Shadowing Opportunities
Our goal is to provide students interested in surgery with the opportunity to learn more about various disciplines and better understand the roles of the health care team.
The Department of Surgery at VCU consists of ten divisions that each honor a commitment to medical education and a dedication to surgery research. Shadowing offers a unique opportunity to observe the daily responsibilities of attending physicians and experience the medical environment firsthand.
Community Members, Undergraduate Students, and External Medical Students
If you are a community member, undergraduate student, or external medical student interested in shadowing, please contact Tierra Street, our Student Observer and Program Coordinator, at observer.program@vcuhealth.org to request an application. You will be asked to provide the following information as part of the application process:
- Specific specialties you’re interested in shadowing (Department of Surgery specialties)
- Names of any specific physicians you would like to shadow
- Preferred clinical setting for shadowing (i.e. clinic, OR)
- Contact information: name, email address, and phone number
All external applicants MUST be processed through the School of Medicine prior to shadowing. Due to volume and division criteria, processing times may vary.
VCU Medical Students
Current VCU medical students interested in shadowing within the Department of Surgery are encouraged to contact an attending surgeon of their choice to express interest. To coordinate scheduling, please reach out to division administration who oversees attending schedules. No formal application or documentation process is required.
Once a shadowing opportunity has been arranged with both the attending and division administration, students should follow all departmental guidelines and adhere to professionalism and confidentiality standards throughout their experience.
Division Administration Contacts for Scheduling (VCU Medical Students only)
Acute Care Surgical Services: Seth.Seaborne@vcuhealth.org
Bariatric and GI Surgery: Larae.Shelton@vcuhealth.org
Cardiothoracic Surgery: Christine.Mahnken@vcuhealth.org
Colon and Rectal Surgery: Kimberly.Mason2@vcuhealth.org
Pediatric Surgery: Dorothy.Thomas@vcuhealth.org
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: Lauren.Simonetti1@vcuhealth.org
Surgical Oncology: Kimberly.Mason2@vcuhealth.org
Transplant Surgery: Sharon.AnchetaHecht@vcuhealth.org
Urology: Carmen.Lancaster@vcuhealth.org
Vascular Surgery: Precious.Scott@vcuhealth.org
For M1 and M2 students interested in Weekend Trauma Shadowing, please attend the Trauma Shadowing session at the beginning of the semester. For questions regarding weekend trauma, contact The David Hume Surgical Society at mcv.dhss@gmail.com.
Pre-Medical Students
If you are interested in shadowing, please email Tierra Street who is the observer/shadowing coordinator at observer.program@vcuhealth.org for an application.
PLEASE NOTE: all students must be processed prior to shadowing. Due to volume restrictions and division criteria, processing times may vary.
M1-M2 Trauma Shadowing
If you are a currently an M1 or M2 student interested in Weekend Trauma Shadowing, please attend the Trauma Shadowing session at the beginning of the semester. If you have questions, please contact The David Hume Surgical Society by emailing: mcv.dhss@gmail.com