Health Science

Thank you for your interest in the OrthoCarolina (OC) student shadowing program.  OrthoCarolina eagerly anticipates offering opportunities to interested students!  Please see a summary of the program details below.  

OrthoCarolina's shadowing program permits one (1) experience (annually) up to a max allowable 40 total hours.   The student will have anywhere from one week to an entire month (as needed) to get the desirable hours.    There are seven (7) pre-selected months allotted in the year for shadowing, so students are encouraged to plan ahead in choosing one and those months are: March, May, June, July, August, October and December.   Slots are limited so you should reach out to acquire your OC Host provider/preceptor, as early as possible to secure a placement.  What is an OC Host provider/preceptor?  This is a FT, active OC employee that is in your field of work/interested career field and who is willing and able to offer you an experience by being your mentor/clinical supervisor).    Availability to participate traditionally closes 2 months prior to the desirable shadowing session and time must always be allotted for the mandatory onboarding process.  Please note, students must be at least 16 years of age or older to express an interest and be considered for OC student programs shadowing participation.

Guidelines:

Anyone interested in participation must locate an OC Host provider in order to participate and it is the responsibility of the shadowing student to find someone -1 FT employee/2 PT employees willing and able to share in offering the experience.    An OC Host provider can work with the student to decide on a desirable number of hours up to the max allowable 40 total hours, during a designated OC shadowing week(s)/month.  All shadowing students do not receive a full 40 hours, this is dependent upon the OC Host's availability in the approved timeframe.  Please be mindful that you must also find the most appropriate OC staff person to offer an experience to you.  For example, therapy students need to locate therapy staff and not our MDs or PAs, etc.   Likewise, non-clinical students must locate the appropriate non-clinical staff, (i.e. research, business or administrative department personnel that are applicable, in order for them to be approved), if no program hold is in effect. 

Some Ways to find an OC Host:

First, upon reaching out, please be sure to let the clinical staff person know that you have already spoken with me, the Student Programs Coordinator, and are now trying to find an OC Host provider willing to supervise/mentor you so you can participate with the OC shadowing program.  (Otherwise, you could be redirected back to me since I am the initial point of contact person for all interested students.)   Next, some students have mailed or dropped off a request letter detailing what they are asking for, along with a resume or CV to give the OC Host insight on their career endeavors.  This is helpful for our providers to gage what you are asking for and how an experience may be beneficial.  Either way, please be sure to share your contact information with the specifics of what you are requesting, so you can be contacted.

Next, students are encouraged to use the OC website (www.orthocarolina.com) as a resource in order to narrow down your search by location, specialty, or specific provider.  Some students have called or left a message (for MDs & PAs through their designees-the (MAA) Medical Admin Asst. OR (SAC) Scheduling & Administrative Coordinator, and in other cases where there is no designee, students can ask for the Clinic Supervisor (or PM if there is no Clinic Supervisor at that site) in order to leave their request information for consideration by the appropriate staff.   For Therapy requests, the message may be left for the Therapist directly or for the Therapy Manager.  Any students that have been prior patients or are current patients have often asked directly, while some others have also utilized various social media platforms to reach out to their desirable OC host provider outside of OC. Last, some students have utilized networks at their schools where providers are a part of the sports program/on a board/part of a committee/an alum/or perhaps have provided emergency services at their school games, etc.        

Once an Agreeable OC Host Has Been Found:        

1st Step-Ask the OC Host provider or their designee to send me the information below (in blue) for you to tentatively be added as an incoming student and so your onboarding can then begin at the appointed time.   OR   You can send this information to me yourself, but to be accepted, you MUST ask for the OC Host's email (or that of their designee) so s/he can be copied on the email (by you) to me as confirmation of this agreed upon experience.  After receipt, I can add you to my incoming spreadsheet and the OC student packet will then be sent out for the mandatory OC onboarding process to begin.   Do not complete the below section in blue to send in, if no employee has consented to be your OC Host- unauthorized submissions will not be added/honored.   

Timeframes & Packet Details for Pre-approved Shadowing:

The OC student packet and its instructions are not available online.  Everything is sent directly by the OC student programs coordinator (myself) once participation pre-approval is noted.  Students will receive the mandatory OC onboarding instructions, OC student packet documentation and what the participation requirements are, as a part of their onboarding process after the aforementioned information (in blue) has been received.  (The participation requirements are inclusive of the student's immunization record).  Once completed, everything is to be submitted (only to me) the OC student programs coordinator (via email) for processing.  OC Hosts and their designees are not to be copied on this packet submission, only myself as a part of HR.  

The deadline is four (4) weeks prior to the student's OC start date in order to allow sufficient time for everything to be reviewed and for any resubmissions or missing items (as needed) to be turned in so s/he may clear in time for participation.  Once all onboarding requirements have been met, the OC student programs coordinator (myself), will send out the clearance notification to the student as well as to those OC staff that are a part of the site/experience to provide advance notice/a reminder as needed.  Afterwards, all students can expect to receive the clinic side specifics from their OC Host/designee prior to starting (i.e. schedule, dress attire, parking information, etc.).   

*NOTE: Anyone cleared to go to MCSC, is also required to have proof of Covid-19 vaccination and (seasonally) Flu vaccination as a part of their mandatory onboarding documentation, in order to clear to participate.    

*OR Privileging Requests:

Students under the age of 18 cannot obtain operating room (OR) privileges at area facilities, so should not plan to receive OR privileging.  In addition, OR Privileges are NOT guaranteed to all shadowing participants, it is offered merely at the discretion of the OC Host provider/preceptor and decided on an individual basis.   When agreeable, the student must work with the OC Host/their designee (MAA/SAC or for smaller sites-the Clinic Supervisor/PM to obtain schedule, dress attire, parking information, etc.), and the appropriate facility to complete their onboarding paperwork and requirements (separately) for OR clearance.   This process is not handled by (myself) the OC Student Programs Coordinator; however, I do have contact information and select forms available to assist for certain area facilities OC commonly uses.  *FYI- Whenever possible, OR privileges should be coordinated no less than 30 days in advance of the student's OC start date, because even though some facilities only need a week or so, there are others that will require at least 30 days (i.e. Novant). 

Information to OC Student Programs Coordinator on Incoming Student to be Added:     

Requested Shadowing Month (Mar., May, June, July, Aug., Oct., or Dec.)?       

Desirable Start Date:

Desirable End Date:

Requested Hours: 

OC Host's Name (Do Not list a name here unless the OC employee has already agreed to host you):     

Site Location of OC Host (work site not specialty):   

Type of Experience Being Sought (i.e. PA Shadow, MD Shadow, etc.):        

Student's Full Legal Name (include middle name):       

Student's Date of Birth (Must be 16 or older):       

Student's Last 4 of SSN:       

Student's Phone Number:           

Student's Email Address:              

Student's School (current or previous):        

*Question: Are you aware that this experience is limited to 40 max allowable hours, over a pre-designated week(s)/month, once a year?     

*IMPORTANT: The student may send the above information in blue to me directly BUT ONLY if the OC Host provider has already agreed to be your preceptor for this experience and then that OC Host or their designee must also be copied on the email for it to be accepted.  Otherwise, the above information can only come to me directly from the OC Host provider/their designee on the student’s behalf.