Zero shadowing hours

[srizzo]

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Hello all. I had always planned on starting to shadow (or at least find physicians to shadow) during March of my junior year. However, due to the pandemic, my state is on lockdown and I can no longer shadow. Do you think med schools will be understanding of this or think I’m an ***** for waiting until months before to shadow? :-(

 

[chromaticscale]

It will be difficult to get some shadowing hours in but I don't think it's required at least for applying to med schools (last I heard). Another option is to find a job that would allow you to work closely with a physician. May have to get creative with that.

When you interview, definitely bring up the fact that you couldn't shadow but at least articulate well that you have a good idea of what it entails to become a physician (the attributes, what you like about it). Maybe you can find physicians to talk with and video chat or call them and ask them your questions about a career in medicine.

 

[vrazzles]

I think it would be foolish to apply without shadowing hours unless you either have a ton of doctor-proximal clinical experience otherwise OR you are just a rockstar applicant in any other way. As an ADCOM i wouldn't be sympathetic to someone who put off exploring their chosen career until right before application. As I said, if you have other clinical exposure to medicine, then my point is null.

 

[DO2015CA]

You might not be able to shadow but like above said look into a job that will allow you close contacts with physicians. I think it would be foolish to apply with zero contact with a physician. Look into jobs such as scribe, EMT, ER tech, CNA, etc. If you have to get certified, get a job, and put off applying for 1 more year then it’ll be worth it. The alternative is throwing money away on applications to be a reapplication when you apply next year anyways.

 

[Goro]

Hello all. I had always planned on starting to shadow (or at least find physicians to shadow) during March of my junior year. However, due to the pandemic, my state is on lockdown and I can no longer shadow. Do you think med schools will be understanding of this or think I’m an idiot for waiting until months before to shadow? :-(

You need to show schools that you understand what a doctor's day is like and see how different doctors approach the practice of Medicine.

So no, you won't get cut some slack. We're living in an emergency and it's a time of sacrifice. Med schools won't be going anywhere.

 

[GetAdmittedMD]

Shadowing is not an absolute necessity to apply but it is definitely something that admissions committees look at. As a former admissions committee member, I did look for shadowing but if the applicant had a significant amount of physician-patient or direct patient interaction in other ways (such as a scribe, phlebotomist, EKG tech, etc), then I would be more lax about their lack of shadowing. The key point is that admissions committees want to know you have seen what it is like to be a physician on a day-to-day basis because it is not always the glamorous life that is portrayed on TV and in movies.

 

[DO2015CA]

Shadowing is not an absolute necessity to apply but it is definitely something that admissions committees look at. As a former admissions committee member, I did look for shadowing but if the applicant had a significant amount of physician-patient or direct patient interaction in other ways (such as a scribe, phlebotomist, EKG tech, etc), then I would be more lax about their lack of shadowing. The key point is that admissions committees want to know you have seen what it is like to be a physician on a day-to-day basis because it is not always the glamorous life that is portrayed on TV and in movies.

This exactly. This is what I was trying to say.

 

[deleted728364]

You need to show schools that you understand what a doctor's day is like and see how different doctors approach the practice of Medicine.

So no, you won't get cut some slack. We're living in an emergency and it's a time of sacrifice. Med schools won't be going anywhere.

I took the MCAT in Sept 2019. I was planning on getting all my clinical experience during my gap year and apply in 2021.


If the current COVID measures continue for the next 12+ months, I will need to wait an additional year. Unfortunately, my MCAT will
not be valid for many schools by that time.


I did pretty well on the MCAT so I would hate to retake. Do you think schools would be open to relaxing their valid MCAT policy from 3 to 4 years before matriculation?


I know you really can’t make a real prediction, but maybe you can weigh in on the feasibility of my request.

 

[DO2015CA]

I took the MCAT in Sept 2019. I was planning on getting all my clinical experience during my gap year and apply in 2021.


If the current COVID measures continue for the next 12+ months, I will need to wait an additional year. Unfortunately, my MCAT will
not be valid for many schools by that time.


I did pretty well on the MCAT so I would hate to retake. Do you think schools would be open to relaxing their valid MCAT policy from 3 to 4 years before matriculation?


I know you really can’t make a real prediction, but maybe you can weigh in on the feasibility of my request.

If you are in a gap year you should be applying to scribe positions. It’s paid shadowing. Usually those doctors are good about writing letters.

 

[9blade]

I'm in a similar position OP. I had asked the same question to @LizzyM and it looks like if you don't have any shadowing hours, it's best to wait. I have some hours, but not the magical 150 that everyone talks about. However, I think someone said this above, if you have plenty of clinical volunteering hours, maybe some schools will be more lenient. AAMC is having a medschool virtual fair on Friday, you should go and ask these questions at the fair.

Now, if you live in a red state (like I do), Trump is saying he wants to lift the lockdown orders by mid April. Some doctors and hospitals may say it's ok for shadowers to come back, but then it becomes a question of "SHOULD you go shadow". Now we have ethical issues involved. Either way, just be careful and go to the AAMC virtual fair to ask your questions.

 

[deleted728364]

I'm in a similar position OP. I had asked the same question to @LizzyM and it looks like if you don't have any shadowing hours, it's best to wait. I have some hours, but not the magical 150 that everyone talks about. However, I think someone said this above, if you have plenty of clinical volunteering hours, maybe some schools will be more lenient. AAMC is having a medschool virtual fair on Friday, you should go and ask these questions at the fair.

Now, if you live in a red state (like I do), Trump is saying he wants to lift the lockdown orders by mid April. Some doctors and hospitals may say it's ok for shadowers to come back, but then it becomes a question of "SHOULD you go shadow". Now we have ethical issues involved. Either way, just be careful and go to the AAMC virtual fair to ask your questions.

I think the advice that I was given in this thread - of getting a clinical job like a scribe/assistant etc will work instead. If we have similar clinical experience that exposes us to the right stuff I’ll think we’ll be cut some slack this (or next) cycle

 

[DO2015CA]

I'm in a similar position OP. I had asked the same question to @LizzyM and it looks like if you don't have any shadowing hours, it's best to wait. I have some hours, but not the magical 150 that everyone talks about. However, I think someone said this above, if you have plenty of clinical volunteering hours, maybe some schools will be more lenient. AAMC is having a medschool virtual fair on Friday, you should go and ask these questions at the fair.

Now, if you live in a red state (like I do), Trump is saying he wants to lift the lockdown orders by mid April. Some doctors and hospitals may say it's ok for shadowers to come back, but then it becomes a question of "SHOULD you go shadow". Now we have ethical issues involved. Either way, just be careful and go to the AAMC virtual fair to ask your questions.

How many do you have? Idk if I believe in needing 150 hrs. I think after 50 you should know What you Are getting into.

 

[9blade]

How many do you have? Idk if I believe in needing 150 hrs. I think after 50 you should know What you Are getting into.

I have 37 hours of shadowing so far, but I also have 312 hours of clinical volunteering. So I'm a bit borderline

 

[Kirby Smart]

I have 37 hours of shadowing so far, but I also have 312 hours of clinical volunteering. So I'm a bit borderline

Depending on what you did in that clinical volunteering role I honestly think it's fine... I had about 60 shadowing hours and about 300 clinical volunteering hours in which I wasn't really working with physicians, but I've received interviews.

I did include my gap year plans in secondary apps that allowed it, which include working closely with a fam med doc as an MA all year, so there's a chance that this was factored in, but I also received an interview somewhere where I hadn't even provided this info yet.

All this to say that I think you probably have sufficient hours not to delay a whole cycle if you're otherwise prepared. OP on the other should definitely wait if he does indeed have 0 experience to his name shadowing or working closely with a physician.

 

[Isoval]

I have 37 hours of shadowing so far, but I also have 312 hours of clinical volunteering. So I'm a bit borderline

That sounds perfectly fine.

You need clinical experience - knowing the ropes of the environment you're about to enter - more so than genuine shadowing, and you've clearly shown you know your way around a patient through the experiences you have (assuming the clinical volunteering is with patient contact).

 

[glee123]

I think you will be fine. I actually also had 0 shadowing hours this cycle (oops), and received II's / acceptances at multiple T10's / 20's. As long as you have other clinical experience (which it sounds like you do), you will be fine. Honestly, I think the importance of shadowing experience is over-stated on WARS. Best of luck!