Difference between shadowing and volunteering in a clinic

[bionerd89]

I was wondering what is the difference between shadowing and volunteering at a clinic. I notice that people distinguish them as separate hours but I just grouped mine together. When I interned/volunteered at a clinic for 3 years, I observed the physician while she saw patients (participated when she needed help) but I also assisted her with administrative duties like medication refills, documenting in patient's charts, making appointment, calling patients back, etc. So do you guys think I should separate volunteering and shadowing into two separate things? Thanks.

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[heybigspender]

I was wondering what is the difference between shadowing and volunteering at a clinic. I notice that people distinguish them as separate hours but I just grouped mine together. When I interned/volunteered at a clinic for 3 years, I observed the physician while she saw patients (participated when she needed help) but I also assisted her with administrative duties like medication refills, documenting in patient's charts, making appointment, calling patients back, etc. So do you guys think I should separate volunteering and shadowing into two separate things? Thanks.

I would say that shadowing is literally just following and shadowing a doctor, watching what they do on a daily basis. Volunteering would be doing something active in the clinic such as talking to patients or doing work for the clinic itself. Basically, I think you should separate them lol.

 

[razor]

I was wondering what is the difference between shadowing and volunteering at a clinic. I notice that people distinguish them as separate hours but I just grouped mine together. When I interned/volunteered at a clinic for 3 years, I observed the physician while she saw patients (participated when she needed help) but I also assisted her with administrative duties like medication refills, documenting in patient's charts, making appointment, calling patients back, etc. So do you guys think I should separate volunteering and shadowing into two separate things? Thanks.

If you don't have any other shadow hours to display, then I would guesstimate the hours spent shadowing physician-patient interaction. The rest of the time I'd chalk up to volunteering because you were performing a duty for free and adcoms eat that **** up. haha

 

[Dreamstoo]

I have 100 hours of shadowing so far (going to be a junior this fall). Plan on adding 50 more hours. But I've heard some free clinics let you take vitals for patients. I'm trying to find one where I go to school and I plan to devote 3-4 hours of my time each week for it. I plan to do that for a year or so (maybe more or less). I do volunteer on an EMT/paramedic as an on site assistant (not trained but I help transport patients, deal with patients and the relatives, dealt with a lot if interesting situations, learned how to take blood pressure, ekg). I will be honest the first doctor (MD) i shadowed, I didn't learn much. He was always busy and had trouble teaching me along with his medical students. Second doctor I shadowed exposed me to a lot of things in the 40 hours I spent with him.

But I would say shadowing/free clinic >> normal hospital volunteering (which tends to be very simple like transport, handing out treats to patients and families, etc)

The hospital I volunteered at this summer was quite boring, after finishing 120 hours the second doctor I shadowed said to quit it. He knows of the program (affiliated with the hospital it is in) and he said it gives very minimal exposure. He was right.

 

[bionerd89]

I have 100 hours of shadowing so far (going to be a junior this fall). Plan on adding 50 more hours. But I've heard some free clinics let you take vitals for patients. I'm trying to find one where I go to school and I plan to devote 3-4 hours of my time each week for it. I plan to do that for a year or so (maybe more or less). I do volunteer on an EMT/paramedic as an on site assistant (not trained but I help transport patients, deal with patients and the relatives, dealt with a lot if interesting situations, learned how to take blood pressure, ekg). I will be honest the first doctor (MD) i shadowed, I didn't learn much. He was always busy and had trouble teaching me along with his medical students. Second doctor I shadowed exposed me to a lot of things in the 40 hours I spent with him.

But I would say shadowing/free clinic >> normal hospital volunteering (which tends to be very simple like transport, handing out treats to patients and families, etc)

The hospital I volunteered at this summer was quite boring, after finishing 120 hours the second doctor I shadowed said to quit it. He knows of the program (affiliated with the hospital it is in) and he said it gives very minimal exposure. He was right.

I agree that volunteering at a clinic was definitely better. At the clinic I had so much patient contact while at the hospital I just made beds all day. I had to combine my shadowing and volunteering together because I did both at the same time and there is no way to for me to split it.

 

[Dreamstoo]

I agree that volunteering at a clinic was definitely better. At the clinic I had so much patient contact while at the hospital I just made beds all day. I had to combine my shadowing and volunteering together because I did both at the same time and there is no way to for me to split it.

True. My friend said for her free clinic specifically its all about patient care. She didn't really shadow/interact much with the doctors with their care. She was kept busy at the front desk or taking vitals. The one I'm looking into provides the same experience.

 

[bionerd89]

True. My friend said for her free clinic specifically its all about patient care. She didn't really shadow/interact much with the doctors with their care. She was kept busy at the front desk or taking vitals. The one I'm looking into provides the same experience.

My experience was different cause I was an unofficial intern for the doctor so I followed her into the exam rooms to help her and while she was doing her administrative duties, she would assign me things to help her with like document in patient's chart and call patients. My experience was interesting but it was pretty hard to sum it up in 750 characters. I've noticed that people have shadowed different specialty doctors, but I've only shadowed and worked with one doctor because she was my mentor so I committed all my time to her. I hope that doesn't hurt my application.

 

[Dreamstoo]

My experience was different cause I was an unofficial intern for the doctor so I followed her into the exam rooms to help her and while she was doing her administrative duties, she would assign me things to help her with like document in patient's chart and call patients. My experience was interesting but it was pretty hard to sum it up in 750 characters. I've noticed that people have shadowed different specialty doctors, but I've only shadowed and worked with one doctor because she was my mentor so I committed all my time to her. I hope that doesn't hurt my application.

Im applying next summer of the following summer. So I wouldn't know much to be honest. I got much more patient care in my first experience with the internist. The second one I just saw some really cool surgeries . Open heart, stent procedures, bypass surgery. Stress testing which I found to be pretty cool. I shadowed a PA who apparently did a physical on Mark Sanchez, Jets QB. Moved to Miami to help his cousins out with an orthopedic surgery based clinic. He showed me the stress testing unit. Was a very interesting experience. After 40 hours, he pretty much told me he exposed me to everything he could. Wrote a paper with him in high school and have my name published as a fourth or fifth author. I think this will be my strongest recommendation letter when I apply to medical school.