Shadowing Back in High School

[sprintuser]

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I shadowed doctors extensively in high school because of a program I was in. Ever since then, I have done almost no shadowing. By the time I start applying to med school, it will be 4 since since I was in that program.

Does the shadowing done while in high school still count and how will the med schools view it when the majority of my hours were from high school?

 

[LeoGer]

I shadowed doctors extensively in high school because of a program I was in. Ever since then, I have done almost no shadowing. By the time I start applying to med school, it will be 4 since since I was in that program.

Does the shadowing done while in high school still count and how will the med schools view it when the majority of my hours were from high school?

Trending away from future-physician-like activities is not a good thing.

 

[tryp]

I'm not convinced about that. I got interviews almost everywhere I applied and acceptances from half of those, and I didn't have any hospital experience after high school. During high school I volunteered extensively in several parts of a hospital, and then, having figured out that I liked it just fine, moved on to other volunteer commitments - crisis counselling, teaching, and other stuff that, while applicable, wasn't overtly medical.

I applied in Canada, so things might be different, but geez, if you've done that much shadowing already, I'd think it's just fine to go for the diversity as long as you keep doing relevant, interesting things.

 

[NickNaylor]

I'm not convinced about that. I got interviews almost everywhere I applied and acceptances from half of those, and I didn't have any hospital experience after high school. During high school I volunteered extensively in several parts of a hospital, and then, having figured out that I liked it just fine, moved on to other volunteer commitments - crisis counselling, teaching, and other stuff that, while applicable, wasn't overtly medical.

I applied in Canada, so things might be different, but geez, if you've done that much shadowing already, I'd think it's just fine to go for the diversity as long as you keep doing relevant, interesting things.

I don't think we should downplay the whole YOU APPLIED IN CANADA thing.

OP, you should absolutely get some kind of clinical experience. Listing things on AMCAS from high school that you didn't continue is an unspoken no-no.

 

[Catalystik]

I shadowed doctors extensively in high school because of a program I was in. Ever since then, I have done almost no shadowing. By the time I start applying to med school, it will be 4 since since I was in that program.

Does the shadowing done while in high school still count and how will the med schools view it when the majority of my hours were from high school?

Don't you think you might have completely different perspectives to bring to a shadowing activity when you have four more years of maturity under your belt? I suggest you engage in recent formal shadowing prior to applying. You can mention the HS hours if you wish, but I doubt they'd be much regarded.

I would hope that you also plan on getting clinical experience where you interact with sick people, aside from the passive observership of shadowing.