I have parents that are doctors; does that really mean i have to shadow?

[Political]

Sorry for the noobish question, i didnt find anything when i searched.

I have two parents that are doctors, i help out alot with their private practices mostly with reception work, insurance claims. I know that shadowing is mostly used for getting exposure in the medical field, but since both my parents are doctors they tell me alot about the cases they are working on and have heated discussions about the healthcare system and medicine in general, i also have done a bunch of clinical volunteering and research on top of working at their clinics. So i was wondering if i could skip shadowing in general and maybe work on some more productive things (like a part-time job )?

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[Nymphicus]

I would say your safest bet is to shadow other (non-related) physicians in other fields. That will broaden your exposure as well as help protect you from the stereotype that you are pursuing medicine because of your parents.

Discussion/experience with your parents is important and can be a motivator in your application, but it would probably be safest to have additional experiences to talk about in interviews as well.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

I'd still recommend you shadow for a day or two. You can probably get more unbiased answers from other doctors than from your parents. And I'm sure your parents know loads of interesting docs for you to shadow. Take advantage of that! Go see some cool surgeries and such.

 

[bucks2010]

Shadowing other docs will give you a broader perspective than you have now.

No one can give you a definite answer here because the requirement isn't set in stone. However my advice to you is to realize that dedicating 5-6 days over your entire undergraduate career (50 hrs shadowing is avg) is an incredibly small commitment and you might as well just do it to have your bases covered. This should be easily doable during breaks from school.

 

[NKChemEng]

You are in such a good situation! Even though it sounds like you know a lot about the field, your parents probably know A LOT of interesting doctors that could give you even more perspective.

Shadowing is only hard when you're trying to find it (no one in my family is in any way related to healthcare, so it was tremendously hard to find a physician or two to shadow just by asking around). But then it's really really fun once you're doing it. And, you don't have to devote that much time to it - just a few days, that's all.

 

[Political]

Well im still not sure, i mean i see shadowing as a way to introduce medicine to one whose not directly related to it. Looking at sdn what typical shadower does is just follow the doctor around and pretty does nothing besides that, will it truly radically change my entire perspective on medicine? According to my parents it would be a waste of time since i experience more than the average shawdower ( get to interact with patients, describe medications to them, etc.) and still have a solid foundation of medicine, i even helped my mom start a new practice from scratch at one point, so yeah im still a bit hesitant tbh

so i guess the best question to ask is, is there any other to shadowing than just experiencing what a doctor experiences, and having a firmer grasp of medicine and society?
and will shadowing doctors in other specialties really affect me much, b/c what one doctor does with their patient is not that much different than what another does, especially in the eyes of a shadower.

 

[YH5]

At a minimum, shadow a primary care physician.

 

[Political]

At a minimum, shadow a primary care physician.

moms an internist

 

[TheMightySmiter]

Well im still not sure, i mean i see shadowing as a way to introduce medicine to one whose not directly related to it. Looking at sdn what typical shadower does is just follow the doctor around and pretty does nothing besides that, will it truly radically change my entire perspective on medicine? According to my parents it would be a waste of time since i experience more than the average shawdower ( get to interact with patients, describe medications to them, etc.) and still have a solid foundation of medicine, i even helped my mom start a new practice from scratch at one point, so yeah im still a bit hesitant tbh

so i guess the best question to ask is, is there any other to shadowing than just experiencing what a doctor experiences, and having a firmer grasp of medicine and society?

Shadowing isn't just about seeing what the doctor does, it's about being able to ask them questions about their lifestyle and about the downsides to practicing medicine. Questions about things like raising a family or regrets might be better answered by physicians who aren't your parents. Also, different docs might practice medicine very differently from your parents, and it's important for you to see multiple perspectives.

 

[NickNaylor]

If you don't think you should shadow, go ahead and apply with no clinical experience. Come back and let us know how that works out.

 

[nyny87]

Medicine is a diverse field. It would be beneficial to catch a glimpse of other areas that your parents aren't involved in. If not purely for your own good, it will at least make you seem intellectually curious on paper. Try explaining to your interviewer that all of your shadowing hours were with Mom and Dad.

 

[NKChemEng]

If you don't think you should shadow, go ahead and apply with no clinical experience. Come back and let us know how that works out.

The OP sounds like they know a lot about the clinical field already. I still think he should shadow, but he probably knows a lot more about medicine than I do, just from being around his family. The PS will most likely reflect that too.

 

[Political]

If you don't think you should shadow, go ahead and apply with no clinical experience. Come back and let us know how that works out.

I dont appy till 2013
so im still wondering if i should, and apparently the general consensus is that i should lol

 

[minerva3121]

If you don't think you should shadow, go ahead and apply with no clinical experience. Come back and let us know how that works out.

i also have done a bunch of clinical volunteering and research on top of working at their clinics

Ummm...unless I'm reading the original post incorrectly, the OP does have clinical experience. However, I do agree that he should get shadowing experience with doctors who are not family relatives, especially in fields outside of his family's practice.

 

[Elpenor]

I heard that if your parents are doctors you don't have to take the mcat either. In fact, I wouldn't even bother finishing your degree just go ahead and apply and have your parents sign your resume with MD in big letters.

 

[Political]

I heard that if your parents are doctors you don't have to take the mcat either. In fact, I wouldn't even bother finishing your degree just go ahead and apply and have your parents sign your resume with MD in big letters.

If only >.>

 

[Propylene]

Definitely shadow. At the very least you'll get a different perspective than the one that your parents have.

 

[mmmcdowe]

I didn't shadow, just clinical experience through volunteering. Was not a problem, and only one of my parents is a doc . Frankly, I think shadowing is over rated if you have a high quality clinical exposure through volunteering.

 

[pfaction]

I heard that if your parents are doctors you don't have to take the mcat either. In fact, I wouldn't even bother finishing your degree just go ahead and apply and have your parents sign your resume with MD in big letters.

Someone is jealous.

As for OP, do some shadowing so you're safe. Your mom and dad must know some good MD's. Just hang out with their friends and you get some hours down. I'm doing the same soon.

 

[Kaustikos]

I didn't shadow, just clinical experience through volunteering. Was not a problem, and only one of my parents is a doc . Frankly, I think shadowing is over rated if you have a high quality clinical exposure through volunteering.

You are 0.0000000000000000000001% of people who have volunteered.

 

[gbmd15]

I would get additional shadowing/clinical experience with the goal being a good LOR. You will need a physician reference letter and one from a family member won't look as good, if that is even allowed.

 

[NickNaylor]

I would get additional shadowing/clinical experience with the goal being a good LOR. You will need a physician reference letter and one from a family member won't look as good, if that is even allowed.

Oh really?

 

[Nomdeplume]

OP, I strongly suggest that you shadow some other physician(s). Particularly because you haven't got anything to lose in the deal; it really isn't a big deal.

It's very important that you get as much exposure to the field as possible, and it's also very important that you show the admissions committees that you've done that. I don't have any kind of inside scoop knowledge on your specific situation, but this is the prevailing wisdom on SDN, in my school's premedical committee and just about everywhere else I've experienced.

Besides, I think the first half of that advice should apply to everybody who has the freedom to make a choice about what type of career they want to go into. Assuming your socioeconomic situation allows you to "follow your heart" in finding a career, you ought to make the most out of that opportunity. In this sense, us going into medicine are fortunate -- shadowing a physician is super common, and relatively easy to do.

 

[Political]

I didn't shadow, just clinical experience through volunteering. Was not a problem, and only one of my parents is a doc . Frankly, I think shadowing is over rated if you have a high quality clinical exposure through volunteering.

does tutoring, playing games with, talking to children and adolescents count as high quality clinical exposure through volunteering, i mean i think it counts as clincical since i can apperently smell patients, idk if its high quality though

It's very important that you get as much exposure to the field as possible, and it's also very important that you show the admissions committees that you've done that.

To be honest i think i have a lot of exposure to the field

In this sense, us going into medicine are fortunate -- shadowing a physician is super common, and relatively easy to do.

I know its pretty easy, especially in my position, to shadow a bunch of people, but im apprehensive of the whole idea of shadowing, as in literally just following a doctor around for 50 hours and watching everything they do. In my opinion its not at all clinical since you dont actaully interact with patients, just watch a doctor interact with his and for people who have a bunch of experience in the medical field, it seems pretty boring.

But i see where you're coming from, and i guess its not a bad thing to have my bases covered, but meh i'd rather work at various doctor's offices then just follow a doctor around.

 

[Nomdeplume]

To be honest i think i have a lot of exposure to the field

Granted, you do have a good experience to list on your AMCAS and discuss in your personal statement, but I feel like the majority of people that I know who are unsuccessful in the application cycle would say that the adcom's weren't as satisfied with their exposure to the field as they themselves were.

In my opinion its not at all clinical since you dont actaully interact with patients, just watch a doctor interact with his and for people who have a bunch of experience in the medical field, it seems pretty boring.

Hey, don't knock it 'till you try it.

In my opinion, and I'm only a premed speaking, the answer to this thread's title is: Yes. If you want to give yourself the absolute best chances of going to medical school, you should shadow, at least a little bit.

 

[NickNaylor]

You can never have enough _________ (unwritten requirement for application). It's that kind of complacency that comes back to bite you in the ass.

 

[mmmcdowe]

You are 0.0000000000000000000001% of people who have volunteered.

Maybe if people spent more time focusing on volunteering and getting past the early scut work stages rather than racking up 100+ hours of shadowing I wouldn't be. The good stuff typically takes time (unless you have someone to instantly set you up, which wasn't the case for me though b/c my parent works in a rural hospital nowhere near my former college). I went from scrubbing beds to working with patients to being invited to help in the setting up a formal summer program with the Mayo Clinic over the course of ~2 years.

You can never have enough _________ (unwritten requirement for application). It's that kind of complacency that comes back to bite you in the ass.

Agreed, but only if you are being complacent versus redirecting your time in other areas.

does tutoring, playing games with, talking to and presenting case studies on children and adolescents in an inpatient psychiatric unit count as high quality clinical exposure through volunteering, i mean i think it counts as clincical since i can apperently smell patients, idk if its high quality though

Yes.

 

[LizzyM]

Do at least 3 days -- start of the professional day until the end. You are a fly on the wall. See the doctor deliver bad news, see some invasive procedures, see the doctor consult peers, educate or be educated on rounds (you could shadow a resident to see what one day of an 80 hour week looks like), travel to different settings (inpatient, outpatient, etc.). I wouldn't consider it a waste of 3 days of your life. Plus, docs who aren't your parents may be more frank with you about the down side and up side of the profession.

 

[Political]

Do at least 3 days -- start of the professional day until the end. You are a fly on the wall. See the doctor deliver bad news, see some invasive procedures, see the doctor consult peers, educate or be educated on rounds (you could shadow a resident to see what one day of an 80 hour week looks like), travel to different settings (inpatient, outpatient, etc.). I wouldn't consider it a waste of 3 days of your life. Plus, docs who aren't your parents may be more frank with you about the down side and up side of the profession.

Actually shadowing a resident sounds kind of interesting, but idk if the hospitals would allow it. And i guess 3 days isnt that bad

 

[rexxx]

i don't see why you shouldn't.

use your parents and see if they can get you any connections with OTHER doctors to shadow.

don't take your situation for granted and do NO shadowing when you could make the most of it.

 

[sector9]

Actually shadowing a resident sounds kind of interesting, but idk if the hospitals would allow it. And i guess 3 days isnt that bad

I just got home from shadowing a resident for 9 hours.

 

[gettheleadout]

Maybe if people spent more time focusing on volunteering and getting past the early scut work stages rather than racking up 100+ hours of shadowing I wouldn't be. The good stuff typically takes time (unless you have someone to instantly set you up, which wasn't the case for me though b/c my parent works in a rural hospital nowhere near my former college). I went from scrubbing beds to working with patients to being invited to help in the setting up a formal summer program with the Mayo Clinic over the course of ~2 years.

I guess I don't really think of shadowing like this; I think of shadowing more as a way to see what the daily work of varied fields is like. You can get a great feel for the clinical setting and confirmation that medicine feels right out of good volunteering opportunities, but I'd prefer to add firsthand experience with what work as an internist/general surgeon/pediatrician/ophtho is like. Good, varied shadowing = greater confidence that you'll find a niche in medicine that really keeps you interested and happy with your work. Clinical volunteering is necessary though so that you can confirm that actually being the one interacting with the patients is for you in general. In that sense I guess the "general feel" part you can get from volunteering is the most necessary, but extensive shadowing takes it further. Then again, most people don't do "extensive" shadowing.

 

[girlofgrace7]

Ok, I know I'm going against the grain here, but to temper the overwhelming opinions present so far, I thought I'd add my two cents. Personally, I thought shadowing was a waste of time. I don't like feeling useless; so, standing in a corner observing a doctor for hours is not my cup of tea and just made me feel as though I was in the way. I only did one day of pure shadowing in undergrad, and I don't believe I even mentioned it in my medical school applications. Whatever experiences you have should be meaningful to you. This is my one regret from undergrad... doing things I thought were expected/necessary (as it turns out, they aren't... I have friends who had one day of shadowing for their clinical experience, friends who did no research, etc. that are in my med school class) that I wasn't passionate about.

However, I do suggest making sure you can think of one moment "shadowing" that really impacted you. I struggled a bit when asked about my shadowing experience during an interview. I quickly realized while stuttering out an answer though that the experiences that really impacted me were ones where shadowing was a small aspect of what I was doing and where I had a role in the process (for example, while doing clinical research, doctors would let me come in to watch procedures or traumas).

 

[NickNaylor]

Ok, I know I'm going against the grain here, but to temper the overwhelming opinions present so far, I thought I'd add my two cents. Personally, I thought shadowing was a waste of time. I don't like feeling useless; so, standing in a corner observing a doctor for hours is not my cup of tea and just made me feel as though I was in the way. I only did one day of pure shadowing in undergrad, and I don't believe I even mentioned it in my medical school applications. Whatever experiences you have should be meaningful to you. This is my one regret from undergrad... doing things I thought were expected/necessary (as it turns out, they aren't... I have friends who had one day of shadowing for their clinical experience, friends who did no research, etc. that are in my med school class) that I wasn't passionate about.

However, I do suggest making sure you can think of one moment "shadowing" that really impacted you. I struggled a bit when asked about my shadowing experience during an interview. I quickly realized while stuttering out an answer though that the experiences that really impacted me were ones where shadowing was a small aspect of what I was doing and where I had a role in the process (for example, while doing clinical research, doctors would let me come in to watch procedures or traumas).

 

[Soulstice]

Since my mother is a doctor, she was able to connect me with a lot of colleagues who let me shadow them. It gave me a good idea of what specialties interested me, and what didn't so much. But more so than anything, being able to compare and contrast their individual styles of bedside manner was an interesting experience as well.

 

[NKChemEng]

 

[Onres]

Well im still not sure, i mean i see shadowing as a way to introduce medicine to one whose not directly related to it. Looking at sdn what typical shadower does is just follow the doctor around and pretty does nothing besides that, will it truly radically change my entire perspective on medicine? According to my parents it would be a waste of time since i experience more than the average shawdower ( get to interact with patients, describe medications to them, etc.) and still have a solid foundation of medicine, i even helped my mom start a new practice from scratch at one point, so yeah im still a bit hesitant tbh

so i guess the best question to ask is, is there any other to shadowing than just experiencing what a doctor experiences, and having a firmer grasp of medicine and society?
and will shadowing doctors in other specialties really affect me much, b/c what one doctor does with their patient is not that much different than what another does, especially in the eyes of a shadower.

Are your parents on the admissions committee of every school you intend to apply to?

Do it to do it. I see your point you probably won't get much else out of it, but it may come up on interviews. At least you could discuss seeing specialties other than what your parents do.

 

[NKChemEng]

I feel like if I were an interviewer, I'd see that you have shadowing and look on that very favorably, and ESPECIALLY if you explained that you shadowed despite having parent physicians.

If you have NO shadowing, and explain it with having parent physicians, I'd think you were close minded and pretentious.

I'm not making judgements, just trying to see from an interviewer's perspective. I think it wouldn't hurt to shadow, seeing as it will be easy to find it through family and seeing as it's never a huge time commitment in the least.

 

[Onres]

I feel like if I were an interviewer, I'd see that you have shadowing and look on that very favorably, and ESPECIALLY if you explained that you shadowed despite having parent physicians.

If you have NO shadowing, and explain it with having parent physicians, I'd think you were close minded and pretentious.

I'm not making judgements, just trying to see from an interviewer's perspective. I think it wouldn't hurt to shadow, seeing as it will be easy to find it through family and seeing as it's never a huge time commitment in the least.

To an extent I agree, but I think part of shadowing is seeing different specialties. From what I understand, adcoms like to see open mindedness and refusing to shadow because you have worked with your parents might not be seen as open minded.

 

[versus]

I didn't shadow, just clinical experience through volunteering. Was not a problem, and only one of my parents is a doc . Frankly, I think shadowing is over rated if you have a high quality clinical exposure through volunteering.

Same here.

 

[juliedi]

I think that "shadowing" itself isn't so important, but I do believe it would be wise (both for yourself personally and for the sake of the adcoms) to gain some exposure to medicine that doesn't revolve around your parents. That could be shadowing another doctors(s), volunteering in a part of the hospital where they don't work, going on a medical missions trip, whatever.

When I applied, I only had 1 day of shadowing with a doc other than my dad. (Like you OP, I worked/volunteered in his office, and I'd seen tons of surgery with him.) But I had also volunteered in two different EDs and a clinic, as well as attended a couple of medical conferences, so I had more exposure to the field that just via my parent. Interviewers never brought up my lack of "official shadowing." I had plenty of clinical experiences to talk about, some regarding my dad's practice, some completely separate.

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

I can see where you are coming from, OP, saying that you have a significant amount of exposure that a lot of other applicants might not have...but the issue is that this is the case merely by dumb luck--because both of your parents are doctors. Could you, would you, have gotten these experiences if that weren't the case? No one knows, but by not having any clinical experiences independent from your mommy and daddy's supervision may raise some questions. Prove your dedicated interest by doing something without your parents' names attached to it. Remember, it will still be FAR easier for you to do these things than the average applicant.

 

[NKChemEng]

I can see where you are coming from, OP, saying that you have a significant amount of exposure that a lot of other applicants might not have...but the issue is that this is the case merely by dumb luck--because both of your parents are doctors. Could you, would you, have gotten these experiences if that weren't the case? No one knows, but by not having any clinical experiences independent from your mommy and daddy's supervision may raise some questions. Prove your dedicated interest by doing something without your parents' names attached to it. Remember, it will still be FAR easier for you to do these things than the average applicant.

+1: A big part of mentioning experiences involves the fact that you found them yourself out of interest, and put in the time to find opportunities. If you have experience from being around your parents it's by no means a bad thing in itself, but say you wanted to go into economics instead (and had no interest in medicine). You would STILL have those experiences.

My parents are electrical engineers. I know a LOT about that field just by listening to them talk about their projects, but that doesn't mean I am at all fit to work in that field.

 

[FIREitUP]

If you don't think you should shadow, go ahead and apply with no clinical experience. Come back and let us know how that works out.

There are other ways to garner patient experience that entail more than just sitting there with your hands in your pockets watching a doc.

 

[NKChemEng]

There are other ways to garner patient experience that entail more than just sitting there with your hands in your pockets watching a doc.

Like which ones? The medical field requires so much training, that undergrads are limited in the tasks they are able to perform. Volunteering and shadowing seem to be the only real practical ways to get experience. I doubt adcoms expect students to administer care, because that's bordering illegality.

 

[cowsgomuon]

Like which ones? The medical field requires so much training, that undergrads are limited in the tasks they are able to perform. Volunteering and shadowing seem to be the only real practical ways to get experience. I doubt adcoms expect students to administer care, because that's bordering illegality.

There are some activities, like being an EMT, that allow you have a more active role without doing anything illegal You'll get a lot of exposure to emergency medicine, ERs, and Emergency Medicine physicians without standing around and twiddling your thumbs. Your interactions with ER physicians are on a patient-centered basis (telling patient histories, vitals, etc), not just asking random premed questions.

 

[NKChemEng]

There are some activities, like being an EMT, that allow you have a more active role without doing anything illegal You'll get a lot of exposure to emergency medicine, ERs, and Emergency Medicine physicians without standing around and twiddling your thumbs. Your interactions with ER physicians are on a patient-centered basis (telling patient histories, vitals, etc), not just asking random premed questions.

That's true. I think I'll take and EMT certification course and apply for a job like that for next summer. I guess the thing is that volunteering/shadowing is perhaps less of a heavy commitment for students during the year. Shadowing is something one can do along with being a college student, while an EMT is a big commitment.

 

[FIREitUP]

Like which ones? The medical field requires so much training, that undergrads are limited in the tasks they are able to perform. Volunteering and shadowing seem to be the only real practical ways to get experience. I doubt adcoms expect students to administer care, because that's bordering illegality.

EMT, ER Tech, Scribe, Wound Care Technician, etc. are more valuable.

 

[Political]

EMT, ER Tech, Scribe, Wound Care Technician, etc. are more valuable.

All of these need certification, and if too lazy to shadow, ill probably be too lazy to get certification lol.

That being said, ill probably do some shawdowing eventually

 

[rHinO1]

All of these need certification, and if too lazy to shadow, ill probably be too lazy to get certification lol.

That being said, ill probably do some shawdowing eventually

This profession isn't for the lazy, or people trying to get in on mommy and daddy's accomplishments.