<p>Which activity looks better for medical schools: research position or job shadowing?</p>
<p>Are the two activities exclusive? Depending on the kind of medical school you're planning on applying to, they may both be quite mandatory.</p>
<p>Clinical experience involving patient contact would probably be preferable to merely following a doctor around all day and doing nothing - but do you still need a few hours of job shadowing? - if so what's a good number so that your not just wasting valuable time?</p>
<p>Hm. Sorry, I forgot to make this distinction.</p>
<p>Clinical experience of some kind is certainly mandatory, and I know that shadowing is often the way students choose to do that. Whether shadowing itself is mandatory or not, I'm not really sure. I know several interviews made a big deal about it.</p>
<p>I think shadowing is very rewarding if you're doctor is willing to teach you about his field and show you around. However, the experience is what counts the most</p>
<p>what about shadowing before undergrad even, like during highschool...see my uncle is an anesthesiologist and offered to let me shadow him for a day or two, and how could i refuse? is this something that will be a plus for my undergrad app?</p>
<p>well i am currently shadowing my doctor- who is a nephronologist. So yah take the opportunity</p>
<p>Yes, taking the opportunity will be good for you and your career plans. </p>
<p>Three side notes:
1.) I have no idea whether undergrad admissions committees will care.
2.) You will not be permitted to list this as an activity on your medical school application, although if it is important enough (and I don't think a day or two will be) you can always write about it on your essay.
3.) Do not treat this as a replacement for more clinical experience later on during your college years.</p>
<p>yah i would say 60 hours of shadowing would be good and some sort of research like NIH ones</p>
<p>By the way, I think he might be a nephrologist, not a nephronologist.</p>
<p>What do you mean by research with the NIH?</p>
<p>Research with NIH: <a href="http://www.training.nih.gov/student/%5B/url%5D">http://www.training.nih.gov/student/</a></p>
<p>ok please forgive me for my bonehead question, but I've heard some people use these terms interchangeably and I'm pretty sure they are both two different things...</p>
<p>What is the difference between an internship and a research program?
And which one is most recommended for pre-med students?</p>
<p>Don't worry about the distinction, if there is one. It won't affect the value of the program for admissions purposes.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Clinical experience involving patient contact would probably be preferable to merely following a doctor around all day and doing nothing
[/quote]
The clinical experience most college students get is usually very limited due to liability concerns.</p>
<p>Ideally, job shadowing should involve observing, asking questions, being asked questions and receiving "homework" to do. The best job shadowing student I have observed was a college sophomore who was mistaken for medical student and therefore pimped, berated and given clinical scenarios to research to make up for his "deficient" knowlege. (To his credit, he answered basic science questions very well and had well researched answers the next day).</p>
<p>Although job shadowing may be of little use on a written application, the experience may help you answer the important personal (and frequent interview) question , "Why I want to be a doctor?" </p>
<p>There is also a chance that a sufficiently impressed physician would write an informal letter of support on your behalf.</p>
<p>
[quote]
... i am currently shadowing my doctor- who is a nephronologist.
[/quote]
Any self-respecting nephrologist should smile and affirm that, indeed, a nephologist is a nephron-ologist in a singular and collective sense.</p>
<p>Nephrology should not be confused with Nephology, the branch of meteorology that deals with clouds.</p>
<p>Question: Does it really matter whether you research for the NIH or not<>? </p>
<p>Would'nt taking part in any med/science related research (getting grants from some other institute) be a plus?</p>
<p>Yes, of course. The NIH is just the most prominent example.</p>