No shadowing before submitting app...

[Buttermellow]

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Here's the deal: I will have no official shadowing hours when I submit. My plan was to do last-minute shadowing this summer, but unfortunately I spent all my time studying for the mcat (which was a good idea on my part) and now all the offices I am calling have residents shadowing and can't let me shadow.

So the problem is, I can delay submitting and try to get something in (if it's even possible, since I will most likely be working 8-5). I do have >200 hours working in a clinic, so I do have clinical experience and I got to see how doctors interact with patients, etc. My app is fairly strong otherwise.... OK amount of ECs, some research, 4.0 gpa, mcat scores tba (practice tests were ~33 average).

Sorry for the long post everyone, but one more thing: if I do apply without shadowing, should I address this in my personal statement? Or just leave it out, shadow later, and include it in update letters?

 

[SoBad]

From what I understand (translation: what people here tell me 😛 ), shadowing is just a way of showing that you understand what its like to be a doctor and what you should expect if you plan on being a doctor. I would think your exposure to the clinic would more than make up for it.

 

[lovepediatrics]

bumping this cuz im in a similar boat..

 

[DDX2k]

From what I understand (translation: what people here tell me 😛 ), shadowing is just a way of showing that you understand what its like to be a doctor and what you should expect if you plan on being a doctor. I would think your exposure to the clinic would more than make up for it.

This. If you've already worked in the clinic, what's the point of shadowing?

 

[TriagePreMed]

This. If you've already worked in the clinic, what's the point of shadowing?

Point is you do more than one specialty since there's more than one specialty and one type of clinical setting.

 

[DDX2k]

Point is you do more than one specialty since there's more than one specialty and one type of clinical setting.

Ahh, very true. Didn't consider that he only got exposure to one type of clinic.

 

[Velocity]

Point is you do more than one specialty since there's more than one specialty and one type of clinical setting.

Based on what I've heard, shadowing and clinical volunteering are essentially equivalent. People may ask what specialty you have in mind, but you're not expected to know what you want to go into upon entering medical school. You're not even expected to know every single medical specialty that exists; that's part of the reason why medical school is medical school, and not "anesthesiology school" or "neurosurgery school." On the other hand, clinical volunteering (or shadowing - basically any exposure to the clinical setting) is a check to make sure that you're OK with that sort of work environment, with working with sick people, and so on.

I applied with a boatload of clinical volunteering hours, spread across multiple clinical units, and technically had zero shadowing hours. It didn't give me trouble. It's anecdotal, I know, and if trends are changing I'd appreciate being corrected... but otherwise, my advice would be not to worry about it.

 

[V5RED]

Based on what I've heard, shadowing and clinical volunteering are essentially equivalent. People may ask what specialty you have in mind, but you're not expected to know what you want to go into upon entering medical school. You're not even expected to know every single medical specialty that exists; that's part of the reason why medical school is medical school, and not "anesthesiology school" or "neurosurgery school." On the other hand, clinical volunteering (or shadowing - basically any exposure to the clinical setting) is a check to make sure that you're OK with that sort of work environment, with working with sick people, and so on.

I applied with a boatload of clinical volunteering hours, spread across multiple clinical units, and technically had zero shadowing hours. It didn't give me trouble. It's anecdotal, I know, and if trends are changing I'd appreciate being corrected... but otherwise, my advice would be not to worry about it.

Both are good, but if you do no volunteering at the hospital, you would need to volunteer somewhere to show you are willing to serve.

 

[Goblue89]

From personal exprience, it is fine to submit without formal shadowing. Just make sure you get some in before you head to an interview so you can at least talk about it (and of course update your apps). If you wait too long to submit any good shadowing would do will be at least partially negated by delaying your application. I submitted last year with no shadowing experience on my app and got 3 interviews before the schools were notified that I had since shadowed.

 

[sghos]

delete