Observer (Shadowing) Program

Congratulations! You have chosen to explore one of the most important specialties in medicine: radiology. Radiology is a fundamental component of medical care; most patients need some sort of imaging study at some point in their lifetime. Radiology is not only a powerful diagnostic tool, radiology also is used to guide and even provide clinical care or treatment for patients of all ages, including infants and children.

An observer or shadowing experience is an opportunity to see firsthand what a typical day in radiology is like, observe the breadth of care provided by radiologists, and learn about career paths in medicine. Observers do not provide any medical care and do not engage directly with patients. This is exclusively an opportunity to shadow a clinical radiology faculty member as they go about their day. Clinical faculty members may be teaching medical students, residents, or fellows as part of their workday. When such activities occur, the observer simply observes unless directly asked to participate.

An observer experience may be brief, for example, one morning, or it may be extended, such as every morning for a week or once a week for several weeks. The length of the observer experience is negotiated between the observer and the faculty sponsor.

Every student must have a faculty sponsor. A faculty sponsor is a member of the Emory Radiology clinical faculty who will supervise and mentor the student throughout the observer experience.

There are a number of ways to connect with a faculty sponsor. Some students may already know a faculty member from a program they attended or from hearing them lecture as a guest in one of their courses, or from family connections. Such students can reach out directly to that faculty member and request they serve as their faculty sponsor.

For students who don't already have a connection, we have faculty members who are eager to work with students. Contact our program coordinator to start the matching process.

The observer experience benefits a range of learners. Undergraduate students pursuing a pre-medicine or pre-health program may improve their medical school applications because most medical schools expect (and may even require) applicants to undertake health sciences-related internships and observerships. Observer experiences help build relationships with faculty who may be willing to write letters of recommendation.

Observer experiences also benefit first- and second-year medical students. Many medical training programs don't offer opportunities to deeply explore radiology until fourth year. An observer experience helps pre-clinical medical students get to know the specialty sooner, which can help the student begin planning elective rotations or identify faculty with whom to work on independent projects to further their exposure to radiology. All of these experiences can help boost medical students' chances for matching into a radiology residency program.

International medical graduates (IMGs) also find observer experiences valuable, particularly as they navigate the complex process of gaining training opportunities in the United States.

General Requirements:

• Applicants must be 18 years old at the time of the observer experience.
• Applicants must be in good standing at their home institution and satisfy eligibility requirements of their home institution, if applicable.
• Undergraduate students must have a minimum 2.0 GPA.
• Undergraduate students should be classified as current, full-time or part-time enrolled students.
• Complete all elements of the application process, including completing required training courses (see below).

Undergraduate students in Georgia should contact the appropriate office at their school as part of the application process:

The following are the costs associated with an Emory Observer Experience (financial aid may be available):

• $15 observership fee is required by the Emory University School of Medicine
• $10 security badge fee required by Emory Healthcare