Shadowing Importance

[lorian99]

Hey all,

I've managed to pile up 20 hours of shadowing split between my PCP and a radiation oncologist but I'm having trouble finding other physicians to shadow. I've checked all my contacts and cold-called and cold-emailed dozens of physicians to no avail.

While I've read that ~50 hours is sufficient, I already have a shadowing experience that I plan to write about in a PS, I have ~700 hours of clinical experience, and I feel that my efforts would be better expended elsewhere. Should I continue seeking out shadowing opportunities anyway?

Thanks in advance.

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[Catalystik]

Hey all,

I've managed to pile up 20 hours of shadowing split between my PCP and a radiation oncologist but I'm having trouble finding other physicians to shadow. I've checked all my contacts and cold-called and cold-emailed dozens of physicians to no avail.

While I've read that ~50 hours is sufficient, I already have a shadowing experience that I plan to write about in a PS, I have ~700 hours of clinical experience, and I feel that my efforts would be better expended elsewhere. Should I continue seeking out shadowing opportunities anyway?

Thanks in advance.

Unless your clinical job included some unofficial physician observation that you can allude to in your shadowing entry, can you add 20 more hours with your PCP? Forty hours is a minimum stated by some schools.

 

[lorian99]

My job didn't include any unofficial physician observation, and I'll see about shadowing more with my PCP, though he told me that there was nothing more to see.

Do schools list shadowing requirements on their websites?

 

[Doctor-S]

Hey all,

I've managed to pile up 20 hours of shadowing split between my PCP and a radiation oncologist but I'm having trouble finding other physicians to shadow. I've checked all my contacts and cold-called and cold-emailed dozens of physicians to no avail.

While I've read that ~50 hours is sufficient, I already have a shadowing experience that I plan to write about in a PS, I have ~700 hours of clinical experience, and I feel that my efforts would be better expended elsewhere. Should I continue seeking out shadowing opportunities anyway?

Thanks in advance.

If you're near any medical schools with academic medical centers, look at their departmental websites, and contact some of the "teaching" physicians. The teaching physicians might allow you to shadow them.

You can contact your local medical association and ask for some other suggestions. At times, semi-retired physicians in the local community will welcome pre-med students because they might have some extra time.

You can go to your local medical center and respectfully ask some of the experienced RNs for a moment of their time (that is, if they have any spare time) to obtain potential shadowing suggestions. RNs often know which MDs are "approachable" in the hospital and who might be willing to speak with you about shadowing opportunities.

Thank you.

 

[Catalystik]

Do schools list shadowing requirements on their websites?

Some do. The majority don't.

 

[ojy77511]

What if i have around ~30 hrs of shadowing but got scribe hrs. Honestly scribe is shadowing plus more. Are they picky about this?


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[Catalystik]

What if i have around ~30 hrs of shadowing but got scribe hrs. Honestly scribe is shadowing plus more. Are they picky about this?


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IMO scribing that isn't done remotely should be looked on as having embedded shadowing but some schools prefer a dedicated observational experience and don't agree with including listed scribing hours toward that expectation. Go figure.

 

[candbgirl]

OP can you ask the PCP to set you up with some other docs? Maybe even someone in the same practice!


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