<ol>
<li>Does it look bad to shadow several doctors?</li>
<li>How do you make shadowing official?</li>
<li>If I am trying to get into a D.O. program would it be okay to shadow a MD?</li>
<li>My parents do not approve of shadowing because they feel like the doctors will get annoyed, so how do I convince them that I have to shadow to get into medical school? (Both my parents are doctors)
Thank you for your time and input</li>
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<ol>
<li>No</li>
<li>There is nothing “official” about shadowing - if you have the doctor’s permission, you’re good to go. You will also likely need to sign a HIPAA release.</li>
<li>Yes of course - however, many DO schools require a LOR from a DO, so it makes sense to shadow a DO as well.</li>
<li>If a doctor would be annoyed having someone shadow them, one would hope they wouldn’t agree to it in the first place.</li>
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<ol>
<li><p>No. You should actually plan on shadowing a few–get multiple perspectives into medicine. I’d personally aim for at least 100h total (before the summer following junior year of college, which is when you’ll most likely begin applying). I started winter sophomore year, went a few times a week for as long as I was interested, and easily surpassed 100h.</p></li>
<li><p>You don’t. For the most part, they’ll take your word for it. Your committee (probably an advisor from your premed committee or honors college) will write a cover letter describing/summarizing you (called a committee letter) which will then be attached to your other recommendation letters. The letter may mention your shadowing, which would likely validate the claims you make on your application. As far as I know, med schools don’t bother calling around to verify you’ve shadowed as much as you have, but they may ask you about your experiences during interviews.</p></li>
<li><p>Yes. Shadow some DOs too!</p></li>
<li><p>Interesting that your parents think that–any chance they’re in private practice? I’ve mostly shadowed docs in academic settings (that is, they’re working with fellows, residents, and students on a daily basis) and they never had a problem with it. Actually, it seemed like they liked having students (occasional undergrads included) around because they liked teaching. Perhaps your parents don’t think you’re cut out for becoming a doctor? Regardless, I’d definitely ask them to explain. Maybe they have a doctor buddy or two you could spend an afternoon with to “get your feet wet” with shadowing.</p></li>
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<p>thank you for your advice… yes they are in private practice. okay so a few more questions.
1 I am having a really hard time getting a biology class (its a major requirement) and there is a chance that I may not get it. so i know your not suppose to take any science or math classes at a community college but would medical schools be okay if it was only this one class? If I do not get the class it puts me two years behind
2 my pre med adviser does not approve of his students applying for both do and md programs, but i feel that it is very risky to put all your eggs into one basket… any ways my question is for those of you that have interviewed, have you ever been asked in an interview if you applied for both md and do?
Thanks again for your time</p>
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<li><p>Its still generally not a good idea - do you have any other options (i.e. taking it at a 4 year university over the summer, etc.) - if theres nothing you can do and don’t want to fall 2 years behind, then do what ya gotta do, but I can’t believe that 1 class would put you so far off track. </p></li>
<li><p>Frankly, your pre-med advisor is an idiot. If your numbers are borderline for MD schools, applying DO is the best option. I was never asked about applying to both specifically. This may be a more common question in DO school interviews.</p></li>
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<p>You better be on good terms with your advisor whtaever it takes. You do not need to listen, but be very polite and express considerations. Advisors are great source, do not loose it.</p>
<p>thank you to everyone who replied. So I got my grade for chemistry and I think my teacher made an error. I held an A all semester and my professor told me I needed to get a 70% to get an A- out of the class. well grades came out and he gave me a B-. I don’t know what to do since my school is on winter break and my professor does not check his email. any suggestions are greatly appreciated</p>
<p>First, how do you think you did on the test? Do you think it was an error, or could it be that you performed worse than you expected? (Although I imagine it’s unlikely you dropped from A to B- after one test).</p>
<p>As for getting a hold of the guy, is there an office number on the syllabus? Physical mailboxes for faculty at the department (likely the chem building) where you could leave a note? An advisor you could speak with? An email address for an administrative assistant? Your TA’s contact information? Have you tried emailing him? I think any of those would be a good and reasonable start. </p>
<p>Tip: be polite and ask questions rather than assume he made an error. Something like “Dear Professor so and so, i was reviewing my semester grades this week and was dismayed to see I got a B- in your class. Would it be possible for me to come in sometime to review my final with you? I’d like to see where I made mistakes and would also like to talk with you about how I may do better in the future.” will get you a lot further than “Hi Prof, Why’d you give me a B-? I thought for sure I’d get at least an A- after I was sure I rocked your final.”</p>
<p>Plus, there’s a chance that just bringing it to his attention will be enough to fix it (if truly there was some error, like he put someone else’s score in your column or something). Regardless, it’ll be good to talk to him about it!</p>
<p>A quick note on shadowing: most DO schools, and some MD schools(USUHS, for example) require a letter from the MD/DO you shadowed, so be prepared to ask for, and get, a letter.</p>
<p>So I emailed my teacher and he still has not replied. I calculated my grade and if I got a zero on the final that would explain my B-. I don’t cheat and never will but it could be possible that I forgot to put my name on the exam.
@Crankyoldman thank you. I am prepared for that.</p>
<p>Question So when it comes to research does it have to be from my school or can it be from a hospital (ex Children’s Hospital)?
The reason I ask is because my school does not have interesting research opportunties
again thanks for the replies :)</p>
<p>Research doesn’t have to be at school, and the prof is probably away/not answering e-mails right now while you’re on break.</p>
<p>As to the supposed zero…wait to see what he says I guess. Don’t think there’s anything you can do until you hear from him.</p>
<p>Well I talked to the department and they said that the professors do not have to keep the final exams and it is up to the professor if he want to show me my grade. With that B- I have a 3.0 gpa . I would not be mad if I felt like I tried my best or that I deserved the grade but I feel like I should have at least gotten an A-/B+ out of the course.</p>