How important is shadowing?

[slim78]

I have 5 interviews coming up and I'm really nervous about my odds.
I have a 32Q MCAT and 3.28 Science GPA and 3.55 overall.

But I don't have ANY shadowing experience. I speak Spanish and have over a year of volunteer experience in a hospital ICU so I help those things help.

I'm worried that not having shadowed any doctors will be what keeps me out.

Has anyone been accepted out there without having shadowing experience that can give me any kind of reassurance?

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[RySerr21]

I have 5 interviews coming up and I'm really nervous about my odds.
I have a 32Q MCAT and 3.28 Science GPA and 3.55 overall.

But I don't have ANY shadowing experience. I speak Spanish and have over a year of volunteer experience in a hospital ICU so I help those things help.

I'm worried that not having shadowed any doctors will be what keeps me out.

Has anyone been accepted out there without having shadowing experience that can give me any kind of reassurance?

im sure its happened. just be prepared to ansawer why you want to go into medicine if you really have no experience was to what "the day in the life of a doc" is really like. maybe you got that the ICU, but i dunno. i feel like if you are the edge it may come back to bite you in the butt, but it wont be like "oh s/he has never shadowed....next"

but what do i know i'm not on the adcom. just my opinion

 

[DrMidlife]

I have 5 interviews coming up and I'm really nervous about my odds.
I have a 32Q MCAT and 3.28 Science GPA and 3.55 overall.

But I don't have ANY shadowing experience. I speak Spanish and have over a year of volunteer experience in a hospital ICU so I help those things help.

I'm worried that not having shadowed any doctors will be what keeps me out.

Has anyone been accepted out there without having shadowing experience that can give me any kind of reassurance?

You'd better have a stellar answer to "why DO, why our DO school instead of another DO school or MD school, and how did you learn about DO?"

Or you'd better find a DO to shadow, like, tomorrow. See the other active "how do I find a DO to shadow" thread.

Also read the Gevitz book.

 

[slim78]

You'd better have a stellar answer to "why DO, why our DO school instead of another DO school or MD school, and how did you learn about DO?"

Or you'd better find a DO to shadow, like, tomorrow. See the other active "how do I find a DO to shadow" thread.

Also read the Gevitz book.

I just finished the Gevitz book. I followed an MD ophthalmologist around for half a day, but I didn't think it significant enough to call it "shadowing".

I was just kind of hoping that all those hours spent volunteering in the ICU would count as my "clinical experience."

Perhaps I was wrong....

 

[DrMidlife]

I just finished the Gevitz book. I followed an MD ophthalmologist around for half a day, but I didn't think it significant enough to call it "shadowing".

I was just kind of hoping that all those hours spent volunteering in the ICU would count as my "clinical experience."

Perhaps I was wrong....

That clinical exp. is fine, maybe even great. Again, just have stellar answers to the "why DO" battery of questions. It's not that hard to find a DO to shadow, depending on where you live, IF it's something that will allow you to relax into your interviews.

I just did my first 3 DO interviews (over 9 days, oy) and I got grilled hard by interviewers and other administrators about my DO-specific exposure. In your shoes I'd want more to work with than Gevitz.

You're up against a slew of "late" DO applicants who come over from the MD side with a fistful of rejections, pretending they've got the religion. It's harvest season over here. Just be a better pretender (or, again, have stellar answers).

 

[scdocusc]

In my opinion if you havent talked to a DO even then it will put you at a clear disadvantage during the cycle.

 

[scpod]

There really is no requirement that you ever spend an hour shadowing a doctor. You should have some medical experience, though. I volunteered for a few years at a trauma center in Columbia, SC. I knew a couple of DOs who wrote letters for me. I never shadowed anybody and I know quite a few others who never did. Every application is an individual thing. Keep in mind, though, that you may be asked about DOs and why you want to be one. In most cases, it probably helps to at least sit down and talk to a DO about things, even if you never shadow him or her at all. At least you'll have something to talk about if the questions come up.

 

[DragonWell]

I have 5 interviews coming up and I'm really nervous about my odds.
I have a 32Q MCAT and 3.28 Science GPA and 3.55 overall.

But I don't have ANY shadowing experience. I speak Spanish and have over a year of volunteer experience in a hospital ICU so I help those things help.

I'm worried that not having shadowed any doctors will be what keeps me out.

Has anyone been accepted out there without having shadowing experience that can give me any kind of reassurance?

Honestly, my opinion is that any reassurance someone on this board could give would be tenuous at best. Every applicant is different, so if one person gets accepted w/o shadowing a doc, I don't really think it means anything for other applicants - they may have had something else in their app which made up for it.

Rather than looking for reassurance, I think you best course of action is to fill this gap, pronto. Shadowing doesn't need to involve weeks of your time - a day or two, even a couple of afternoons will give you plenty to talk about to fill this gap. Many doctors "know the score", and when you approach them about shadowing, they will be very willing to to help you out, even with LORs.
You may have to beat the pavement a bit, maybe even juggle your work school schedule around to make it work, but IMO, it's worth it.

Keep in mind that, by and large, shadowing a doc has nothing to do with learning anything about medicine - it'll take longer than a couple afternoons for that - but everything to do with showing your initiative and people skills.

 

[slim78]

I really want to thank you people.
You guys scared me into action. One of you was helpful enough to recommend a DO in my area that works shifts that are compatible with my 8-5 work schedule and now I'm all set up to do some shadowing before I even have my first interview.

I am very sincere in my desire to practice osteopathic medicine and if this is what it takes to help convince an admissions committee then so be it. Plus I think it is going to be a lot of fun!

Thanks again!
Slim