Shadowing or Volunteering?

[PopeKnope23]

I volunteer at a free clinic once a week. As a student volunteer, we room the patient, take their history and their vitals. Then we report to the MD, and then go back into the room and shadow the doc. It's a fantastic experience--basically the best of both worlds. But on my app, do you think it's okay to also count maybe half those hours as shadowing instead of volunteering? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

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[HomeSkool]

I would count all of it as clinical volunteering. It sounds like you're getting some great experience, but you're only seeing part of the physician's role. It would be better to set up a dedicated shadowing experience in which you function solely as an observer. That will allow you to see all of the doctor's role, including a lot of the workflow/administrative/leadership stuff that's invisible to you right now.

 

[infectiousdisease101]

Adding to @HomeSkool If you can, try to shadow in an academic hospital. You'll meet and converse with residents and possibly fellows too and can gain a much richer insight to medicine. A free clinic is great for the community, but not so much for learning. I shadowed in a free clinic and I feel there's no comparison between the learning and knowledge you obtain from an academic hospital.

 

[freedoctor17]

I volunteer at a free clinic once a week. As a student volunteer, we room the patient, take their history and their vitals. Then we report to the MD, and then go back into the room and shadow the doc. It's a fantastic experience--basically the best of both worlds. But on my app, do you think it's okay to also count maybe half those hours as shadowing instead of volunteering? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

That sounds awesome! I've been trying to get a volunteer position at a free clinic all last semester and when I finally did it was just a desk job so I'm kinda jealous.

I'm sure you could ask some of those doctors you worked with if you could put them down for shadowing and if they say yeah then there you go you'll have at least some hours from it and someone to list as a contact. But like others mentioned make sure to try and shadow in other places as well.

 

[Catalystik]

I volunteer at a free clinic once a week. As a student volunteer, we room the patient, take their history and their vitals. Then we report to the MD, and then go back into the room and shadow the doc. It's a fantastic experience--basically the best of both worlds. But on my app, do you think it's okay to also count maybe half those hours as shadowing instead of volunteering? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!

I'd be fine with the approach you suggest, but for your own sake, also do some dedicated formal shadowing. Maybe one of the volunteer docs would allow this at their main office.

 

[PopeKnope23]

Thanks so much, everyone! I have about 25 hours of formally shadowing an internist, a pediatric cardiologist, and a radiologist. So I luckily am getting the other side of things as well. I know I'm going to need more than 25 hrs by the time I apply in June though, right?

 

[freedoctor17]

Thanks so much, everyone! I have about 25 hours of formally shadowing an internist, a pediatric cardiologist, and a radiologist. So I luckily am getting the other side of things as well. I know I'm going to need more than 25 hrs by the time I apply in June though, right?

I've been told to get around 50. I only had 15 (non family friend) hours before break and got another 15 so far over winter break. Gonna do another 15 next week before semester starts up again. Then aiming for 15 to 20 more over the semester. It's pretty easy if you do it over a break since you can shadow them all day. One of those days kinda sucked though since it was very slow and they only saw like 2 patients all day I was there lol.

 

[PopeKnope23]

I've been told to get around 50. I only had 15 (non family friend) hours before break and got another 15 so far over winter break. Gonna do another 15 next week before semester starts up again. Then aiming for 15 to 20 more over the semester. It's pretty easy if you do it over a break since you can shadow them all day. One of those days kinda sucked though since it was very slow and they only saw like 2 patients all day I was there lol.

That's a good plan! Sadly my interim class during break is taking up more time then I thought it would.. sigh. But it's nice to know there are others with low-ish hours. Sometimes it seems like everyone on here is superman with 1000s of shadowing and volunteering hrs. And slow days do suck, but at least you're in the atmosphere of it all!

 

[freedoctor17]

That's a good plan! Sadly my interim class during break is taking up more time then I thought it would.. sigh. But it's nice to know there are others with low-ish hours. Sometimes it seems like everyone on here is superman with 1000s of shadowing and volunteering hrs. And slow days do suck, but at least you're in the atmosphere of it all!

I know how you feel! I was so worried when I saw all these people with thousands of hours in things. How do people even shadow 500 hours lol. For some specialties after two days I'm just like I don't know if there's any point in shadowing them anymore (mainly referring to radiology and nuclear medicine here lol, I was done after like 6 hours in those- super interesting but after a bit you kinda see all you can with your limited premed knowledge). Primary care has been more varied but still how much are you really benefiting after the first 50 hours.

 

[PopeKnope23]

I know how you feel! I was so worried when I saw all these people with thousands of hours in things. How do people even shadow 500 hours lol. For some specialties after two days I'm just like I don't know if there's any point in shadowing them anymore (mainly referring to radiology and nuclear medicine here lol, I was done after like 6 hours in those- super interesting but after a bit you kinda see all you can with your limited premed knowledge). Primary care has been more varied but still how much are you really benefiting after the first 50 hours.

Yes, exactly! I spent 8 hours with a radiologist and while it was super interesting, I saw no need to add more time. I agree that around 50 hours hits the target because you get to see the ins and outs of different specialties and learn a lot from the doc, but there is no hands-on like you get with clinical volunteering.

 

[freedoctor17]

Yes, exactly! I spent 8 hours with a radiologist and while it was super interesting, I saw no need to add more time. I agree that around 50 hours hits the target because you get to see the ins and outs of different specialties and learn a lot from the doc, but there is no hands-on like you get with clinical volunteering.

Yeah when I look back at how uncomfortable I was initially talking with patients to now I realize how helpful volunteering in a hospital avtually was. I didn't like my position at first mainly because I thought I could do something more "worthwhile" with my time (especially since a lot of the patients were grumpy and didn't wanna see anyone ) but I grew to appreciate it and will continue to do more.

 

[chappikachu]

I only had a little over 40 hours of formal shadowing when I applied this cycle and no one's questioned it (none were in primary care, though I would probably get that in if you can)

 

[DBC03]

If you have the opportunity, set up shadowing on a regular basis with someone who provides longitudinal care. I shadowed once to twice a week with an oncologist (clinic one day, surgery the next) and got to see initial consultations through surgery and follow up and it gave me a richer understanding of what a doctor does both each day and over a longer time frame.


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[freedoctor17]

If you have the opportunity, set up shadowing on a regular basis with someone who provides longitudinal care. I shadowed once to twice a week with an oncologist (clinic one day, surgery the next) and got to see initial consultations through surgery and follow up and it gave me a richer understanding of what a doctor does both each day and over a longer time frame.


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Thanks for the idea! That'll be something that would probably work well over the semester for me since I won't be able to go in all day due to classes. Most of my research is cancer research so I might actually try and do exactly this to see the medical side of it.