can you have TOO many shadowing hours?

[tyrtuga]

I'm a rising sophomore in college– and I'm about to enter my 5th year of shadowing. I shadowed for 4 years in HS and have accumulated over 500 hours already. Would it look weird to have something like 1000 by the time I apply? Weird question I guess.

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[jqueb29]

I don't think it would be looked at negatively, but there are definitely diminishing returns on shadowing after a certain point, and that point comes long before 500 hours. That being said, the only way it becomes a negative is if your application is missing other EC's. Ceteris paribus, an application with 100 hours shadowing, 100 hours volunteering, and a year of research is significantly better than an application with 500+ hours shadowing but no volunteering or research.

 

[Lucca]

You should probably channel some of your time into getting clinical volunteering time in the future as opposed to shadowing. Diversify your clinical experience and it's a more active thing to do than just watch.

 

[JessebenBenjamin]

I thought whatever you did in HS does not matter as far as med school applications go? So he couldn't use those first 500 hours...
Either way I agree with the people above me.

 

[NeuResurgens]

Maybe in the sense that it'll take your time away from some other necessary extracurriculars like nonclinical volunteering or employment.

 

[cactus8910]

Experiences in high school shouldn't be listed on your med school application, so it makes sense to get some more hours in college...like, 50-100, not 500.
I'm no adcom, but if I saw 500-1000 shadowing hours, I'd wonder why on earth you weren't using that time more productively (volunteering or working).

 

[HCHopeful]

It honestly depends on which state you're in. I know everyone on this forum says shadowing has virtually no returns after 50 hours, but it's not true at all medical schools. My in-state school is UNMC, and in rural Nebraska (where I live), clinical volunteering opportunities just aren't offered. I spoke to the Associate Dean of Admissions at UNMC, and he told me that having as many shadowing hours as we can is seen as a way of filling that clinical experience void. It's not like that in every state, but there are exceptions to the "shadowing doesn't matter after 50 hours" rule.

I had a classmate a year ahead of me who had gathered over 300 hours shadowing and had no clinical volunteering. They said her clinical experience was amazing during her interview. I have accrued 140 hours shadowing, and gathered 40 clinical (somewhat) volunteering with the Red Cross along with another 50 hours at a nursing home. After speaking to the Associate Dean, he informed me that my experience was more than enough for what they're looking for.

Keep in mind that every medical school differs in the way they view things like this. If you live in a populated state with many opportunities for clinical experience outside of shadowing, I would suggest experiencing those other activities instead of shadowing.

 

[HCHopeful]

Experiences in high school shouldn't be listed on your med school application, so it makes sense to get some more hours in college...like, 50-100, not 500.
I'm no adcom, but if I saw 500-1000 shadowing hours, I'd wonder why on earth you weren't using that time more productively (volunteering or working).

Continuous activities can and should be listed on an application. I think if OP continued to shadow regularly, those numbers should be included as well. But if OP doesn't shadow in college at all, then yeah, don't list those hours.

 

[DrHart]

Experiences in high school can be included on a medical school app, however it should be very relevant and important to your premed path. I think significant shadowing hours can be included, sports teams or "national honors society" = no no. I would agree with above posters though. My general impression is that most adcoms think 50-100 hours of shadowing is sufficient to get enough insight as a student. After 200 I would say do something else.
Also, I'm amazed a doc let you shadow for 500 hours. You must have a charming personality.

 

[DokterMom]

I'm a rising sophomore in college– and I'm about to enter my 5th year of shadowing. I shadowed for 4 years in HS and have accumulated over 500 hours already. Would it look weird to have something like 1000 by the time I apply? Weird question I guess.

I'm assuming you have a parent who is a physician? Can you do more than 'shadow'? Volunteer in any way?

 

[familyaerospace]

I did 400+ hours. I've heard of people who did 1000. I have a lot of hours of everything though.