Shadowing question

[nisarg2010]

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As a senior in high school, I have started shadowing a family physician. I plan on shadowing her through summer until college starts. My question is, what is the average shadowing hours I should complete? I know there is no magic number but just humor me. Also I have heard some people that its better to shadow different specialties for a short amount of time, then to shadow a one specialty for a long period of time. Is that true?
Once again, Thank you everyone 🙂

 

[Gigantron]

Unless you are applying to BS/MD programs (which I highly doubt given the time of the year), shadowing really doesn't matter during highschool. It's great that your shadowing somebody now, but shadowing for medical school applications won't count until you start college.

 

[Vicviper]

Are you sure on that one? I had a friend who shadowed in highschool and I thought he put his experience time down for that on his med school apps. I know I did the vast majority, over 300 hours, of my dental shadowing in highschool, and I put that on my dent application and it didn't seem to be a problem. Shadowing seems like shadowing... I don't think it'd be a major difference if you've got a semester of college under your belt first. But, like I said, my experience is with the Dental apps, though I think they'd be similar.

 

[GoodmanBrown]

Are you sure on that one? I had a friend who shadowed in highschool and I thought he put his experience time down for that on his med school apps. I know I did the vast majority, over 300 hours, of my dental shadowing in highschool, and I put that on my dent application and it didn't seem to be a problem. Shadowing seems like shadowing... I don't think it'd be a major difference if you've got a semester of college under your belt first. But, like I said, my experience is with the Dental apps, though I think they'd be similar.

Yeah, you can definitely put shadowing in high school on your application to med school. You can list 15 activities, and these include everything from work experience to volunteering to shadowing to clubs, etc. So, just use one activity as "shadowing" and include all shadowing from high school and college.

As for times, I spent about 100 hours shadowing, and I think this was a little slim. I'd aim for 200 or so hours. Further, try to shadow a bunch of different doctors. I got in good with my school's health system (my post-bac has a med school). So, I shadowed about 8 different types of doctors. Several interviewers mentioned my extensive shadowing amounts, even though my total hours were a bit paltry in my mind.

 

[nisarg2010]

Yeah, you can definitely put shadowing in high school on your application to med school. You can list 15 activities, and these include everything from work experience to volunteering to shadowing to clubs, etc. So, just use one activity as "shadowing" and include all shadowing from high school and college.

As for times, I spent about 100 hours shadowing, and I think this was a little slim. I'd aim for 200 or so hours. Further, try to shadow a bunch of different doctors. I got in good with my school's health system (my post-bac has a med school). So, I shadowed about 8 different types of doctors. Several interviewers mentioned my extensive shadowing amounts, even though my total hours were a bit paltry in my mind.

Thank you for the great advise.