Shadowing

• Eligible for Clinic Shadowing – All UW Undergraduate students
• Eligible for OR Shadowing under certain circumstances

Junior-standing or higher undergraduate students who are a member in good standing from the following organizations’ Alpha Epsilon Delta Premed Honor Society (AED), Professional Associate of Latinx for Medical School Access (PALMA), the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), the Wisconsin Pre-medical Society (WPS), Doctors Without Borders (MSF), or the Doris Duke Undergraduate Surgery Research Experience have the opportunity to apply to shadow surgeons in the Operating Room. Membership will be verified with the leadership of the respective organization. Leadership will submit membership lists to this form.

• Eligible for Clinic Shadowing – All UW Graduate Students
• Eligible for OR Shadowing under certain circumstances

UW Graduate students interested in shadowing in the Operating Room must submit a short (1 page) justification for how shadowing in the OR will strengthen their understanding of their research. This written justification will be reviewed by UW Health Surgical Services, who will decide if shadowing is justified. Submit the justification with the shadowing application.

• Eligible for Clinic Shadowing – All UW Students
• Eligible for OR Shadowing under certain circumstances

If a student works in a Department of Surgery research lab with one of the surgery faculty, but are not a member of one of the undergraduate organizations mentioned above, they must submit a short (1 page) justification for how shadowing in the OR will strengthen their understanding of their research in the laboratory. This written justification will be reviewed by UW Health Surgical Services, who will decide if shadowing is justified. Submit the justification with the shadowing application.

• Eligible for Clinic Shadowing
• Eligible for OR Shadowing upon training completion

As a UWSMPH Medical Student, you are eligible to shadow in the Operating Room or the clinic.

Steps to Observe:

1. If shadowing in the OR, complete the mandatory OR training.
   • Enroll in the Canvas site
   • Review the training PowerPoint and video
   • Complete the certification fields and save a copy
   • Upload in this Form
2. Reach out to faculty to schedule observations

The Department of Surgery does not set up UW Health employee observations of surgeons. Please refer to U-Connect’s Prospective UW Health Observer Overview for more information about shadowing a surgeon as a UW Health employee.

Students who are participants and alumni of the Health Professions Shadowing Program (HPSP) or the Rural and Urban Scholars Community Health (RUSCH) program through the Center for Pre-Health Advising are eligible to shadow in the Operating Room. Students who fall under this category should indicate their interests with their respective program coordinators for consideration.

Applies to: UW Undergraduate and graduate students. Does not apply to medical students.

To receive full consideration for shadowing, submit all materials by the application deadline.

• Resume/CV
• Cover Letter Indicating your Interest in the Surgical Field and Shadowing
• GPA
• Relevant Coursework Taken
• Grade Level
• Optional Demographic Information
• If applying to shadow in the OR, complete the mandatory OR training:
  • Enroll in the Canvas site
  • Review the training PowerPoint and video
  • Complete the certification fields and save a copy to upload with application

Shadowing in the operating room or clinic is available weekdays Monday – Friday from 8am – 5pm and interested students must have a full half day available within this time frame to be able to observe. Half-day availability should be either 8am-12pm or 12pm-4pm.

The Department of Surgery Shadowing Program will notify students of their shadowing application decisions and/or assignments within two months of the application deadline. Students must respond to their offer within 48 hours of notification or it will be rescinded and offered to another student.

A shadowing offer does not guarantee shadowing approval. All observers have to be subsequently approved through UW Health surgical services and vendor liaison offices.

• Within two months of application completion, observer candidate will be contacted by the DOS Shadowing Program with a decision
• If offered a shadowing assignment, the DOS Shadowing Program will assign them a faculty surgeon based on interests and availability—there is a possibility they may not be given their top priority due to capacity of faculty
• Candidates must accept shadowing offer within 48 hours of notification, or it will be rescinded and offered to another student
• Once candidate observer has been successfully matched with a faculty surgeon, the DOS Shadowing Program will put them in contact with the Vendor Liaison Office who will verify immunizations and HIPPA training, then issue a temporary ID badge. This process must be completed before any shadowing can occur
• If the observer candidate does not follow-up with the Vendor Liaison Office (VLO) within four weeks of approved start date, approval will be rescinded
• Once the observer candidate has completed the steps provided by the VLO, it is their responsibility to reach out to the administrative assistant of their faculty sponsor to schedule shadowing experiences

• To offer better match opportunities to students in their highest ranked areas of interest alongside their availability with class schedule and other obligations
• To offer better match opportunities with time to graduation considered
• To offer more opportunities to more students
• To ensure that students are committed to an opportunity offered to shadow Department of Surgery faculty
• To support UWSMPH and the Department of Surgery’s commitment to supporting education opportunities for ethnically and racially diverse group of clinicians and scholars while maintaining an open, inclusive and respectful learning and working environment.

Only applies to UW undergraduate or graduate students. Does not apply to medical students.

Interested in observing a Department of Surgery faculty: Apply Here

Questions after thoroughly reviewing this webpage? Contact shadowing@surgery.wisc.edu