Shadowed in High School?

[Katatonic]

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Will it matter if I shadowed some doctors while I was in High School, or is this like volunteering where it only matters if I did it in college? I shadowed an orthopedic surgeon, an anesthesiologist, an ICU nurse, and a surgery PA for an entire day each. Not sure if this "counts" to adcoms since it was in High School though? Thanks.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Continue shadowing the same doctors in College and then you can say you have 6 years of shadowing...or however long it is.

 

[RySerr21]

Will it matter if I shadowed some doctors while I was in High School, or is this like volunteering where it only matters if I did it in college? I shadowed an orthopedic surgeon, an anesthesiologist, an ICU nurse, and a surgery PA for an entire day each. Not sure if this "counts" to adcoms since it was in High School though? Thanks.

totally do it. in high school I shadowed/volunteered with an orthopedic surgeon...after my first year of college he offered me a paid internship in the summer that resulted in two publications. you never know what can happen man.

 

[SirGecko]

As a rule it seems "one and done" shadowing experiences aren't really going to do it for yah. I'd recomend trying to set up a more permanant shadowing schedule sometime in college. Go ahead and mention the things you did in high school but just tack them on to the shadowing that you do in college. (so like say "I shadowed four hours a week for a semester and shadowed these four people for a day each back in high school" but even then it might not be worth mentioning)

 

[sacrament]

As a rule it seems "one and done" shadowing experiences aren't really going to do it for yah.

Furthermore, it would be so glaringly inadequate that I actually think it would be detrimental to your application if you were to mention it. Shadowing is a reasonable "clinical experience" but you're going to need to demonstrate some long-term commitment to it if you're going to convince an admission committee that you achieved meaningful insight into the profession.

 

[Law2Doc]

Furthermore, it would be so glaringly inadequate that I actually think it would be detrimental to your application if you were to mention it. Shadowing is a reasonable "clinical experience" but you're going to need to demonstrate some long-term commitment to it if you're going to convince an admission committee that you achieved meaningful insight into the profession.

Yeah, only plan on listing this if it's the first of a long series of things that extends into college. In general, in terms of med school applications, your life begins after high school.

 

[Depakote]

The only way you might want include it on your application would be to mention something brief in your personal statement about how these experiences led you to more significant experiences in college. I wouldn't discuss them as ECs, but if you are trying to discuss the roots of your passion for medicine, they would be valid. Just be sure that you've got some ECs of substance in college that demonstrate a nice strong commitment and really give you good extended exposure to medicine.