Hey everyone. For those who have or are currently shadowing a physician, for what length of time have you been in the office? I have been shadowing a physician once a week since September and really like the office and the specialty. However, I feel like I might be overstaying my welcome if I continue throughout the summer. How long do you all shadow physicians?
Shadowing length
- Thread starter feli_owl
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This will vary and depend on the student and the physician. It's usually a good idea to spread your shadowing out between a few different specialties so you have more than one perspective on medicine. So if you feel like you've had a good experience but it's starting to drag on.. then perhaps it's best to find a new physician in a new specialty to tag along with. I shadowed some physicians for 4 hours and some for 25 hours (and lengths in between). There's no set minimum or maximum. Just try to have a few different experiences. Good luck.
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I would shadow as much as you feel comfortable. Don't quit simply because you think the doctor might not want you there anymore (assuming he hasn't actually said that to you). Although shadowing a doctor once a week for a full year sounds like a like a long-ass time. Much longer than a typical shadowing experience. That's a good thing though.
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About 50 total hours is the average listed on applications, but if you're still having fun and feel welcome, you can stay far longer. If you feel it's time to go, pay attention to your gut. Many list shadowing with a single doc and others mention 7-10. I generally suggest that at least one be a primary care physician so as to provide a view of medicine from the trenches.
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I'd suggest long enough to get a feel for what that particular practitioner does on a daily basis. For most people, that might just be a small handful (5-10) of several hour (4-8) visits. There is no hard and fast rule. The most important thing is that you take something away from the experience and try to figure out if you'd like to do what that doctor is doing.
Thanks so much, I really appreciate it! The doctor has said that she likes having me in the office, but you all have convinced me that it's important to shadow a larger range of physicians (I like that idea of shadowing a family practitioner!). I think I'll stick with this physician for another month and then shadow another specialty!
