Shadowing necessary?

[ojy77511]

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Hi, guys. I am going to apply to the upcoming cycle. It seems like I will end up around ~250 total hrs of experience in patient escort and 2 other departments. However, I am having a hard time trying to find a shadowing opportunity. Will I be at disadvantage if I dont shadow a doctor? And do you think this my clinical exposure is sufficient for mid~top tiers?


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[Lawpy]

Many applicants successfully have gotten into medical school with no shadowing. It's not required.

However, it is important to understand and describe in essays/interviews that you know what physician's daily activities are and basically you know what you are getting into. If that can be described without shadowing, you'll be good to go.

 

[popopopop]

Can you describe to me what a doctor does throughout the day from your 250 hours of patient escorting?

 

[Catalystik]

Hi, guys. I am going to apply to the upcoming cycle. It seems like I will end up around ~250 total hrs of experience in patient escort and 2 other departments. However, I am having a hard time trying to find a shadowing opportunity. Will I be at disadvantage if I dont shadow a doctor? And do you think this my clinical exposure is sufficient for mid~top tiers?

Some schools won't care, but the majority will be looking for it. Some have stated requirements on their websites. For the sake of gracefully answering many common interview questions, you are well advised to do some shadowing. To get the most out of your hours, if you will only list one doc, ask an office-based primary care physician. Consider starting with your own doc, but those of parents might be recruited as well.

And, IMO, your hours of clinical exposure look fine, so long as you didn't get it all in an abbreviated timeframe.