What age to shadow?

[Slytherclaw12]

I know a phrased the subject of this thread as a question, when it's more of just an observation/comment. I'm a rising sophomore in college and this summer I started shadowing, and I've noticed doctors take me (and my career aspirations) so much more seriously now than ever before. I have several friends who began shadowing in high school, and after doing it, I can't imagine doing it in high school. I feel like I know so much more about science and anatomy than I did in high school, and I don't think I would've gotten anything out of it if I had shadowed when I was say 15 compared to 19. The doctor I shadowed today assumed I could handle it (maybe because I go to an HYP school--though the assumptions I get revolving around my school's name is a completely different topic haha), so he gave me a step by step explanation of how he was making his diagnoses and why he would prescribe what. He told me I was receiving the medical student version rather than the premed version. Though I literally only understood half of what he spoke about, I don't think I would get as much insight and have it be as much of a learning experience if I were in high school. I feel like I'm rambling now so I'll stop, but this is just something I thought about upon reflection. Thoughts?


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[allantois]

Tmrw, they might let you do open heart surgery by yourself.

 

[Slytherclaw12]

Tmrw, they might let you do open heart surgery by yourself.

Gee, I hope so! The sarcasm isn't necessary; I just wanted to start an interesting discussion.


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[Dox4lyfe]

I shadowed different specialists as a junior in high school and I got the same "step by step explanations of diagnosis" and "Why he would prescribe what". Some doctors assume you've done your homework on what kind of procedures they carry out or what kind of patients they tend to see. Other physicians are just nice enough to give you an in depth explanation of what their thought process is because they actually want you to understand what they're doing so you can learn more about what it means to be a physician (which includes being able to think and analyze critically).

Now (3/4 years later), my shadowing experiences have changed quite a bit, but I wouldn't say it's because my knowledge of science or anatomy has increased. Instead, it's because I'm starting to ask more and more questions and I'm trying to learn as much as I can about how the mind of a physician works.

 

[DrYoda]

I don't think it matters. We get high school students all the way through second year medical students(forced by their curriculum...) who come in to shadow us at the one site I work and I think most of us see it as an opportunity to teach. For a high school or college student it's me trying to show them what it's like to be a physician in general. For an early year med student it's more a this is what a EM attending does.

 

[lolpremed22]

I know a phrased the subject of this thread as a question, when it's more of just an observation/comment. I'm a rising sophomore in college and this summer I started shadowing, and I've noticed doctors take me (and my career aspirations) so much more seriously now than ever before. I have several friends who began shadowing in high school, and after doing it, I can't imagine doing it in high school. I feel like I know so much more about science and anatomy than I did in high school, and I don't think I would've gotten anything out of it if I had shadowed when I was say 15 compared to 19. The doctor I shadowed today assumed I could handle it (maybe because I go to an HYP school--though the assumptions I get revolving around my school's name is a completely different topic haha), so he gave me a step by step explanation of how he was making his diagnoses and why he would prescribe what. He told me I was receiving the medical student version rather than the premed version. Though I literally only understood half of what he spoke about, I don't think I would get as much insight and have it be as much of a learning experience if I were in high school. I feel like I'm rambling now so I'll stop, but this is just something I thought about upon reflection. Thoughts?


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The point of shadowing isn't to learn the specifics of each patient's case and the way the physician diagnoses and treats each patient. That's what med school and residency are for. The point is to get an overall idea of what being a doctor is like.

 

[Slytherclaw12]

The point of shadowing isn't to learn the specifics of each patient's case and the way the physician diagnoses and treats each patient. That's what med school and residency are for. The point is to get an overall idea of what being a doctor is like.

That's true, but I think doing it like that makes it a little more interesting. I suppose the chief complaint I've heard about shadowing is that it can be boring, and if you were just listlessly following around a doctor, I could see how.

This was just one experience and the majority of mine so far haven't been like that. Though I particularly enjoyed getting the "med school rundown".


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[Catalystik]

I don't think I would get as much insight and have it be as much of a learning experience if I were in high school.

I completely agree, which is why recent shadowing is good to see on a med school application.

 

[Dr. Stalker]

A

I know a phrased the subject of this thread as a question, when it's more of just an observation/comment. I'm a rising sophomore in college and this summer I started shadowing, and I've noticed doctors take me (and my career aspirations) so much more seriously now than ever before. I have several friends who began shadowing in high school, and after doing it, I can't imagine doing it in high school. I feel like I know so much more about science and anatomy than I did in high school, and I don't think I would've gotten anything out of it if I had shadowed when I was say 15 compared to 19. The doctor I shadowed today assumed I could handle it (maybe because I go to an HYP school--though the assumptions I get revolving around my school's name is a completely different topic haha), so he gave me a step by step explanation of how he was making his diagnoses and why he would prescribe what. He told me I was receiving the medical student version rather than the premed version. Though I literally only understood half of what he spoke about, I don't think I would get as much insight and have it be as much of a learning experience if I were in high school. I feel like I'm rambling now so I'll stop, but this is just something I thought about upon reflection. Thoughts?


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Age, maturity, and name recognition matter. If you're a 27y.o. career switcher and serious about, idk, neurology, a neurologist will look highly upon him/her; he/she was in a different career but felt it wasn't satisfying, so he/she switched. Thats a student worthy of shadowing. However, if someone is a punk 18 year-old with a 2.0 saying "ima be a doc, ross bound" doctors may be less receptive. Your HYP status certainly wins you points here. My strategy (nowhere near HYP school) was to e-mail and say "btw I have a gpa of <__>" because of how competitive my GPA was, and that made (I think anyway...) some doctors consider me more than the usual blast of e-mails they receive.