How would shadowing a nurse practitioner look on applications?

[Brandonh131]

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I recently met a nurse practitioner and she offered me to shadow her anytime I would like. How would medical schools look at this on the application. Would you do it? Lets say I did it for 100 hours. I'm pre-med and just looking to strengthen my application.

 

[Cawolf]

Are you applying for nursing schools?

There is value in learning about nursing professions, but if your goal is to become a doctor, then you should shadow a physician.

It will not "strengthen your application".

 

[Brandonh131]

Are you applying for nursing schools?

There is value in learning about nursing professions, but if your goal is to become a doctor, then you should shadow a physician.

It will not "strengthen your application".

I have shadowed physicians, I just thought this would be another way to add clinical hours to my application. I have no plans on becoming a nurse.

 

[The Buff OP]

I recently met a nurse practitioner and she offered me to shadow her anytime I would like. How would medical schools look at this on the application. Would you do it? Lets say I did it for 100 hours. I'm pre-med and just looking to strengthen my application.

In my opinion, this does involve healthcare, but you are not shadowing a physician. If you were trying to become an NP, then this would be acceptable. Shadow physicians who are MD or DO.

 

[samac]

Gotta agree with the guys above me.
All it would do is open up Adcoms to asking questions on your commitment to becoming a physician and why aren't you applying to nursing school instead.

My mom is a nurse practitioner and in my interview one guy asked about my parents and then proceeded to grill me about why I would want to become a doctor when I should be so familiar with the nursing profession. . .

 

[Cawolf]

I have shadowed physicians, I just thought this would be another way to add clinical hours to my application. I have no plans on becoming a nurse.

Then don't do it.

Find another way to learn about the profession you seek to enter. I suggest an activity that will allow you to speak to "Why medicine?"

 

[Doudline]

Not every activity has to strengthen your application.
Do it for yourself, if you're interested in it.

 

[MedNation907]

I shadowed a RN and a NP, neither of which I put into my AMCAS nor AACOMAS. I included the experience in my PS because it was a factor that helped me switch gears early in my UG career. It's also on my resume, I personally didn't see any fit for it in the actual application though. If I did put it in my application, the description would essentially re-hash what I included in my PS -- reasons I didn't want to pursue that route. Anything extremely positive or encouraging you extract from that experience, I would fear, could be taken the wrong way. Perhaps there's a way you could spin it so that it works, I'm just offering my thoughts.

 

[Donald Juan]

I say do it if you want to for a shift or two. You could find out about NPs, and I think clinical experience and knowing the difference between different positions in the healthcare field can be good. I would have it listed somewhere on your app (maybe just throw it in under a shadowing experience?). I disagree with the sentiments here that it will be detrimental to your app or that people will somehow throw your app in the trash because you must want to be a nurse since you showed a small interest in a NP.

But with all that said, I don't think you should go and do 100 hours of shadowing an NP specifically to improve your app. And if somebody wants to grill you on why you want to be a physician and not an NP, you should have a reason to tell them.

Edit: just noticed that your OP says, "I'm just looking to strengthen my application." So no, don't do it.

 

[Psai]

Why are you setting a certain number of hours for yourself? Is 100 hours of sitting in a clinic mandatory for applying to medical school or something? I notice that a lot of premeds focus on how much time they spend doing something. I did it too back then. But what actually matters is what you did and how it helped you figure out that you wanted to be a doctor. You're not going to get much insight into what a doctor does by watching someone who isn't a doctor work.

 

[Quinoline]

I think it'd be good to shadow, maybe not for 100 hours. I think it is important that physicians learn that they are only a part of a healthcare team, and others have valuable information such as nurses who spend much more time with the patient.

 

[Flashfan]

What about a letter from the NP at the free clinic where I work. The doctor is almost never there, but I scribe for her and help with the patient follow up. I feel like I have witnessed patient interactions and been exposed to a diverse patient population there.