Clinical Experience Question

[golgibodies]

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Hi everyone! I have a quick question about my clinical experiences for the upcoming cycle.

I have only shadowed one doctor (a neurologist) twice, but I have been volunteering at my local hospital where I have strong physician and patient contact. Basically, I consent patients for a study and contact former study participants to ask them questions (I did this for 30 hours each week for one month last summer and then 3 hours weekly during the year).

Is this enough clinical experience to submit on an application? Suggestions? Thank you!!!

 

[At0mic]

Hi everyone! I have a quick question about my clinical experiences for the upcoming cycle.

I have only shadowed one doctor (a neurologist) twice, but I have been volunteering at my local hospital where I have strong physician and patient contact. Basically, I consent patients for a study and contact former study participants to ask them questions (I did this for 30 hours each week for one month last summer and then 3 hours weekly during the year).

Is this enough clinical experience to submit on an application? Suggestions? Thank you!!!

I'd say do more shadowing, and make sure you shadow a few different kinds of physicians so you get some more varied exposure. I think at least 40 hrs is ideal (if someone could confirm/refute that for me)?
Your volunteering sounds good, though.

 

[Soilworkgmbh]

Hi everyone! I have a quick question about my clinical experiences for the upcoming cycle.

I have only shadowed one doctor (a neurologist) twice, but I have been volunteering at my local hospital where I have strong physician and patient contact. Basically, I consent patients for a study and contact former study participants to ask them questions (I did this for 30 hours each week for one month last summer and then 3 hours weekly during the year).

Is this enough clinical experience to submit on an application? Suggestions? Thank you!!!

How much physician-patient interaction do you observe / witness? Do you witness the interview and examination process? I gathered from the interview cycle that this is what they are really looking for.

 

[golgibodies]

I am not present for the physician/patient interaction during the examination (as it is in a breast cancer center), but I do observe a lot of physician/patient interaction throughout the day at the office. As part of my duties, I interview the patients about their cancer so there is a ton of patient interaction. I also meet weekly with the physician running the study.

 

[sector9]

I would strongly recommend some shadowing in a primary care setting before you apply.

 

[golgibodies]

do you guys think it would be ok if I fit in a little bit of shadowing this month and then put it down on my application saying that I am going to do it? Is it worth it to submit my app after June 6th just to get a few more clinical hours when I already have >175 clinical hours?

 

[Catalystik]

1) do you guys think it would be ok if I fit in a little bit of shadowing this month and then put it down on my application saying that I am going to do it?
2) Is it worth it to submit my app after June 6th just to get a few more clinical hours when I already have >175 clinical hours?

1) Future intentions carry no weight for AMCAS (and future dates can't be entered), though I've heard they do for TMDSAS.

2) To have your application appeal to the greatest number of med schools, IMO it would be worth a week or two delay to boost your shadowing hours in an office-based (ideally, primary care) setting. Forty hours is the minimum listed for those schools requiring it. Fifty hours is closer to the average for applicants in general.

And while your active clinical experience hours and duration are reasonable, as your experience doesn't include exposure to a variety of medical illnesses, you might try to spend some time in a different medical setting during the application year, to get a broader-based view of medicine, which can be communicated via update letters.

 

[golgibodies]

thanks! stupid question, but are there any specific schools you know of that require shadowing or is it just an unwritten rule?

 

[Catalystik]

For the majority it's an unwritten rule. A few schools don't care. As a recall UCF is OK with 2 days worth. And a few have specific expectations, like UWashington. Sorry, I don't keep a list.

But even where not required, the shadowing experience will help you answer a lot of common interview questions demonstrating an understanding of the physician role. And if those aren't good enough reasons, do it for yourself, so you know what you're getting yourself into.

 

[sector9]

thanks! stupid question, but are there any specific schools you know of that require shadowing or is it just an unwritten rule?

UWash and Utah are the only schools with a specific hours requirement that I've encountered. Others just require it in general terms or don't say either way.