Find a Mentor

Learning what it’s like to be a health care professional, whether a physician, dentist, veterinarian or pharmacist, is an important first step in deciding whether a health career is for you. Shadowing a health care professional is a great way to learn what his or her typical day is like and to develop a deeper understanding of the health career you’re interested in pursuing. Finding a mentor willing to allow you to attend clinic and watch as he or she treats patients is essential.

Contact the HPP advisor, or log in to the HPP program's myFolder:Mentor Search or TartanTRAK’s ProNet database to find a mentor. Carnegie Mellon students can also apply for our Preceptorship Program, a competitive, ten-week volunteer experience in which ten students interested in a medical career shadow residents at Shadyside Hospital.

If you are considering Osteopathic Medicine, it is very strongly recommended that you gain shadowing experience with an osteopathic physician.  The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine has provided some very useful tips about locating an osteopathic physician to shadow on their website.

Here is some great advice about effective shadowing.