Concentrated Shadowing / Diversity of Shadowing

[klever]

Hello SDN,

I'm back with another set of questions. I always appreciate any and all help and responses!

1. For shadowing experience, is it okay if a lot of my shadowing experiences are concentrated in my freshman/early sophomore year? Or do they need to be spread out?

2. A lot of the doctors I shadowed are branches of internal medicine. I shadowed doctors. Although they do different things, they all are trained in internal medicine residencies. Do I need to find a doctor or doctors to shadow that are not under the internal medicine field, or does shadowing these different specialties count as covering a good breadth of medicine?

3. I have gained a bunch of premed activites on my CV. Problem is though, that all the other side activities I do for myself (lift, play chess online occassionally etc.), are kind of hard to express to adcoms, so all I can put on AMCAS in the future are these heavy premed activities. Is this a red flag..? Should I try and show other non-premed activites? Or does nonclinical community service kind of show that im not just into premed things..? Basically, what suggestions of what can I do to not appear like this.

Thank you again! Sorry for bombarding questions like this lol.

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[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

There are Hobbies and Extracurriculars options for your Activities list. You should go set up the app and see what it looks like. It doesn't count until you pay money and apply somewhere.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

To help you, we have the free Premed Planner App - HPSA . What you enter won't be skimmed.

 

[LizzyM]

Find some new activities that are non-clinical and that require engaging with others toward a mutual goal. It doesn't have to be "volunteering" but it could be. It could also be theatre (backstage activities count, too), intramural sports, journalism, working with others toward a policy change. Too many solitary activities gives off a "loner" vibe which is a concern for some adcom members.

 

[klever]

Find some new activities that are non-clinical and that require engaging with others toward a mutual goal. It doesn't have to be "volunteering" but it could be. It could also be theatre (backstage activities count, too), intramural sports, journalism, working with others toward a policy change. Too many solitary activities gives off a "loner" vibe which is a concern for some adcom members.

Awesome! Thanks for the ideas.

 

[klever]

There are Hobbies and Extracurriculars options for your Activities list. You should go set up the app and see what it looks like. It doesn't count until you pay money and apply somewhere.

Okay good to know

 

[klever]

To help you, we have the free Premed Planner App - HPSA . What you enter won't be skimmed.

I'll take a look!

 

[klever]

So is it alright if all my different shadowing experiences are with different types of doctors that specialized in different parts of internal medicine? Is it okay if they are crammed in freshman/early sophomore year?

 

[LizzyM]

So is it alright if all my different shadowing experiences are with different types of doctors that specialized in different parts of internal medicine? Is it okay if they are crammed in freshman/early sophomore year?

Yes and yes. You thought you might be interested in being a doctor, you shadowed some doctors in different specialties that are very common (e.g. not just vascular surgery and endocrine surgery) and confirmed that you are interested in medicine (and in medicine). That's not to say that you wouldn't change your mind after you get to med school and are exposed to other specialties, but you have tested and confirmed your interest which is what we ask.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Agreeing: 1 and 2) You're fine. What other clinical experience do you have that builds on these experiences? Just keep that in mind.

3) Hobbies/Extracurriculars.

Yes, you are also encouraged to navigate in AMCAS as long as you don't actually spend money and submit an application. Check if AMCAS will carry over information to the next cycle, which is the case with other CAS's.

Take a look at the pinned advice posts on completing Work/Activities on AMCAS.

 

[klever]

Agreeing: 1 and 2) You're fine. What other clinical experience do you have that builds on these experiences? Just keep that in mind.

3) Hobbies/Extracurriculars.

Yes, you are also encouraged to navigate in AMCAS as long as you don't actually spend money and submit an application. Check if AMCAS will carry over information to the next cycle, which is the case with other CAS's.

Take a look at the pinned advice posts on completing Work/Activities on AMCAS.

Yes, I saw that thread just recently, it was very helpful!!

Thank you for the response. Would getting a job working with one the physicians I shadowed would an acceptable clinical experience that builds off?

 

[klever]

Yes and yes. You thought you might be interested in being a doctor, you shadowed some doctors in different specialties that are very common (e.g. not just vascular surgery and endocrine surgery) and confirmed that you are interested in medicine (and in medicine). That's not to say that you wouldn't change your mind after you get to med school and are exposed to other specialties, but you have tested and confirmed your interest which is what we ask.

Awesome. Perfect way to describe my thought process! Thanks, great to hear.