Shadowing advice

[Gkw07001]

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I'm about to finish my freshman year as an undergraduate at UConn. I am prepared to do some shadowing over the summer to really experience different areas of medicine. However, I'm not exactly sure how to get the most out of my summer. Do I have to shadow for an extended period of time or is a few days or a week enough in one area? Is there anything else I should expect to do other than just observing and asking questions? Also, what should I wear?
Also, my father runs his own dental practice and I have worked there in past summers. I work as a receptionist part of the time but I also clean the operatories, develop x-rays, etc and sometimes I work as a dental assistant as he does procedures. How much will this help me on my resume and such when I apply to med school? Since he is a dentist, should I try to get a position somewhere else that may be a little more MD related- or does it not matter too much? I am also still considering dentistry as a career.
Thanks for any advice you have!

 

[TexasPhysician]

I can't see dentistry helping you too much in terms of clinical experience. It is a good volunteer opportunity however. Medical schools just want to know that YOU know exactly what being a physician is like. They want to make sure you enjoy the day to day operations.

For example: When I applied, I had a shadowing experience in the local ER probably 10 days x 8 hours each and working with a gyn oncologist probably 30 days x 12 hours.

You don't have to go overboard, but you want to show you are dedicated to medicine in particular.

 

[Fiddlergirl]

You aren't expected to do anything but observe and ask questions, so don't worry about reading up on that area of medicine or anything. As for what to wear, go with business casual to start with (kahki's and a collared shirt) and then adjust according to what the people around you are wearing. A week or so in one area is sufficient, but you should try for three or four weeks overall. Good luck!

 

[AnotherDork]

In terms of your own personal knowledge, I think it's probably better to shadow once a week throughout the summer and do something else with the extra time rather than just strictly shadow. There are definitely diminishing returns when it comes to shadowing- you learn a lot at the beginning, but after a while you won't get much out of it because you don't have the background knowledge yet to make connections and you're only in one specific place.

EDIT: Plus, if you work with a physician over the course of a summer and develop a strong relationship, that's an LOR. Tougher to do if you only spend 2 weeks with somebody.

Also, I think it's great to shadow a dentist if you're interested in dentistry, but I wouldn't use that as your only shadowing experience for medical school- you'll have to answer the question, "Then why don't you become a dentist?"