Shadowing vs Volunteering

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I wouldn't personally put it down. Shadowing is very different when you're 1-on-1 vs being on the job. Shadowing was one of the most fruitful things I did for enrichment.
 
Are you getting paid or is it volunteering? Either way, shadowing will be helpful not just to put on your application, but for personal enrichment as well. I recently had my first doctor shadowing experience the other day and I enjoyed it. I also previously shadowed nurses. I think the length of shadowing is important too. If you choose to shadow a doc try shadowing for a month or more. As far as including your current activities, you could but don't label it as shadowing.
 
That sounds kind of creepy, does the patient know that there is a one-way mirror? How is a doctor's office even constructed with a one-way mirror in the patients' rooms?
Agreed. Creepy!! I might leave the creepy mirror part off of applications, if I were you... Unless there's some legit reason for that???

You can't double-count these hours so they have to be categorized as either shadowing or volunteering. If you're interacting with patients (beyond just observing), I would count this as volunteering since your position is a bit more involved. Try to schedule some separate shadowing time with other docs.
 
That sounds kind of creepy, does the patient know that there is a one-way mirror? How is a doctor's office even constructed with a one-way mirror in the patients' rooms?

It's not creepy. The patients are fully informed and give consent. I am a volunteer on a team who consults on every appointment.
 
It sounds more like clinical experience, or research, rather than shadowing. It sounds like a great experience, and you should write about it, but you should still shadow. The point of shadowing is to follow a doctor around all day, to see what a doctor's day is like, and not just watch one aspect of the work, such as surgery. You should also see the clinic, the rounds, the meetings, and the paperwork. You should also watch doctors in a variety of specialties. So, you could probably counts some of that time as shadowing if you want to and/or need to, but if possible, shadow other doctors as well.
 
It sounds more like clinical experience, or research, rather than shadowing. It sounds like a great experience, and you should write about it, but you should still shadow. The point of shadowing is to follow a doctor around all day, to see what a doctor's day is like, and not just watch one aspect of the work, such as surgery. You should also see the clinic, the rounds, the meetings, and the paperwork. You should also watch doctors in a variety of specialties. So, you could probably counts some of that time as shadowing if you want to and/or need to, but if possible, shadow other doctors as well.

Thank you for the advice!
 
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