What is considered a good amount of shadowing hours?

[anon12380]

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This is not to say "X hours = medical acceptance". Instead, I am just curious how much time other people have put into shadowing. As far as myself, I have spent nearly 40 hours ( 20 hours observing neurosurgery and cardiothoracic procedures) and the half observing trauma. As far as I am concerned, my 40 hours have been a rewarding experience and not too repetitive either.

Thoughts?

 

[dfib slim]

.

 

[Buckeye1992]

What does the rest of your app look like? My ecs were kind of weak so I did 100+ hours. I thought it was pretty useful. Gives you a better idea of the profession than clinical volunteering

 

[anon12380]

Yeah, I did a quick search through previous threads. Essentially, and as I suspected, it is really about the quality of experience not quantity. I'm just a bit flustered. I was planning on amounting 21 days over summer, but because of yada yada yada I have only 4 days accounted for.

 

[anon12380]

What does the rest of your app look like? My ecs were kind of weak so I did 100+ hours. I thought it was pretty useful. Gives you a better idea of the profession than clinical volunteering

I don't want to sound like a pretentious or overly ambitious pre-med student--because that would be far from the truth. I am a rising sophomore, and I was planning on doing most of my shadowing early on in college, a) to ensure that I enjoy the profession and science and b) so in the following summers I can focus on trying to get internships, research experience, etc.

As far is this summer goes, I will, cautiously, accumulate around 120 hours of shadowing in pediatric neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and trauma.

 

[Wipeout416]

Yeah quality > quantity. I'm sure ~20 is the norm though.

A few hours a day for a few days is how most docs wanted to do it.

 

[TeamLeafs]

I have a bout 20, hasn't stopped me from getting interviews. That's from 2 Dr's, the both let me come in for 2 half-days, and that was as much as they were willing. Was interesting and able to ask questions.

 

[coolingglasses]

I had 70 between three docs. Probably would've been fine with half, but two of them I shadowed for just under a week each.

 

[thebam21]

I was fortunate enough to find a pediatrician who allowed me to shadow him once a week for an entire semester, between that experience and some random shadowing of two orthopedic surgeons I ended up with just over 100 hours shadowing.