Apply this year without shadowing or wait until next cycle?

[Lifeman]

I have a good GPA and good MCAT score, but I never got around to shadowing a physician. I did spend some time volunteering at a hospital and at a free clinic, but it wasn't your typical "follow around an anesthesiologist for a day" kind of shadowing.

Will any schools automatically reject me because I didn't satisfy some unwritten minimum hours of shadowing? If so, should I just do that this year and apply next year?

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[Resilience]

Well, you will definitely be asked on your interviews how you know you want to be a doctor if you have never shadowed any and saw how the profession actually works. If you feel comfortable answering this question, then go for it. If you have nothing to say besides wanting to help people and wanting to study medicine, then I would wait. If you can answer this question, make sure you do so in your PS, as even getting an interview without this will be difficult. On another note, there's still plenty of time to get some shadowing done now. It doesn't have to be anything crazy, just enough to say that it confirmed your desire to go to medical school. Also, if you have substantial research experience, it may be overlooked at research intensive schools, but they will most definitely still ask you about it.

 

[nabilesmail]

Is 200,000ish $ worth waiting over (starting med school 1 year later). Spend some time to reflect on your experiences, reasoning, apply, and look for shadowing opportunitites right now. You don't need many hours, just enough to show them you know what you are getting yourself into

 

[Lifeman]

Well, you will definitely be asked on your interviews how you know you want to be a doctor if you have never shadowed any and saw how the profession actually works. If you feel comfortable answering this question, then go for it. If you have nothing to say besides wanting to help people and wanting to study medicine, then I would wait. If you can answer this question, make sure you do so in your PS, as even getting an interview without this will be difficult. On another note, there's still plenty of time to get some shadowing done now. It doesn't have to be anything crazy, just enough to say that it confirmed your desire to go to medical school. Also, if you have substantial research experience, it may be overlooked at research intensive schools, but they will most definitely still ask you about it.

Do you think it would be worth it to apply late June instead of June 1st if it means I can put some shadowing on my app?

 

[Catalystik]

Do you think it would be worth it to apply late June instead of June 1st if it means I can put some shadowing on my app?

Yes. Then continue to gain additional hours before interviews, as a number of common questions are related to such an experience. Update letters, where allowed, and Secondary essays are another way to communicate that you've continued to develop that area of your application.

 

[Lifeman]

Yes. Then continue to gain additional hours before interviews, as a number of common questions are related to such an experience. Update letters, where allowed, and Secondary essays are another way to communicate that you've continued to develop that area of your application.

Thank you, I'll do exactly that.

 

[Resilience]

Do you think it would be worth it to apply late June instead of June 1st if it means I can put some shadowing on my app?

Absolutely. I agree with Catalystik. Obviously, the earlier you apply the better, but I would definitely wait if it means including shadowing in your app. Good luck!

 

[PreciousHamburgers]

Yes. Then continue to gain additional hours before interviews, as a number of common questions are related to such an experience. Update letters, where allowed, and Secondary essays are another way to communicate that you've continued to develop that area of your application.

What about submitting on time, but listing future hours on the application?

 

[nabilesmail]

What about submitting on time, but listing future hours on the application?

Don't do this- won't mean anything

 

[tantacles]

I have a good GPA and good MCAT score, but I never got around to shadowing a physician. I did spend some time volunteering at a hospital and at a free clinic, but it wasn't your typical "follow around an anesthesiologist for a day" kind of shadowing.

Will any schools automatically reject me because I didn't satisfy some unwritten minimum hours of shadowing? If so, should I just do that this year and apply next year?

Can you get any shadowing experience during the next few weeks? Shadowing experience doesn't have to be extensive - just enough to get a taste of the field.

 

[PreciousHamburgers]

Don't do this- won't mean anything

Say I have about 40 or 50 hours of shadowing done by the day I submit, but I have more scheduled. Should I list it as a continuing activity and list the future hours as well?

 

[nabilesmail]

Yup thats okay! Also, catalysik has said the average applicants has 50 hrs of shadowing so you're good there too

 

[tantacles]

Say I have about 40 or 50 hours of shadowing done by the day I submit, but I have more scheduled. Should I list it as a continuing activity and list the future hours as well?

Sure! Why not? Just make sure you have already completed shadowing on your application, preferably with at least two types of physician.

 

[Catalystik]

What about submitting on time, but listing future hours on the application?

Don't do this- won't mean anything

Agreed!

Say I have about 40 or 50 hours of shadowing done by the day I submit, but I have more scheduled. Should I list it as a continuing activity and list the future hours as well?

If you can complete and list 40-50 hours, you'd be in good shape. If you want to commit to some future hours and list them, that's fine, but I doubt the prediction would be regarded until you confirm the completion of the predicted hours in Secondary essays, update letters, or at interviews.

 

[Lifeman]

Can you get any shadowing experience during the next few weeks? Shadowing experience doesn't have to be extensive - just enough to get a taste of the field.

Man, its hard with no connections. I am trying to right now, its just stressful being treated like a beggar haha. We'll see what I can get in the next month...

 

[tantacles]

Man, its hard with no connections. I am trying to right now, its just stressful being treated like a beggar haha. We'll see what I can get in the next month...

It's tough. I got my shadowing experience through the research job I had, and I honestly would have paid for a shadowing experience if I had to. Luckily, it didn't come down to that.

 

[iforget2]

Would it be ok if the 40-50 hours were from the same physician? Or more specifically a primary care physician?

 

[alamo4]

I never did any shadowing before medical school and was never asked about it. Like you, I did a lot of volunteer work in a free clinic, and was part of patient care. I also did a lot of applied/translational research, so got to talk to a lot of doctors.

They will just ask about your understanding of medicine as a career and your possible place on it. It helps to have a nuanced view, but there are so many kinds of medical practice, it takes your third year just to figure out vaguely what you generally like. Medicine is family practice, trauma surgery, running a blood bank, doing autopsies, medical genetics, dermatology, full time research, looking at MRIs in a dark room all the time, hospital administration, government policy, teaching, and many more. It is a big tent, with lots of room for lots of different personalities and lifestyles.

It's not like you can even put shadowing on your AMCAS, or at least it would seem weird to me to do so since it's not like an achievement or leadership position or job.

A couple of days of shadowing is like taking a couple days of vacation at a resort in a foreign country where you don't speak the local language. It tells you very little about what actually emigrating to there will be like.

I have a good GPA and good MCAT score, but I never got around to shadowing a physician. I did spend some time volunteering at a hospital and at a free clinic, but it wasn't your typical "follow around an anesthesiologist for a day" kind of shadowing.

Will any schools automatically reject me because I didn't satisfy some unwritten minimum hours of shadowing? If so, should I just do that this year and apply next year?

 

[alamo4]

It's not like you can even put shadowing on your AMCAS, or at least it would seem weird to me to do so since it's not like an achievement or leadership position or job.

I take it back, it looks like people put shadowing explicitly down as one of their line items.

 

[mexdoc91]

I would still go ahead and apply. Don't wait an additional year just to shadow. If you have extensive clinical hours and direct patient contact hours, you should be in good shape.

 

[lobo.solo]

I depends on how solid you clinical experience is. I didn't do any shadowing but had tons of hours in clinical experience. Adcoms basically want to know if you envisioned yourself doing a physician's job and if you tolerate sick people. If you think they can get that from your other ECs I wouldn't worry too much about it. Granted there are some schools that expect you to do some shadowing.

 

[Catalystik]

Would it be ok if the 40-50 hours were from the same physician? Or more specifically a primary care physician?

If the doc you shadow is primary care, especially if you get to see some office-based longitudinal care, it's fine if you use just one doctor for 40-50 hours. With this type of prolonged experience with one person who gets to know you, one is more likely to have conversations about the challenges of medicine that get touched on in interview conversations: patient advocacy, cultural sensitivity, malpractice, medical ethics, current healthcare policy, difficult patients, insurance companies, professionalism, etc.

 

[Catalystik]

It's not like you can even put shadowing on your AMCAS, or at least it would seem weird to me to do so since it's not like an achievement or leadership position or job.

Since last year, AMCAS includes a category explicitly for Shadowing in the pull-down menu of choices.

 

[C.glabrata123]

I applied and got in without shadowing.

I started shadowing in September and sent updates to schools. I received interviews in August, so clearly not having shadowing experience didn't hurt me.

Apply. Don't wait a year. Continue to do stuff during the application year (shadow, volunteer) and send updates.