PostalWookie said:
Shadowing will tell you if you have a bright future following other people around and watching them do stuff.
I'm kidding about that, but seriously, shadowing is good to some extent. It's fun to do for a few days or weeks to get an idea, but beyond that, you're wasting your time. Try something more active, like working at a clininc or the EMT thing.
This is really good advice. I disagree with your time frame, but I think this advice is solid. I've shadowed a neurologist for a year.
I've already seen a few hundred doctor-patient interactions. Because of this, I'm sure my first "real" interaction where I'm the doc will be better because of what I've seen. What do you do when a patient cries? How about when you don't have an answer? How about when you tell a patient "No." What about when a patient is pretending to be more crippled than they really are to keep getting sympathy from others?
I've been able to see how somebody seasoned handles these and other situations I've never thought about. Yes, you'll get some of this in med school, but it just seems to me the more the better.
From a selfish point of view, it has helped me immensely in interviews. Theoretical questions will come up. "How would you handle...". Not only am I able to describe what I would do, but I have real, tangible examples of doc-pat discussions to back up why I have the opinions I do.
So, when other applicants have to do some hand waving, I have actual cases to point to.
I also really, really, like the EMT suggestion. I don't know what other experience you could get at the pre-med stage (other than being a nurse) that shows more committment and knowledge of what you're life could be like. I also had a couple admin members tell me they thought this was the best clinical experience you could get for yourself. 2 caveats:
1) You'll need to spend 6-9 months getting certified. (Hence, the committment part.)
2) If you're in a highly populated urban setting, as the most junior member, you'll be relegated to nursing home runs, taking patients from nursing homes to the hospital in the middle of the night. I'm not saying this isn't important, but just be prepared for the fact that there is scut work as an EMT, not just as an MD. And, as low member on the totem pole, your job will be to say "Thank you, sir. May I have another?"