Students who plan on earning an undergraduate degree in nutrition, then furthering their education in medical school, have the chance to live the life of what may be their future career through shadowing.

Last summer, senior Courtney Hess had the opportunity to shadow a local doctor. Hess was inspired to shadow after she went on a tour at K-State.

“One of the admission representatives said that medical schools want to see applicants have spent time shadowing doctors so they know exactly what they are getting themselves into,” Hess said. “She recommended that I start by shadowing a local doctor.”

After some thought and discussion, Hess said her mom called Dr. Jennifer Brull, a family medicine physician.

“She shadowed me four times, shadowed a few other departments, and then worked for me for a while,” Brull said.

Although Hess spent most of her time with Brull, she also shadowed surgeons, pharmacists and X-ray technicians.

“I mostly learned what a typical day is like for a doctor,” Hess said. “Dr. Brull also took the time to teach me a few things about human anatomy and physiology along the way. It was very exciting to see how the things that you learn in class and books are applied in real life.”

Brull said the typical day of a doctor varies.

“A couple of times I was on call, so she followed me in the Doctors Without Delay (DWD) clinics,” Brull said. “We would see whatever patients came into the emergency room. When I wasn’t on call, we would work under regular office hours. We would see any patients I had, and also see clinic patients.”

For students who would be interested in shadowing a profession, there is the choice of Career Exploration.  Career Exploration, an elective class available only to seniors, allows students an early look at different careers to look into.

“It requires an application, available in the counseling office as soon as the enrollment window opens,” counselor Kathy Spicer said. “To qualify for Career Exploration, a student must have had a 95 percent attendance for their entire junior year.”

For students who are interested in shadowing, Hess said they should definitely go out and shadow.

“It is a great way to get a realistic outlook on what you would do if you choose to pursue that career,” Hess said.

14awalters@usd489.com