<p>I got accepted into a summer program (~50 out of ~300 applicants were selected) that allows me to shadow various kinds of doctors. However, I read somewhere that it's not that big of a deal and that research looks much more impressive. Should I even put it on my app? I think it probably won't hurt but will this almost have little to no effect on my entire app?</p>
<p>Of course you should put it on your application. Let admissions decide if is a big deal or not. It’s helpful either way. I mean, a kid who shadowed a doctor is always going to look better than a kid who didn’t shadow a doctor, all other things held equal.</p>
<p>It couldn’t hurt. Mention the specific name of the program, rather than generically saying “shadowing”. That will make it seem a bit more prestigious.</p>