How to Shadow a Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant

This has been a highly requested blog post, and I’ve received so many emails asking how I was able to find a CAA to shadow. First, keep in mind that I live in Florida, a state that allows CAAs to work, which makes finding shadowing opportunities easier. If your state does not allow CAAs, you will definitely have to travel for shadowing. Now, this is how I went about finding shadowing opportunities—but you can approach it however you like! My First Shadowing Experience The first CAA I shadowed was in Tampa, Florida, back in November 2023. She is no longer in Tampa. I had to emphasize that because people keep asking for her contact information. When I shadowed her, she was preparing to leave that hospital and move to another state. I’m not sure if she still offers shadowing opportunities. I found her by searching for CAAs on social media. Yes, I’m a bit of a stalker (lol), and I’m very persistent. I looked for CAAs on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. She was the only one I found on YouTube at the time, so I watched all her videos and left several comments asking if she offered shadowing opportunities. Eventually, she responded and told me to DM her on Instagram—which I did immediately. Since she was near Tampa and I’m in Palm Beach, she was about four hours away from me. She was also fully booked for at least six months. I originally reached out in the summer, and I didn’t get to shadow her until November. As you can see, I don’t give up easily! Before approving me, she asked to see my transcripts and inquired about where I was in my application journey. After explaining my situation, someone from the hospital where she worked sent me forms to fill out, including proof of vaccinations. Once everything was approved, I was allowed to shadow her for two days (a total of 16 hours). Because she was four hours away, I had to rent a car, book a hotel, and take two days off work. I also had to arrange an overnight babysitter for my daughter. So, if you can’t find a local CAA, be prepared to make some sacrifices. I even had another CAA I found on Instagram who was willing to let me shadow, but she was in Texas—which was too far and too expensive for me to travel. That’s why I was so grateful for the Tampa opportunity. My Second Shadowing Experience My next shadowing experience was in Melbourne, Florida, which was much closer—only about an hour and 45 minutes away. I found this opportunity through the CAA Discord (definitely join it—it will be a huge support in your CAA journey!). I’ll try to link it below. This opportunity was different because it wasn’t a direct contact with a CAA. Instead, it was through an anesthesia agency that hires CAAs, CRNAs, and anesthesiologists. Because of this, I had the option to shadow any of them. I highly recommend shadowing multiple CAAs at different hospitals to see the variations in how they work. They allowed me to shadow on two separate days, two months apart. However, they did require me to get a flu shot, so keep that in mind when applying. My Melbourne experience helped me understand so much more about the CAA profession. Every hospital operates differently, and each CAA you shadow will have a unique experience. At Melbourne, the environment was much more team-oriented. The anesthesia department had its own room, and the director took the time to explain the roles of CAAs, CRNAs, and anesthesiologists. She also walked me through the charting process and clarified how the team model works, where CAAs and CRNAs operate under anesthesiologists. Final Thoughts If you’re serious about finding shadowing opportunities, start reaching out to CAAs in their DMs, asking in the CAA Discord, and checking the Facebook group for leads. Be prepared for the reality that your shadowing opportunity may not be local. For my Melbourne experience, I had to rent a car, leave my house at 5 AM, drive two hours, and be at the hospital by 7 AM. It takes sacrifice—but if this is the career path you want, it’s absolutely worth it. "https://discord.com/servers/caa-706407688359247924" (Link to Discord)

Hello, February!

I can’t believe how fast time is flying—it feels like January was pure chaos! Now that we’re stepping into February, I don’t have any travel plans, but it’s still going to be a busy month for me. Out of the 28 days in February, I only have four days off—crazy, right? This month, I have to get my Mercedes serviced, and I’m making time to visit my grandparents, which already takes up two of my weekends. The other two weekends will probably be filled with cleaning, laundry, meal prepping, grocery runs—you know, all the adulting essentials. On top of that, I’m still waiting to hear back from a lot of schools, and the wait has been so long. Since applications open again in June, I’ve decided to start preparing now and reapply. That’s only four months away! I’ve also made the decision to retake the MCAT because a high score will make my application more competitive compared to an average GRE score. It’s going to be a packed month, but I’m ready to tackle it!