Not to sound too defensive, but it seems like the program is a little more involved than a regular shadowing. You get to interact with different departments and surgeons, sit in on conversations and conferences, meet and talk with patients, etc. People were quoted on the site saying that this is the type of experience you don't get to see until third year med school. I told someone who is M1 at UCSF about it and she said the same.
I was looking at the testimonials on the site and one said: 'On one occasion, I carefully held gauze over the colostomy stoma as the patient looked down at the large cavity in his lower abdomen. With the wound VAC removed, we were confronted with a lopsided oval roughly the diameter of a dinner plate. *Oiled gauze held his intestines in place. *It could have been awkward. *Instead, I gave him an effortless smile, showing that I was neither repulsed nor overly-fascinated by the enormous wound. *He spoke first. *Do you always smile? he asked pleasantly. *I grinned and replied, There is not a lot I can to do around here yet, but I can always smile. *I wanted him to know that I was comfortable. *I saw him as a person, not just a patient or a procedure I was assisting with. *I thought that if I seemed comfortable, he would be more at ease. *In return, his courage and cheerfulness impressed me.'
Maybe it's just me being new to this/naive/unknowledgeable about what makes an important experience, but it seems this is more structured, involved, and a learning experience than a shadowing thing you would set up yourself. Do I think, alone, it will be enough to get into med school? No. Do I think it's worth it? I'll be driving 90 miles from Oakland for each of my shifts, so yeah, I must.
