What counts as shadowing?

[swimmer0528]

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I have shadowed a speech therapist at a major hospital. She focuses more on in-patient care and was wondering if this could count as shadowing. She works with doctors and sees the same patients doctors see, but isn't considered a physician.

 

[Goro]

I have shadowed a speech therapist at a major hospital. She focuses more on in-patient care and was wondering if this could count as shadowing. She works with doctors and sees the same patients doctors see, but isn't considered a physician.

It would make me wonder if you wish to be a speech therapist, not a doctor.

The purpose of shadowing is so you can see what a doctor's day is like.

 

[Catalystik]

I have shadowed a speech therapist at a major hospital. She focuses more on in-patient care and was wondering if this could count as shadowing. She works with doctors and sees the same patients doctors see, but isn't considered a physician.

If you include non-physician shadowing on your application, make sure the total hours of physician observation are higher.

 

[Deleted member 737595]

It would make me wonder if you wish to be a speech therapist, not a doctor.

The purpose of shadowing is so you can see what a doctor's day is like.

If that were the only shadowing, right? Otherwise, I would see shadowing other medical professions as well as physicians as favorable as the applicant considered other paths as well which shows careful consideration of what he wants to do.

 

[Goro]

If that were the only shadowing, right? Otherwise, I would see shadowing other medical professions as well as physicians as favorable as the applicant considered other paths as well which shows careful consideration of what he wants to do.

I'm not too impressed by that. If anything it should be the Baseline in the path to your being a doctor, that is ruling out other pathways.

 

[LizzyM]

List it. You'll have evidence when asked "why medicine?" and "if not medicine, then what?" to say that you have considered others careers and why you have chosen this over others.

 

[ortnakas]

I have shadowed a speech therapist at a major hospital. She focuses more on in-patient care and was wondering if this could count as shadowing. She works with doctors and sees the same patients doctors see, but isn't considered a physician.

I’d list it— it’s a valid activity and you probably learn a lot— but those hours aren’t “physician shadowing” hours since the person you shadowed is not a physician. It won’t count as a substitute, but it’s still a perfectly good thing to list, and like the wise @LizzyM said, gives you good fodder for discussing “why medicine” and “if not medicine then what.”

 

[Dagrimsta1]

Writing it into your application