Documentation for Shadowing and Volunteer Experience

[hcj]

I am going into my Junior year of undergrad and am going to start shadowing for the first time next week. I have always volunteered and for the last few months, I have just been keeping a journal of the hours I put in.
Should I do the same with shadowing, or is there a more formal documentation? Should I ask the Physician to sign off on something?

(I work in business, so medical volunteering and shadowing hours might be crucial when it comes down to it.)

Thanks

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[ad88]

I am going into my Junior year of undergrad and am going to start shadowing for the first time next week. I have always volunteered and for the last few months, I have just been keeping a journal of the hours I put in.
Should I do the same with shadowing, or is there a more formal documentation? Should I ask the Physician to sign off on something?

(I work in business, so medical volunteering and shadowing hours might be crucial when it comes down to it.)

Thanks

When applying to medical school, I honestly (and surprisingly) didn't need any documentation whatsoever. I did shadowing, worked in an ER, community service/volunteering, and research. When I went to fill out my AMCAS application, you just have to estimate the # of hours you put in and put in a description...no documentation needed at all. I was honestly really shocked because I'm sure some people lie/exaggerate immensely and get away with it. Anyways, I had no roadblocks at all and got into my top choice med school (RWJMS-state school) so don't even worry about it. And good luck.

 

[Asyouwereatrio]

I am going into my Junior year of undergrad and am going to start shadowing for the first time next week. I have always volunteered and for the last few months, I have just been keeping a journal of the hours I put in.
Should I do the same with shadowing, or is there a more formal documentation? Should I ask the Physician to sign off on something?

(I work in business, so medical volunteering and shadowing hours might be crucial when it comes down to it.)

Thanks

To echo what ad88 said, just document your hours unofficially (for your own record keeping) and report it accurately when you fil out your AMCAS. People can lie and whatnot about the number of hours they spent, but it'll "show" through your interviews. If you've experienced shadowing and volunteering in a healthcare setting enough, you'll be able to talk about it in an interview or on paper.

I think what a lot of schools look for has to do moreso with "what did you learn" rather than "how much time you spent there"...that's just my two cents.

 

[Adaggiote]

When applying to medical school, I honestly (and surprisingly) didn't need any documentation whatsoever. I did shadowing, worked in an ER, community service/volunteering, and research. When I went to fill out my AMCAS application, you just have to estimate the # of hours you put in and put in a description...no documentation needed at all. I was honestly really shocked because I'm sure some people lie/exaggerate immensely and get away with it. Anyways, I had no roadblocks at all and got into my top choice med school (RWJMS-state school) so don't even worry about it. And good luck.

Description? Is that like your thoughts on the experience or just a general overview??

 

[hcj]

Great. I will just keep a journal for myself, then.
This whole thing feels a bit awkward, so I didn't want to have to ask the physician or staff....and my advisor is unreachable.

Thank you!!

 

[WuMedic]

Description? Is that like your thoughts on the experience or just a general overview??

Description = what you did while you were there/what you saw. It's 1800ish characters IIRC. For the AMCAS section anyway. Individual schools may have as part of their secondary an expansion of that section. Most will talk about at least one if not more of the experiences at the interview.