How many hours of shadowing is reasonable?

[Eskibot]

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I am currently a Non-Trad grad that is taking pre-med courses starting this Fall. I understand that I need a crap load of volunteer hours, but how much shadowing is really needed?

Is it typically like 10 hours for a doctor in a certain field, then move on to find another doctor in a different field to shadow for another 10 hours? or find one that I like and just get as much as hours as humanly possible?

 

[desiredmembername123]

I would say 50 hours is reasonable total. Some may disagree with me but I think any more than that you just get way diminishing returns. Enough hours that you know what it is like being a doctor.

 

[gyngyn]

Even 40 can be enough. I recommend shadowing someone in a primarily outpatient setting (especially a longitudinal care provider). Shadowing surgeons in the hospital doesn't even show what we do most of the time.

 

[eteshoe]

5-10 hrs for 3-5 specialties

 

[MaxPlancker]

Yep, you don't need hundreds...I'd say somewhere around 40-50 and you will just blend in with the crowd at which point what you learned from the experiences become more important for the interviews.

Also, you don't need a "crapton" of volunteer hours for the sake of racking them up. Most people don't have as any as you think.

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

Quality is more important that quantity too. You want to get the most experiences out of those hours as possible. It'll give you more ammo for app questions and interviewss

 

[Catalystik]

5-10 hrs for 3-5 specialties

Or all of it can be with a single shadowee, especially if it's a primary care doc. There is a wide variety of hours and number of docs shadowed, any combination of which can be adequate.

 

[rockersoccer]

I have about 200 hours of shadowing+volunteering+internship all kind of combined into one. While shadowing is important, make sure you are able to help out a bit.

 

[along900]

If you enjoy the experience and are learning new things then keep going. However, if you have reached your max benefit, then stop.

 

[mdgonnadoit]

I have about 60 hours of shadowing various physicians in 4 different departments of a large hospital. Each department "manages" it's own shadowing and as a result, I have different contact info for each department. How can I avoid splitting this 60 hours up by department and using up 4 Work Experiences on my app for reporting it? I really just want one shadowing Work Experience since it was all at the same hospital. Anyone else have a similar situation?

 

[WedgeDawg]

Quoting myself here

Aiming for a discrete number of hours is not the best way to go about shadowing. Yes, doing 50 hours will "check the box" so to speak, but the true value behind shadowing (in terms of medical school admission) is being able to reflect on what you have experienced and articulate how this impacts your desire to enter a career in medicine. Much of what you get out of shadowing happens during the introspection that occurs after you shadow. This is really when you will be able to work through and process the emotional, mental, and physical aspects of what you witnessed during your shadowing. Different people are able to process and articulate their feelings after a different amount of shadowing. Some people can do it after 30 hours, while for others it takes 100. Don't "aim for" a specific number, just shadow until you feel like you find you "get something" out of it and can clearly explain the impact it has had on you. That being said, it will be easier to convince someone that shadowing has allowed you to realize x, y, and z if you spent, say 60 hours shadowing as opposed to 15, but the person who shadows for 20 hours and writes very convincingly and eloquently about those 20 hours will be in a much better position from an admissions standpoint than someone who shadows for 100 hours and can't seem to convey what they learned or how they grew.

 

[Catalystik]

I have about 60 hours of shadowing various physicians in 4 different departments of a large hospital. Each department "manages" it's own shadowing and as a result, I have different contact info for each department. How can I avoid splitting this 60 hours up by department and using up 4 Work Experiences on my app for reporting it? I really just want one shadowing Work Experience since it was all at the same hospital. Anyone else have a similar situation?

One potential format for listing physician shadowing on an AMCAS application in one space (whichever doc you list first, you'd put the pertinent data in the header and omit it from the narrative box. Total Hours box would be all the hours added together):

**4/2016-5/2016: 15 hours, Jake Famleedok, MD, Family Practice. This was mostly clinic time, but I got to observe a vaginal delivery, too. I cut the cord!

**3/2016: 20 hours, Ling Ula, MD, Pulmonology Department, 555-555-5556

** 12/2015-3/2016: 10 hours, Al Abowtgolf, DO, Sports Medicine Department, 555-555-5555

**Spring 2016: 15 hours, John Kutoocure, DO, Surgeon, [email protected] Observed a complete bowel resection and a pancreatic cancer resection. Some clinic hours included.

Then get into impact and insights gained.

 

[md-2020]

I heard that if you tell adcoms that you binge watched both House and Grey's Anatomy to get a comprehensive and longitudinal perspective about medicine, they will be exceptionally impressed by your creativity and exempt you from the entire cost of attendance.

 

[mdgonnadoit]

One potential format for listing physician shadowing on an AMCAS application in one space (whichever doc you list first, you'd put the pertinent data in the header and omit it from the narrative box. Total Hours box would be all the hours added together):

**4/2016-5/2016: 15 hours, Jake Famleedok, MD, Family Practice. This was mostly clinic time, but I got to observe a vaginal delivery, too. I cut the cord!

**3/2016: 20 hours, Ling Ula, MD, Pulmonology Department, 555-555-5556

** 12/2015-3/2016: 10 hours, Al Abowtgolf, DO, Sports Medicine Department, 555-555-5555

**Spring 2016: 15 hours, John Kutoocure, DO, Surgeon, [email protected] Observed a complete bowel resection and a pancreatic cancer resection. Some clinic hours included.

Then get into impact and insights gained.

Thank you so much! This seems like a really good approach taking minimal space and yet getting the required info in!

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

One potential format for listing physician shadowing on an AMCAS application in one space (whichever doc you list first, you'd put the pertinent data in the header and omit it from the narrative box. Total Hours box would be all the hours added together):

**4/2016-5/2016: 15 hours, Jake Famleedok, MD, Family Practice. This was mostly clinic time, but I got to observe a vaginal delivery, too. I cut the cord!

**3/2016: 20 hours, Ling Ula, MD, Pulmonology Department, 555-555-5556

** 12/2015-3/2016: 10 hours, Al Abowtgolf, DO, Sports Medicine Department, 555-555-5555

**Spring 2016: 15 hours, John Kutoocure, DO, Surgeon, [email protected] Observed a complete bowel resection and a pancreatic cancer resection. Some clinic hours included.

Then get into impact and insights gained.

For the phone numbers, is it expected to put down the physician's personal number or can we put down their secretary's/office number?

 

[ciestar]

One potential format for listing physician shadowing on an AMCAS application in one space (whichever doc you list first, you'd put the pertinent data in the header and omit it from the narrative box. Total Hours box would be all the hours added together):

**4/2016-5/2016: 15 hours, Jake Famleedok, MD, Family Practice. This was mostly clinic time, but I got to observe a vaginal delivery, too. I cut the cord!

**3/2016: 20 hours, Ling Ula, MD, Pulmonology Department, 555-555-5556

** 12/2015-3/2016: 10 hours, Al Abowtgolf, DO, Sports Medicine Department, 555-555-5555

**Spring 2016: 15 hours, John Kutoocure, DO, Surgeon, [email protected] Observed a complete bowel resection and a pancreatic cancer resection. Some clinic hours included.

Then get into impact and insights gained.

This is exactly how I did it

For the phone numbers, is it expected to put down the physician's personal number or can we put down their secretary's/office number?

Office number is more than sufficient.

 

[Catalystik]

For the phone numbers, is it expected to put down the physician's personal number or can we put down their secretary's/office number?

Office number is more than sufficient.

I agree. And if there was an office manager or lead nurse that can attest to your involvement, they could be your official Contact.

 

[PlsLetMeIn21]

Is there a good way to approach a physician to ask if they take shadows?

 

[3toedsloth]

Is there a good way to approach a physician to ask if they take shadows?

In person is best; ask docs you know first.

Through their acquaintances, friends, and family members is next best---so ask friends with a random uncle who is a doctor for their contact info. Ask nurses in the hospital where you volunteer if they can talk to a doc for you. Name drop the volunteer coordinator, their child, or their work colleague when you contact the doc "Your nephew Jon Doe suggested that you may be open to allowing me to shadow you."

Cold call or show up in random offices and talk to the secretary. Private practices are easier in all areas except psych.

Email.

 

[PlsLetMeIn21]

Thank you 3toedsloth. I never thought about asking someone in the hospital if they could suggest a doctor. I assumed it was all cold calling.

 

[3toedsloth]

Thank you 3toedsloth. I never thought about asking someone in the hospital if they could suggest a doctor. I assumed it was all cold calling.

Glad it's helpful!

I asked nurses on different floors of the hospital "hey is there any doc that you think would let me shadow?" Then I called their secretaries or just emailed them directly and said "nurse so and so says that Dr. X may be willing to let me shadow." So a good number of the docs were from the same hospital system.

Note: keep emails very short.

Make sure you give the docs a thank you note after and keep them posted when you get in to med school!! They'll be happy to have helped. 🙂