Can you shadow a family member who is a physician?

[pearclover]

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My aunt is a surgeon in El Salvador. Would it be frowned upon that I shadow with a family member? Would it be considered cheating?

Or, does it benefit me more since I would gain experience outside the US, be speaking to patients in Spanish, and in an underdeveloped country?

I need some help weighing this, thank you to whoever can respond.

 

[deleted972488]

Not cheating, but not particularly beneficial. If you want to become a US physician, shadow a US physician.

 

[PA_dud3]

I wouldn't recommend any family shadowing to be reported on AMCAS. I also don't think the foreign experience will help either. You are applying to US medical schools so you need to learn how US physicians operate.

 

[pearclover]

I wouldn't recommend any family shadowing to be reported on AMCAS. I also don't think the foreign experience will help either. You are applying to US medical schools so you need to learn how US physicians operate.

I see. I study in France, and there's an American Hospital in Paris. They offer volunteer opportunities. From this, I would assume getting some of my clinical hours there isn't a good idea either.

 

[PA_dud3]

I see. I study in France, and there's an American Hospital in Paris. They offer volunteer opportunities. From this, I would assume getting some of my clinical hours there isn't a good idea either.

Wait, you want to apply to US medical schools, correct? You're just getting your undergrad degree in France? Are you a US Citizen?

 

[pearclover]

Wait, you want to apply to US medical schools, correct? You're just getting your undergrad degree in France? Are you a US Citizen?

Yes, I can see how all this looks strange.

I am a US citizen, Hispanic/Latino. I go to the American University of Paris, and I am planning on applying to US medical schools.

 

[PA_dud3]

Yes, I can see how all this looks strange.

I am a US citizen, Hispanic/Latino. I go to the American University of Paris, and I am planning on applying to US medical schools.

Okay. I apologize for generalizing my first response. You have an interesting situation here, which I am not sure of the best course of action. My gut is telling me that, due to where you attend school, you should be fine with shadowing and volunteering in France/wherever due to the circumstances, unless you can easily obtain US shadowing. Im unsure if you would be considered a foreign applicant or not. Maybe wait for an adcom to offer some advice. If for some reason you are considered an international applicant, this will somewhat limit the schools you can apply to. I apolgize that I am not able to offer any more help or advice.

 

[ciestar]

Okay. I apologize for generalizing my first response. You have an interesting situation here, which I am not sure of the best course of action. My gut is telling me that, due to where you attend school, you should be fine with shadowing and volunteering in France/wherever due to the circumstances, unless you can easily obtain US shadowing. Im unsure if you would be considered a foreign applicant or not. Maybe wait for an adcom to offer some advice. If for some reason you are considered an international applicant, this will somewhat limit the schools you can apply to. I apolgize that I am not able to offer any more help or advice.

OP is still a US citizen, which is the biggest thing here.

Problem being is if those credits will be accepted by med schools due to it being a foreign transcript.

 

[pearclover]

OP is still a US citizen, which is the biggest thing here.

Problem being is if those credits will be accepted by med schools due to it being a foreign transcript.

There would be no issue there. The school is American with past students going to Ivy Leagues for graduate school. All the courses are taught in English.

 

[Moko]

AAMC/AMCAS considers the American University of Paris to be an American institution (just overseas), so you'll be fine from that standpoint. You will not be considered a foreign applicant.

For schools not considered to be an American college by the AAMC, it gets trickier as most schools will want to see evidence of US based coursework. Foreign transcripts will also not be incorporated into calculation of the AMCAS GPA (unless the school is viewed by the AAMC to be an overseas American college). For a full list of these schools, look up the AMCAS application guide. Hope this helps

 

[ciestar]

There would be no issue there. The school is American with past students going to Ivy Leagues for graduate school. All the courses are taught in English.

What about medical school?

But you’re right, your school is accredited by the same agency that accredits my medical school lol your transcript shouldnt be an issue i wouldnt think

 

[Catalystik]

My aunt is a surgeon in El Salvador. Would it be frowned upon that I shadow with a family member? Would it be considered cheating?

Or, does it benefit me more since I would gain experience outside the US, be speaking to patients in Spanish, and in an underdeveloped country?

I need some help weighing this, thank you to whoever can respond.

Family shadowing is fine for listing on AMCAS. What wouldn't be fine is getting an LOR from a family member. Or having international shadowing dominate an application to a US med school. If you are able to travel away from your undergrad school in France for a period of time, try to set up a shadowing experience with a US physician in the US. Ideally, this would include a primary care physician in an office-based setting where you can get an experience of longitudinal care (when the patients are awake). The point of shadowing is to see what US docs do all day (physician-patient interaction, phone calls, paperwork, meetings, etc), so you know what you're getting yourself into. You are not intended to have interaction with a patient yourself.

This does not need to be a long-term activity. Fifty hours is the average listed. You could do that within a week if you had to.

 

[Catalystik]

your transcript shouldnt be an issue i wouldnt think

I agree with @Moko that it won't be.

 

[907914]

The point of shadowing is to see what US docs do all day

Would it be OK for OP to shadow one of the 6 American doctors at the American Hospital in Paris? It is the only foreign institute recognized by JCO, has a history extending back to WWI as being allowed to hire American physicians who do not speak French or hold European citizenship...It is a weird setup but is shadowing an American doctor and a foreign-but-American-accredited institution allowable?

 

[gyngyn]

Would it be OK for OP to shadow one of the 6 American doctors at the American Hospital in Paris? It is the only foreign institute recognized by JCO, has a history extending back to WWI as being allowed to hire American physicians who do not speak French or hold European citizenship...It is a weird setup but is shadowing an American doctor and a foreign-but-American-accredited institution allowable?

Nobody here is going to know this...

 

[907914]

Nobody here is going to know this...

Very true....I mean, it is called ‘American Hospital’ lol Does that just make it sound sketchy as opposed to legitimate...?

 

[gyngyn]

Very true....I mean, it is called ‘American Hospital’ lol Does that just make it sound sketchy as opposed to legitimate...?

Just like American University at Antigua...

 

[907914]

Just like American University at Antigua...

Right...But these things legitimately are American hospitals and universities. But I can see what you mean that no one is going to get that. So if OP can fly to US for a week of full time primary care shadowing...

 

[ciestar]

Right...But these things legitimately are American hospitals and universities. But I can see what you mean that no one is going to get that. So if OP can fly to US for a week of full time primary care shadowing...

My first assumption was that it wasnt an american university either. I thought it was an AUA type of thing at first. It took google for me to know what i know now

 

[LizzyM]

The environment of US health care delivery facilities is different than the environment in a hospital staffed by American doctors in France. Being trained in a medical school in the US without ever having experienced a health care delivery setting in the US would raise some eyebrows. The human body is not different from one country to another (the microbiome might be though) but the culture and the payment system and the regulations around the provision of care are different and it would be important to be aware of that before setting foot in a medical school as a student.

Furthermore, I would suggest that the OP think about where they'd like to practice medicine and plan some time shadowing in that environment. If it is with a Spanish speaking population in the US then it might be best to shadow physicians in an area with a substantial population of Spanish speaking immigrants and refugees.

 

[pearclover]

The environment of US health care delivery facilities is different than the environment in a hospital staffed by American doctors in France. Being trained in a medical school in the US without ever having experienced a health care delivery setting in the US would raise some eyebrows. The human body is not different from one country to another (the microbiome might be though) but the culture and the payment system and the regulations around the provision of care are different and it would be important to be aware of that before setting foot in a medical school as a student.

Furthermore, I would suggest that the OP think about where they'd like to practice medicine and plan some time shadowing in that environment. If it is with a Spanish speaking population in the US then it might be best to shadow physicians in an area with a substantial population of Spanish speaking immigrants and refugees.

Thank you so much for your advice. I’m from a state where there isn’t a high population of latinos, but I am hoping to practice where I can help the community I come from. But that comes a little later. For now I will complete my hours with a US physician.

 

[Goro]

My aunt is a surgeon in El Salvador. Would it be frowned upon that I shadow with a family member? Would it be considered cheating?

Or, does it benefit me more since I would gain experience outside the US, be speaking to patients in Spanish, and in an underdeveloped country?

I need some help weighing this, thank you to whoever can respond.

It's frowned upon due to the conflict of interest.

 

[ciestar]

The environment of US health care delivery facilities is different than the environment in a hospital staffed by American doctors in France. Being trained in a medical school in the US without ever having experienced a health care delivery setting in the US would raise some eyebrows. The human body is not different from one country to another (the microbiome might be though) but the culture and the payment system and the regulations around the provision of care are different and it would be important to be aware of that before setting foot in a medical school as a student.

Furthermore, I would suggest that the OP think about where they'd like to practice medicine and plan some time shadowing in that environment. If it is with a Spanish speaking population in the US then it might be best to shadow physicians in an area with a substantial population of Spanish speaking immigrants and refugees.

For real. Today i dealt with parents who were terrified they would be deported during these upcoming raids and that their kids would be taken from them and locked up.

Won’t get that in France