Strong Clinical Experience, is shadowing really necessary?

[DoctorLacrosse]

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[Microglia]

Shadowing definitely couldn't hurt, but if trying to get it would hold back your app then it would hurt more than help at this point. Do whatever it takes to get a quality app submitted ASAP. Time is the main pressure right now.

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

Shadowing definitely couldn't hurt, but if trying to get it would hold back your app then it would hurt more than help at this point. Do whatever it takes to get a quality app submitted ASAP. Time is the main pressure right now.

that's a good point. I just don't want this lack of shadowing to become an issue. everyone makes it seem like it's a required box to check, but I wonder if in my case it really is.

 

[Lamel]

Shadowing isn't absolutely necessary if you can make sure to explain that you witnessed the day to day duties of a doctor during your clinical experience.

Maybe you can separate your clinical experience and shadowing?

For example if your experience was 500 hours total, and 100 hours of it was physician observation, then you can put the experience for 400 hours and create a separate entry for shadowing for 100 hours (and mention that it was during your aforementioned clinical experience).

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

Shadowing isn't absolutely necessary if you can make sure to explain that you witnessed the day to day duties of a doctor during your clinical experience.

Maybe you can separate your clinical experience and shadowing?

For example if your experience was 500 hours total, and 100 hours of it was physician observation, then you can put the experience for 400 hours and create a separate entry for shadowing for 100 hours (and mention that it was during your aforementioned clinical experience).

basically all of my clinical experience has been job related (CNA, ER tech, medical assistant), so none of it was really just observing. I was always working with docs, so I'm not sure if I can do that. Though if I can put shadowing and say I saw through work, that would be awesome, but I'm just pretty sure any shadowing has to be through formal observation.

 

[Lamel]

basically all of my clinical experience has been job related (CNA, ER tech, medical assistant), so none of it was really just observing. I was always working with docs, so I'm not sure if I can do that. Though if I can put shadowing and say I saw through work, that would be awesome, but I'm just pretty sure any shadowing has to be through formal observation.

I can imagine that as a medical assistant you are with the docs nearly all of the time, so it is just as good as shadowing and I don't see a problem in claiming that.

Maybe ask some adcoms what they think? Catalystik is very helpful in the work/activities thread.

 

[lobo.solo]

I think you're good, but do it anyways later this year. This could be a nice update to schools (among other things).

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

I think you're good, but do it anyways later this year. This could be a nice update to schools (among other things).

yeah I guess ill do that, or maybe ask some of the docs I work with if they could point me in the direction of someone on short notice. just sucks that I have to go follow someone around just to check a box lol. this process sucks

 

[gettheleadout]

yeah I guess ill do that, or maybe ask some of the docs I work with if they could point me in the direction of someone on short notice. just sucks that I have to go follow someone around just to check a box lol. this process sucks

Go shadow some type of surgeon and see some cool stuff you wouldn't in your job. Make it a valuable experience.

 

[doc4lax]

I agree with the gettheleadout. Also, nice name doctor lacrosse 👍

 

[NickNaylor]

yeah I guess ill do that, or maybe ask some of the docs I work with if they could point me in the direction of someone on short notice. just sucks that I have to go follow someone around just to check a box lol. this process sucks

If you approach it in this way then you really shouldn't even bother. Approaching it as nothing more than a box to be checked is not the right attitude. As long as you have clinical experience in another venue and feel that you have a handle on what being a physician is about, your time would be better spent doing just about anything else.

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

If you approach it in this way then you really shouldn't even bother. Approaching it as nothing more than a box to be checked is not the right attitude. As long as you have clinical experience in another venue and feel that you have a handle on what being a physician is about, your time would be better spent doing just about anything else.

I wrote this post to see if it's really needed given my circumstances. Like I said, I unfortunately don't see myself really gaining anything valuable from the experience, but everyone always tells me it's an "unwritten requirement" and I should have at least some primary care shadowing. Saying not to do it just to check a box, as much as I agree with you, doesn't change the fact that this process has become very much about that and I want to have all my bases covered just incase.

I thought about asking doctors I used to work with if I could just follow them around for a couple days, but we're all friends at this point and they'd probably laugh me out of the office for asking due to the awkwardness of me being there but not working. I may bite the bullet and try to do some anyway, perhaps in a field I know very little about as @gettheleadout suggested. That could definitely be valuable.

 

[NickNaylor]

I wrote this post to see if it's really needed given my circumstances. Like I said, I unfortunately don't see myself really gaining anything valuable from the experience, but everyone always tells me it's an "unwritten requirement" and I should have at least some primary care shadowing. Saying not to do it just to check a box, as much as I agree with you, doesn't change the fact that this process has become very much about that and I want to have all my bases covered just incase.

I thought about asking doctors I used to work with if I could just follow them around for a couple days, but we're all friends at this point and they'd probably laugh me out of the office for asking due to the awkwardness of me being there but not working. I may bite the bullet and try to do some anyway, perhaps in a field I know very little about as @gettheleadout suggested. That could definitely be valuable.

Definitely get some exposure to other fields you haven't seen before - it might provide you with a broader insight into medicine that would come across well on your app in addition to giving you that experience even if it may not be all that helpful.

The key point is whether you can talk about medicine and what being a physician is about intelligently. If you can do those things, then additional clinical experience probably isn't necessary. No one is going to around being impressed that you have X hours of whatever on your app. What will impress people is how you convey your understanding of medicine and why you think you might make a good physician.

 

[Catalystik]

Some schools don't care about shadowing. Most schools expect to see it. A few state a minimum number of shadowing hours required. For a solution to how to list embedded shadowing so everyone will be happy, see:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...hread-2014-2015.1062704/page-27#post-15405280

 

[lobo.solo]

Honestly, I wouldn't delay submitting your application just to be able to put any shadowing experience. Like NickNaylor said, is about showing that you have some understanding about medicine and being a physician. I also worked in the medical field and thought it was silly to have to shadow, but I did a couple of days in a field I didn't know anything about... it was interesting and helpful to me.

yeah I guess ill do that, or maybe ask some of the docs I work with if they could point me in the direction of someone on short notice. just sucks that I have to go follow someone around just to check a box lol. this process sucks