- Joined
- Apr 14, 2008
- Messages
- 216
- Reaction score
- 2
Would it be bad if I didn't shadow any doctor?
Is it important to shadow
- Thread starter metalhead1023
- Start date
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2007
- Messages
- 17,074
- Reaction score
- 73
Probably. Schools like to see that you have clinical experience. It's the only way they know that you might know what medicine is really all about.
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2008
- Messages
- 998
- Reaction score
- 3
Yes for some schools, you'd be knocked out of consideration without shadowing experience. For many, you'd be fine without shadowing, clinical volunteer experience would be enough. For others, any volunteer experience would be fine.
So depending on the schools you're looking at, shadowing may or may not be important. There's no list of schools that require/value shadowing, the only way to learn is to check this site and call each school directly. To be broadly successful (that is, not knocked out of consideration for missing something important to some schools), you may want to shadow at least a few days.
So depending on the schools you're looking at, shadowing may or may not be important. There's no list of schools that require/value shadowing, the only way to learn is to check this site and call each school directly. To be broadly successful (that is, not knocked out of consideration for missing something important to some schools), you may want to shadow at least a few days.
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2007
- Messages
- 463
- Reaction score
- 0
Unless you have a ton of other significant clinical experiences, yes. How else are they going to know that you know medicine is what you want to do? How would you know if you'd actually "enjoy" if you will, days as a doctor?
1
135892
It probably wouldn't be a killer... but it's a relatively easy thing to arrange, so you might as well go shadow for at least a little bit
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2006
- Messages
- 1,588
- Reaction score
- 1
Never shadowed before, and it didn't hurt me. So no, its not necessary if you have other clinical experiences under your belt, like hospital volunteering.
However, I must emphasize that shadowing for a summer, or volunteering for a semester does not count as clinical experience. Schools view these short-term extracurriculars merely as you checking off your "to do list" in order to get into medical school.
However, I must emphasize that shadowing for a summer, or volunteering for a semester does not count as clinical experience. Schools view these short-term extracurriculars merely as you checking off your "to do list" in order to get into medical school.
What is the whole thing behind volunteering in a hospital. Many times you don't get to interact with physicians. More likely you work closely with a nurses aide. How is that relevent to wanting to become a doctor? Other than the volunteering and helping out people, is it patient contact and showing that you can work with sick people?
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2005
- Messages
- 1,754
- Reaction score
- 17
It can count as patient contact and giving back to your fellow man, but really it has more to do with "keeping up with the Jones" than it does anything else.
If no other medical school applicant volunteered at the hospital would you still do it?
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2006
- Messages
- 1,588
- Reaction score
- 1
Well, then answer me this...why is working with a doctor that important? Medical schools don't care whether or not you are able to interact with physicians. In my opinion, volunteering in positions with an emphasis on patient and nurse contact shows more potential than just following doctors around.
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2005
- Messages
- 1,754
- Reaction score
- 17
Shadowing is about getting in the hip pocket of a doc and following him or her around to see what the job is really about. You really don't want to be a third year student when you finally discover what it is physicians do all day. As you know, there is so much more than what you see as a patient or what you can see from across the room as a volunteer.
It's just stepping behind the curtain and seeing what it takes to run the puppet show. Some schools place value in students who have taken the time to thoroughly investigate the profession, including job shadowing, before applying.
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2008
- Messages
- 1,341
- Reaction score
- 181
Really? An entire semester (or summer) doing something is considered short term?
And you don't think it's exciting at all to watch doctors work? I actually think it's pretty fun to see different procedures, to hear the logic behind differential diagnoses, to see the doctor interact with nurses and residents and staff... really, I think shadowing can be quite fun. You don't have to do it "to get into medical school," but surely you can do it because it's educational, and for your education's sake.
Also, a summer is three months, for me at least--I'd hardly consider that short-term. However, as has been said many times in threads at SDN, it's the quality that counts, not the quantity. You're not shadowing to show commitment; you're shadowing to learn about the field you're thinking of entering.
edit - and no one said that shadowing should take the place of volunteering.
Last edited:
- Joined
- May 19, 2008
- Messages
- 51
- Reaction score
- 0
I think if it's just a summer or semester, it might be viewed as short term when you consider you have at least 3 years of undergrad under your belt when you apply. However, if say you started late but continued with it I think it's fine, if anyone was wondering.
Perhaps, but in general I would have to disagree. Alot of the students that volunteer at hospitals end up doing administrative work and follow nurses aides around with no real interaction with physicians. Maybe thats just at the hospital I volunteered at, but I would think shadowing is much more important.
But hey, I'm not an adcom so I dont know the real answer. Just my opinion.
