Shadowing question

[browneyes124]

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I talked to a person on the admissions committee at a medical school and she said that it was preferred that you shadow the same person longer rather just having shadowed a bunch of doctors for a day. How do you ask a doctor to shadow more than one day when they just give you 1 day to shadow? Also she said a good number of hours was around 200 but I've known a lot of people who have gotten accepted with less. A friend of mine had over 500 hours in research and only like 100 hours of shadow and 200 in volunteer and he got accepted into a big med school and he said it's not so much about shadowing as research and if you have a lot of research but not so much shadowing then you'll be fine. Is this true?

 

[idontwatchgreysanatomy]

I've seen the 200 number thrown around and it seems excessive to me. I was always under the impression that more variety is preferred. Shadowing only one doctor for all of your hours isn't really indicative of the day to day activities of all physicians.

 

[gyngyn]

I talked to a person on the admissions committee at a medical school and she said that it was preferred that you shadow the same person longer rather just having shadowed a bunch of doctors for a day. How do you ask a doctor to shadow more than one day when they just give you 1 day to shadow? Also she said a good number of hours was around 200 but I've known a lot of people who have gotten accepted with less. A friend of mine had over 500 hours in research and only like 100 hours of shadow and 200 in volunteer and he got accepted into a big med school and he said it's not so much about shadowing as research and if you have a lot of research but not so much shadowing then you'll be fine. Is this true?

That's one person's preference.

 

[browneyes124]

I've seen the 200 number thrown around and it seems excessive to me. I was always under the impression that more variety is preferred. Shadowing only one doctor for all of your hours isn't really indicative of the day to day activities of all physicians.

I agree. How many hours do you think is reasonable ?

 

[browneyes124]

That's one person's preference.

So you think shadowing 5 doctors for 8 hours each would have the same effect as shadowing 3 doctors for a week each ?

 

[idontwatchgreysanatomy]

I agree. How many hours do you think is reasonable ?

No idea, I'm sure someone else is better suited to answer this question. I'm at a little over 50 hours and I can't bring myself to do any more lol.

 

[almualim]

I've heard this both ways and would like clarification too. I've heard stick with one guy as long as possible, and others that stated go get a variety of experience so you know what you like.

I've been told by my adviser ~150 hours is enough, supposedly. But then again, I'd trust her about as far as I could throw her.

 

[Terror Billy]

I think it's ludicrous to think there is a magic number for hours of research, shadowing, volunteering etc. Just have meaningful experiences that you can talk about, and with that a reasonable time frame of having done them. If you have less than 10 hours of shadowing clearly there's something missing, but at least in my opinion the difference between 50, 100, and 200 hours of shadowing is marginal at best...I know people who have "200" but in actuality just stared at a wall for a 100 of those hours while watching surgeries.

*Also variety can't hurt, if you only shadowed a plastic surgeon for 50 hours and say you want to go into medicine because you want to be a plastic surgeon it might give some adcom members pause

 

[browneyes124]

The way she put it wasn't to just shadow 1 person but rather than shadowing 10 doctors. You should shadow like 3 and do it for more of a long term thing because one day doesn't really show you what a life of a physician is like

 

[almualim]

I think it's ludicrous to think there is a magic number for hours of research, shadowing, volunteering etc. Just have meaningful experiences that you can talk about, and with that a reasonable time frame of having done them. If you have less than 10 hours of shadowing clearly there's something missing, but at least in my opinion the difference between 50, 100, and 200 hours of shadowing is marginal at best...I know people who have "200" but in actuality just stared at a wall for a 100 of those hours while watching surgeries.

So how can one demonstrate quality vs quantity of hours? I could give dozens of what I would consider pivotal moments, but I wouldn't know where to put that in the application or interview. I used to round with the residents at 5:30 in the morning then go observe with the attending later in the day. I even had to assist in an emergency case in the ICU one morning, which was pretty cool. How do I get all of this across?

 

[idontwatchgreysanatomy]

Bottom line is you are just standing there doing nothing, no matter who you shadow. Most of my shadowing has been in urology and primary care. The two couldn't be more different. If I only did one or the other then I would have a warped sense about what a doctor does all day. For example, if I only shadowed this primary care doctor, I would assume that all you do is hang out in the lounge and check facebook.

 

[almualim]

Bottom line is you are just standing there doing nothing, no matter who you shadow. Most of my shadowing has been in urology and primary care. The two couldn't be more different. If I only did one or the other then I would have a warped sense about what a doctor does all day. For example, if I only shadowed this primary care doctor, I would assume that all you do is hang out in the lounge and check facebook.

wow really? My primary care guy I work with is a nuthouse. We see 30 patients in a 7 hour block! No it wasn't as hectic as neurosurgery, but it's far from sitting in a lounge checking facebook.

I think the point is, your mileage may (will) vary.

 

[gyngyn]

So you think shadowing 5 doctors for 8 hours each would have the same effect as shadowing 3 doctors for a week each ?

Both are acceptable.

 

[gyngyn]

I've heard this both ways and would like clarification too. I've heard stick with one guy as long as possible, and others that stated go get a variety of experience so you know what you like.

I've been told by my adviser ~150 hours is enough, supposedly. But then again, I'd trust her about as far as I could throw her.

50 is plenty.

 

[idontwatchgreysanatomy]

wow really? My primary care guy I work with is a nuthouse. We see 30 patients in a 7 hour block! No it wasn't as hectic as neurosurgery, but it's far from sitting in a lounge checking facebook.

I think the point is, your mileage may (will) vary.

lol, my point exactly

 

[browneyes124]

I did a volunteer thing last summer on a trauma floor. I was mostly with NPs the whole time. Does it only count as shadowing if you shadow doctors? Also if you have clinical volunteer hours, do you have to have non clinical as well?

 

[familyaerospace]

I had almost 450 and shadowed 7 doctors over 8 specialties. Only two of them were one day durations.

 

[browneyes124]

I had almost 450 and shadowed 7 doctors over 8 specialties. Only two of them were one day durations.

How did you go about asking the doctors for a longer commitment?

 

[familyaerospace]

How did you go about asking the doctors for a longer commitment?

I said I was a pre-med student and wanted to see what their typical day was like and wanted to learn about their specialty. There is no typical day in medicine, they know that. The assumption coming in was that it was going to be for a few days each.

 

[familyaerospace]

I have one that I have literally been mentored by for 5 years now, while I no longer shadow him because we are 3 hours away, he is still my mentor forever more until I become an attending. He knows that.