 100 to shadow for 2 hours. $100/2hrs? lol..................................................................................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain1028 Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 **Unethical Alert** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick87 Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 There's this website called SFBA for Bay Area PA shadow. its 100 to shadow for 2 hours. My personal belief is that these kids are likely poor as it is. It would be pretty messed up to charge them just to follow you around (likely without any understanding of what's going on.....since they aren't even PA students yet). At the same time, with the amount of requests I receive for this, I could actually see the business model working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator True Anomaly Posted July 5, 2016 Moderator Share Posted July 5, 2016 My personal belief is that these kids are likely poor as it is. It would be pretty messed up to charge them just to follow you around (likely without any understanding of what's going on.....since they aren't even PA students yet). At the same time, with the amount of requests I receive for this, I could actually see the business model working. The unspoken obligation to write a letter of recommendation I think would be too strong when someone is paying you to follow you around. I appreciate the desperate nature of offering money for the chance to follow me around, but I don't need it, and it just feels wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reality Check 2 Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 I worked for a corporate behemoth that did not allow shadowing - PERIOD. They did take students but you couldn't pick your student - they were assigned by some admin assistant without a clue. Very inappropriate and a waste of time for the student. I work in a solo private practice now and will take shadows - However, I have decided to tell them up front that I will not write letters of recommendation based on shadowing. If I barely know someone or don't know them from Adam's cat and have never witnessed them functioning in a professional role - CMA, RN, EMT, etc then I have no desire to attest to their ability to become a decent PA. So, they can then decide if they want the shadow experience. I like having high school kids shadow because it gives them some clue as to what is out there in the real world. They still have college to tackle - so, no letters there. I have written recommendations for OR scrub techs that I worked with hands on for years and for CMAs and RNs but not the whoever finds my name in a Medical Society printout. I think recommending someone to a profession should require more knowledge of the applicant. Just my 2 cents Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator True Anomaly Posted July 5, 2016 Moderator Share Posted July 5, 2016 Absolutely agree. I've written only two letters of recommendation during my career as a PA- one of them was my old college roommate who also was an EMT in the fire department with me and worked hard to get back to the point of being able to apply for PA school Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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