<p>How important is shadowing? Is it given the same weight as volunteering? How long should someone shadow a doctor in order for it to be significant enough to mention it on the application (do they ask to list them?)? Please respond.</p>
<p>A neurosurgeon I know said that shadowing is valuable, but only to a point. This is because while shadowing, you are watching and not doing. Even so, it is a great way to be exposed to what doctors really do, what their schedule is like, and what type of people they deal with. I shadowed a thoracic surgeon for 5 months, but it was only once a week for about 3 hours. I thought that was enough for me; I saw quite a few procedures and went to clinic a couple times. </p>
<p>I have a feeling that it's given less weight than volunteering, but I'm not sure. I guessed that because like I said above, it's important to be a "doer". It also may depend on the type of volunteering; are you working in a health clinic, or are you serving food every Saturday morning at a homeless shelter? For volunteering, it's important to show commitment, but it's also very important overall to have clinical experience to show that you know what you're getting yourself into.</p>
<p>I suppose I didn't give you a straight answer there at all... I'm sorry that I don't have clear facts for you.</p>
<p>you can put your shadowing experience into an essay even if you only shadowed for 5 hours total...though you'd have to write it in such a way that you can show the shadowing affected you in some way. As for an app, I'd say around 40 hours can be relatively significant. I don't know, I'm just making that number up, but anything less would have to be justfied--again, like in an essay/ short description...</p>
<p>btw, celestial, I was of the impression that shadowing is in some ways more valuable than volunteering because volunteers--at least hospital volunteers--don't get to do much. ie watching a heart surgery can give you a better impression of being a surgeon than any number of hours filing papers in a clinic. </p>
<p>I guess it just depends on the type of volunteering--the more the volunteering has you doing real stuff, the better it is compared to shadowing.</p>
<p>Shadowing a doctor for a whole day, perhaps even 24 hours, will be more useful than following a doc for a few hours several times. Following a doc through rounding, clinic, OR and ER call will show you how different activities fit together and simultaneously complement and compromise other activities.</p>
<p>You must also go home with them, eat all meals with them, shower with them, etc. Don't let them out of your sight or you will not get into med school.</p>
<p>ha........ ha.....</p>
<p>Don't laugh. There have been particularly industrious students who have asked to be called at home when physicians were called into the hospital at night. Needless to say, these students saw first hand what it means to take call for a night and received excellent, meaningful letters of recommendation from their mentors.</p>
<p>Sorry two cents. I wasn't laughing at your advice. I was laughing at aplusplus's seemingly sarcastic remark about showering with the doctors. I just felt it was condescending for him to say that and add at the end "or you will not get into med school." Other than that, thanks for the advice. Of course, I could be wrong, and showering with doctors might be necessary, judging by the craziness of the medical admissions.</p>
<p>dude, i think i might do just that, what my$0.02 was saying. asking a doctor to call me at night when that doctor gets a night call. it would really show commitment to the doctor, therefore as you said, better letters of recommendations.</p>
<p>Also keep in mind that doctors will most likely be in a different state of mind when they're on call (I know I would be). This means they may be less patient or less willing to answer questions (who wants some premed bothering you at 4 AM in the morning?).</p>