How do you record shadowing?

[baratheonfire]

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Do you have to get a recommendation from everyone you shadow? How do you get proof of shadowing/how many hours you did it? For hospital volunteering it's different, my hospital has a computer system that logs all of our hours. But how does that work for shadowing?

 

[WedgeDawg]

On AMCAS just add an activity and label it shadowing and put a contact name down in the contact field. Nothing more is required.

 

[baratheonfire]

On AMCAS just add an activity and label it shadowing and put a contact name down in the contact field. Nothing more is required.

Every different physician you shadow is a different contact? What if you shadowed a physician like freshman year and aren't sure if he even remembers you?

 

[BeachBaby]

Yeah i just kept track of the name, where, how many hours, what speciality, and doctor phone number

 

[WedgeDawg]

Every different physician you shadow is a different contact? What if you shadowed a physician like freshman year and aren't sure if he even remembers you?

Just put the department secretary's contact number. This is a formality - they're not going to check this.

 

[Germanicus89]

How do you get proof of shadowing/how many hours you did it?

I wear a helmet with a GoPro.

 

[whatever5]

You don't need "proof", just the person you shadowed's contact info. I shadowed many physicians within the same department but just put my main contact down. My pre-health committee required we submit a letter from the doctor we shadowed, which is their way of checking we really did it since the consensus on SDN is the LORs from doctors you shadowed are seen as fluff.

 

[baratheonfire]

Just put the department secretary's contact number. This is a formality - they're not going to check this.

Ok, I'll do that then. On a side note, would you advise shadowing one physician over a long period of time, or multiple physicians for shorter periods of time? And is 100 hours really necessary?
Also, do they even ask how many hours you did it on the app?

 

[WedgeDawg]

Ok, I'll do that then. On a side note, would you advise shadowing one physician over a long period of time, or multiple physicians for shorter periods of time? And is 100 hours really necessary?
Also, do they even ask how many hours you did it on the app?

Hours aren't that important. Shadow whomever you want. As long as you're able to articulate you understand to at least some extent what physicians do day-to-day and you're still interested in going through hell to do that, you're fine. The more hours you have, the more convincing you'll be.

 

[baratheonfire]

Hours aren't that important. Shadow whomever you want. As long as you're able to articulate you understand to at least some extent what physicians do day-to-day and you're still interested in going through hell to do that, you're fine. The more hours you have, the more convincing you'll be.

Not that I would do this, but if that's the case, what's stopping any old Joe from embellishing his 25 hours of shadowing and turning it into 100? The docs pretty much are guaranteed to not remember how long you shadowed for.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Not that I would do this, but if that's the case, what's stopping any old Joe from embellishing his 25 hours of shadowing and turning it into 100? The docs pretty much are guaranteed to not remember how long you shadowed for.

There's not really anything stopping that, but that's also not going to be what gets that person into med school, and if somehow you're found out, then say goodbye to ever getting into medical school.

 

[baratheonfire]

There's not really anything stopping that, but that's also not going to be what gets that person into med school.

Makes sense. I wouldn't do it though because it's lying.

 

[Lost in Translation]

Just put the department secretary's contact number. This is a formality - they're not going to check this.

If this is the case, how did that one guy get called out on his EC hours?

 

[baratheonfire]

If this is the case, how did that one guy get called out on his EC hours?

Which guy?

 

[jl lin]

Just put the department secretary's contact number. This is a formality - they're not going to check this.

Wasn't there a recent thread on how someone had a problem w/ what his hours were, and it caused him trouble on his application? IDK, was it like a month ago?

 

[jl lin]

If this is the case, how did that one guy get called out on his EC hours?

Wondering if you are referring to the same person.

I think it had to do with volunteer hours. It became somewhat of a hot thread.

 

[jl lin]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...ot-called-on-it.1162589/page-13#post-16983553

Took a few minutes.

 

[Ad2b]

I took a small journal type notebook with me. Asked the physician if he minded if I wrote down non-patient specific thoughts, things learned, etc. None of them minded.

My entries for two different dates:

3/14/15: Lecture on fusarium, flucon (and other types of azoles); @ hospital; rounding with doc; hospice care, admission, SOAP, x-ray readings, CT scan review, pharmacologist staff with physician on floor; reviews all MD recommendations; nurses follow up; patient livid over treatment by other docs (how is this resolved? - ask Dr. G); 8 hours; need different shoes

4/1/15: asked to read an X-ray and defend my thought; told why I was wrong; LOVED this!!!, SOAP input, CT scan review; young terminal readmit- family not present (what is done for this situation?); nurses love the doc - what makes him so great in their eyes (because he engages them in the discussion of patients; not treated like staffers but as teammates - good stuff!!!); 6.5 hours; shoes good, need different pants; PA attended with us (note: very different knowledge base between fellow and PA)

 

[WedgeDawg]

The thread in question was for volunteer hours, not shadowing hours, iirc, which is different. Getting 1000 hours of shadowing is not going to make you a better medical school applicant. Getting 1000 hours of volunteering might. Not that you should lie in either of them, but no admissions committee is going to call up a doctor and be like "hey did user12345 shadow you for 20 hours?" because it's not going to make any sort of difference.

 

[halcyonpage]

I took a sketchbook with me on every shadowing appointment. Wrote down when, where, which doctor I was following, what was happening, and even drew stuff like wounds and surgical equipment. No names though, because HIPAA.

And yes I probably did look like a super try hard, constantly scribbling and looking up and down and such

 

[baratheonfire]

I took a sketchbook with me on every shadowing appointment. Wrote down when, where, which doctor I was following, what was happening, and even drew stuff like wounds and surgical equipment. No names though, because HIPAA.

And yes I probably did look like a super try hard, constantly scribbling and looking up and down and such

Thanks but I meant for AMCAS purposes. I took notes too, wouldn't it be kind of unprofessional if you didn't?

 

[halcyonpage]

Thanks but I meant for AMCAS purposes. I took notes too, wouldn't it be kind of unprofessional if you didn't?

The physicians I shadowed didn't have a way to record my hours. I don't think they would ever bother to. So I guess my point was that you have to take care of it yourself.

Actually I don't know many other premeds who take more than a few lines of notes.

 

[baratheonfire]

The physicians I shadowed didn't have a way to record my hours. I don't think they would ever bother to. So I guess my point was that you have to take care of it yourself.

Actually I don't know many other premeds who take more than a few lines of notes.

Oh wait I didn't read your entire post. Drawing wounds is pretty try hard

I'd record my hours myself, but doesn't that make it incredibly easy for any random person to turn their 25 hours of shadowing into like 100?

 

[thrudheim]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...ot-called-on-it.1162589/page-13#post-16983553

Took a few minutes.

What ever happened to that guy?

 

[raiderette]

I made sure to send notes after shadowing in the hopes that they would remember my name.

 

[jl lin]

What ever happened to that guy?

No idea. Crap like that makes everyone's energy and time investment look suspect.

Regarding the OP:

I don't see anything wrong with Ad2b's brief journal note idea. I mean, I know darn well docs are busy, but by the end of the shadowing time, her/his initials signing off what student had seen w/ him is there for him/her to briefly review. If you end up getting a LOR from that doc, he/she can look at the notes to help with comprising the letter--jarring around his/her opinions of you throughout the experience I guess. Now, yes. I know adcoms PREFER professor's LOR most of all; but if one is looking to get another LOR, now you have made it easier for him/her.

I don't get the benefit of shadowing if you can't put any validation down for the experience? Everyone knows that briefly jotting things down solidifies experiences. But to each her/his own I guess.

 

[halcyonpage]

Oh wait I didn't read your entire post. Drawing wounds is pretty try hard

I'd record my hours myself, but doesn't that make it incredibly easy for any random person to turn their 25 hours of shadowing into like 100?

Yes I suppose so. It's not possible for amcas to police everything you say. But that doesn't mean they'll assume the worst of you or anyone else if this stuff is unofficially documented.

Just write it down and be honest 🙂

 

[sliceofbread136]

You ball park how much time you did, add 10 hours to that and call it a day

 

[takeurmeds02]

In your head...