Keeping Track of Shadowing Hours/Shadowing Abroad

[kameel1013]

Hi,

This question may have been answered in the past. I apologize in advance for the repeat.

Reading all the posts about EC's I know shadowing is one that fits in the category and everyone mentions how many hours they have done. When applying for medical school, on the application, does one just list the number of hours or is it more detailed than that? Do you list who you shadowed and where?

This leads me to another question: My cousin is a doctor in the Philippines, who works at a hospital and owns a free clinic. Over the summer, I may be vacationing in the Philippines for a month. If I were to shadow her, could it be considered an E.C?

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[J ROD]

Hi,

This question may have been answered in the past. I apologize in advance for the repeat.

Reading all the posts about EC's I know shadowing is one that fits in the category and everyone mentions how many hours they have done. When applying for medical school, on the application, does one just list the number of hours or is it more detailed than that? Do you list who you shadowed and where?

This leads me to another question: My cousin is a doctor in the Philippines, who works at a hospital and owns a free clinic. Over the summer, I may be vacationing in the Philippines for a month. If I were to shadow her, could it be considered an E.C?

I just listed the total hrs and broke it down over the various docs.

Like name, specialty, # of hrs.

It is considered and will make you a little unique....just make sure to shadow docs in the US too.

 

[flip26]

You can list your shadowing hours as average hours per week, with a start date and end date. Just one entry for all shadowing will suffice - no need to list doctor names, but I listed the types of docs I shadowed. I wrote "shadowed a variety of physicians in various clinical settings, as follows:" and then I listed the types of docs...I suggest you do the same, and leave out the overseas part.

Why? I don't think any adcom will give a hoot about your shadowing overseas - that tends to impress premeds, but I don't think it impresses an adcom. In fact, if there isn't a sufficient amount of US based shadowing, it could negatively impact your app.

 

[kameel1013]

Of course I realize it is better to shadow doctors in the U.S.,especially since I plan to go to a medical school in the U.S. And I am not trying to be impressive by shadowing overseas. I just don't want to waste away a month by lazying around. I figure since my cousin's help can be a resource.

 

[tlaloc87]

I'd definitely put down hours shadowing abroad. It shows you have exposure to how medicine is practiced in different countries and, possibly, different doctor-patient interactions that you may not normally see shadowing US physicians. (Full disclosure: I spent one summer shadowing a pediatrician in Mexico City, so I may be partial.)

 

[Morsetlis]

You shadowed for an entire summer?

I hope you got to do things besides just stand and stare.

 

[vandyfootball]

So its not like college apps, where you have to breakdown what you did what year right?


Do you have to break down your ec's(clubs) by semester/year like you did on the common app for college admission?

 

[Morsetlis]

Time is recorded in the format of hours/week and duration. As in, 50 hours/week, August 2008 - August 2009. Then you list in the text field what you actually did and elaborate on time division if necessary.

 

[felizy]

When you're tracking your shadowing hours, do you need to have the physician or office sign something or give you a reference?

 

[HealthHare]

when you're tracking your shadowing hours, do you need to have the physician or office sign something or give you a reference?

bump

 

[windsor4216]

bump

How much shadowing exactly is considered a decent amount? Shadowing in the U.S. is something I definitely lack, but I did a public health study abroad in South Africa and did 3 months of shadowing/volunteering work in various clinics. Will this plus about 50 hours of OB/GYN shadowing in the U.S. be enough for me??