Medical schools require applicants to have completed at least 200 shadowing hours to be competitive with other candidates. While most undergraduate students get their hours at local hospitals, Aidan Oslob ’26, a biochemistry major in the premed program, had the opportunity to shadow at the Oncology Institute of Veneto in Padua, Italy over the summer. He went into the experience hoping to narrow his future career goals but found that some of the most impactful elements of the trip were the relational and cultural aspects.
Oslob decided to attend Azusa Pacific University because of his prior education in Christian schools. When he visited the university, he felt comfortable with the smaller student population. Oslob believed it would help in making connections around campus with his peers and professors.
APU’s premed program was also a major selling point for Oslob who has family members that are scientists. “Studying biochemistry and premed allow me to fulfill my love of learning about how things work,” he said. “I’ve always had a particular interest in becoming a dermatologist.” Psoriasis, an autoimmune disease, runs in Oslob’s family, and the idea of being able to help his family in the future brings him joy. “Even if I change my mind, with a medical degree you can go into research too so there’s a lot of flexibility.”
Oslob knew he needed to have a lot of shadowing hours in order to get into med school, so when he saw the opportunity to shadow at the Oncology Institute advertised in an email from APU he knew that it would be a transformative experience. “I hoped to get a feel for what type of doctor I wanted to be,” he said. “I thought I could find something that fit me. I wanted to be sure that the doctor route is where I truly want to go after graduation.” The fact that Oslob would get the chance to simultaneously experience Italian culture solidified his determination to go.
The trip lasted two weeks in which Oslob spent a week shadowing surgeons and a week with the attending doctors. Immediately Oslob was prepped for his first chance to be in the operating room. On day one, he watched a mastectomy, the institute's specialty. “I was right next to the table and the doctor kept telling me to come closer,” he said. “In my imagination I thought there would be some kind of barrier between me and the patient, but I was right there next to her.”
Day three of Oslob’s time in the surgical room was his favorite, where he observed a lymph node removal surgery. “It took five hours, but one of the residents helped me understand what was going on the whole time,” Oslob said. “Before the surgery, he pulled out a textbook to show me what they were going to do, and during the surgery he would point out the different nerves and arteries in the patient’s leg while the wound was open.” Each time Oslob entered the surgical room, he became a little more comfortable and was thankful that the doctors were so willing to help him understand everything.
The staff at the Oncology Institute played a large role in Oslob’s positive and informative
experience inside and outside the hospital in many ways.
One of the doctors helped Oslob understand the decision process behind surgical techniques
by explaining each step of the procedure. “She told me how deep to cut, what shape
the incision should be, and why,” he said. “Afterwards, she showed me how to use different
types of stitches to sew wounds back up.” While shadowing does not include participation
in the procedure, the information was key in understanding the details of the surgery
that Oslob was watching.
Fridays were cultural excursion days where Oslob was able to experience authentic Italian culture outside of the hospital. He visited more tourist heavy areas such as Venice, but he also got to explore Padua, the old city where the Oncology Institute is located. “It was interesting to see the social differences in Padua,” he said. “People there are kinder, but there are a lot of unspoken rules that you pick up on with time such as transportation etiquette.” Oslob appreciated the historical aspects of the trip as he would visit ancient sites with relics and buildings from as early as the 1200s. “The oldest things we saw were the cathedrals,” he said. “They’re gorgeous, and it’s amazing that they’re still in use today.” Another highlight of the cultural excursions was a pasta making class.
While Oslob learned a lot about Italian culture and what it took to be a surgeon, the experience also strengthened his faith. “Looking at how organized the body is, it’s amazing to think that God came up with that in a way that we can understand and use to our advantage,” he said. “It’s also incredible that God gave people the gifts to do intense surgeries like that all day for their entire lives.”
Oslob’s time in Italy also reminded him of the importance of faith when interacting with patients, an essential part of the healing process. “Interacting with patients in a positive Christian way can have a big impact on them,” he said. “You can give people hope which can do almost as much as the surgery itself in some ways.”
Shadowing at The Oncology Institute of Veneto gave Oslob a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn more about himself and his future in the medical field but also gave him the courage to reevaluate his specific career options. “I am definitely going to keep shadowing to figure out exactly what I want to do,” he said. “I enjoyed some aspects of oncology, but some parts didn’t feel like a perfect fit, so I’m excited to keep exploring what my calling in medicine is.”