Letter from DO out of state?

[fluoropHore]

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I recently contacted a family member who is a DO to see if I could shadow him. I didn't want to look like I was using a family connection, so he suggested I shadow his colleague. But they are both 4 states/5hrs away. Would it look suspicious if I shadowed him for a letter? He is also a lecturer in that state and if I applied to that school would they be even more suspicious?

 

[Pisiform]

I think you will be fine. I am from NY and I shadowed a DO in TX during my spring break.

 

[fluoropHore]

ah ok, great, thanks!

 

[MedPR]

Also FWIW, I doubt ADCOMs will care if you shadowed someone who is a close family friend. The point of shadowing is to get an idea of the profession. The fact that it can be difficult to find someone to shadow is of very little concern to ADCOMS (imo), so having it "easy" by shadowing someone you kind of already know doesn't matter.

 

[211519]

It doesn't matter where you shadow a DO or what the family connection is to them. The things that matter are (1) understanding the profession, (2) getting a DO letter from someone who knows enough about you to write a good one and (3) putting forth the effort it takes to find a DO (+/- an MD) to shadow. Not everyone who gets into an osteopathic school has shadowed a DO, but it looks better.