Shadowing docs

[Ariel]

Hi guys!
How helpful is it to shadow docs? I did but was crazy enough to not add it in my med applications. I shadowed a surgeon, an interventional procedure and a pediatric doc. Does it help to add it even if it was a one-time thing?
Cheers!

[n00b]

I don't think it would be a great help if it was just a one-time thing.

[Kyleh]

If it was a one time thing I wouldn't have included it. If you shadowed numerous times over a couple months, that would be a different story. I think what is mainly helpful with shadowing doctors is to get their opinion on the field. It is always interesting to hear stories about why a certain individual pursued medicine.

[Ariel]

but is it a good thing to have even if you are working in a clinical setting? if it is then i can go and do more shadowing...

[Lactic Folly]

You can talk it about in your interview to support your motivation for / knowledge of medicine.

[Kyleh]

So are you a non-traditional potential applicant? If you planning these docs for the sake of boosting your application than I wouldn't waste your time. If, on the other hand, you think you would get something meaningful out of shadowing than I say go for it!

[kaymcee]

Have you actually looked into shadowing a doctor? It's rare to find one who will allow a non-medical student to shadow them.

[leviathan]

Can we put a sticky up about this or something?

[Kyleh]

Originally Posted by kaymcee

Have you actually looked into shadowing a doctor? It's rare to find one who will allow a non-medical student to shadow them.

Who are you talking to? If me, yes I have. I've been shadowing a nephrologist for a couple months now, both in his office as well as in the hospital he works at. Along with this, I had the unique opportunity of accompanying him on a CTU at Toronto Western for a day, which was pretty sweet. I've also shadowed a radiologist in a hospital in a neighbouring town. This opportunity, however, was made possible since the physician was the spouse of someone my mom worked with. In the future, I hope to also set up something with my family doc. I find that as a non-medical student, you will find that doctors will allow you to visit their clinic, but are a little more skeptical when it comes to the hospital setting. For myself this is more because of patient confidentiality and because the hospitals they work at are not teaching hospitals.

[supafield]

I shadowed two surgeons for one day (10 hours) over my reading week and definitely will include it....

Everyone's experiences are different however I felt I learned more in that 1 day about medicine than I did at 2 months of volunteering at a family health clinic.