BLOG POST #3: Questions to ask while Shadowing

Questions to Ask While Shadowing:

You did it! After a dizzying number of phone calls and back-and-forths with receptionists, you finally managed to arrange a day of shadowing with the super cool doctor down the block. Congrats, my fellow future O.D. Go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back, because you just got the hardest part out of the way. 

But oh, not sure what you’ll talk about? Worried that you’ll end up perched on the edge of the chair in the corner of the exam room, hands clasped together, a cold sweat running down your back and a nervous smile plastered under your mask, suffering through the awkward silence as the patient stares at you quizzically? We’ve all been there – well, at least I have. And it sucks, truly. But fear not, my fellow future O.D. We have got you covered. 

What follows is a nice list of questions and topics to get you started. Feel free to modify them as they fit your own style of speech, and don’t be afraid to go wherever the conversation takes you! 

General and personal history: 

  • Why optometry? 
  • Any optometrists in your family?
  • Where did you go to undergrad? 
  • What do you like and dislike about your job? What’s the most rewarding part? What’s not so great about it? (many will say insurance for the latter question)
  • Would you do optometry if you had to choose all over again? 
  • What kind of personality traits do you think an optometrist should have? 
  • How did you choose this mode of practice? 
  • Do you ever feel bored or stressed during the day?
  • Tell me more about the work-life balance.
  • Do you ever take your work home with you? 

Optometry as a profession:

  • Do you think pursuing a residency is a good idea? If you were looking to hire another doctor, would you be looking for someone with residency training?
  • Why is optometry so regulated and affected by politics? 
  • How do Ohio laws compare to the laws in other states? 
  • Where do you see optometry heading in the next 20 years as a profession? 
  • Do you think technology could ever advance to the point where optometrists become obsolete?
  • The female:male ratio in optometry schools today is 70:30. Why do you think so many women are joining the profession? 
  • What are some of the differences between optometry and ophthalmology?
  • Are you involved in any professional associations or volunteer groups? 

Optometry school:

  • What do you think made you stand out to optometry school admissions people? 
  • How did you decide where to go to optometry school? 
  • What is the most important thing you should consider when choosing a school? 
  • What was optometry school like? What was the most challenging part?
  • How was the transition from undergrad to optometry school? 
  • What did you not learn in optometry school that you wish you did?
  • Do you still keep in touch with your former classmates? 
  • How long did it take you to pay off your student loans?/How are you doing on your student loans?
  • What advice do you have for me? Anything you wish you would have known or done differently? 

You can also ask about the patient you are with, about the instruments they use and the tests they do, and the decisions they make, such as why they might choose to prescribe one brand of contacts over another. Go with the flow of the conversation, be genuinely curious, and ask what you actually want to know. Don’t overthink it, just try to get to know the doctor and the profession a little more! It could also be helpful to bring a notebook to write down all the wonderful new information you learn. 

It can be scary at first. I get that. But don’t forget that every optometrist has had to do this at one point, and the fact that they agreed to let you shadow them means they like their job and are happy to help out the youngins. Just remember that you will inevitably get more comfortable with this, and don’t stop putting yourself out there until you get out of this everything that you want. 

Best of luck!! 

Elizabeth Svinkin