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Pre-Med Blueprint Guide

Shadowing

Shadowing is different from clinical experiences. In clinical experiences, you’ll often get the opportunity to participate as part of a medical team, interact with patients, and gain valuable exposure to the world of medicine. Shadowing is more passive, you will follow a doctor through an entire shift, from the time they walk in to the time they leave for the day. While there isn’t generally much patient interaction, you walk away from such experiences with a much more complete picture of what the average day looks like for a practicing physician. This knowledge of the day-to-day ins-and-outs is crucial, as you need to be fully prepared for the realities of this vocation, which includes both excitement and tedium. As well, physicians with different specializations have very different routines and responsibilities, so shadowing multiple doctors in multiple specializations that interest you is key, if at all possible. It is recommended to have 50-100 shadowing hours under your belt by the time you are applying to medical school.

 

You should shadow doctors at different steps in your journey, but especially when you are:

  • trying to decide whether you want to be a doctor
  • looking for letters of recommendation for medical school
  • trying to choose a medical specialty

There are some things you can and should do when shadowing a doctor, and there are some things you definitely should be careful not to do when shadowing:

  • Be direct and brief in your emails when expressing your interest in shadowing. Attach your resume to give physicians more information about you and your background.
  • Be punctual, every day. As they say in the military, early is on-time, on-time is late, and late is not acceptable.
  • Wear professional attire.
    • If you’re shadowing a surgeon and have the opportunity to observe in the OR, ask where you can get scrubs in the hospital/clinic or purchase them.
    • Keep your nails free of polish or keep it neutral.
    • Wear closed-toe shoes, not only because they are more professional-looking but also because when you’re in a hospital setting you may be exposed to liquids, chemicals, and sharp objects.
    • Don’t wear a white coat. You are not a medical practitioner yet, so you shouldn’t be donning one.
  • Bring a notebook and a pen to jot down notes.
    • Make notes of things to ask later at a better time.
    • Document experiences so you can remember them later for your applications.
  • Be as discreet and inconspicuous as possible.
    • If a patient doesn’t want you in the room for a visit, you must respect this and step out.
  • Be observant. Ask questions at appropriate times.
    • You may find that rounds are very busy due to high patient volume, and the same may be true for a physician’s clinic schedule.
    • If things are very busy, you should not interject your questions. Asking questions when things are busy can take time away from patient care, and it can make other members of the team (or the physician you are shadowing) frustrated. This is the last thing you want to do!