When Should I Shadow?
Don’t wait till the end of your junior year to shadow; plan to spread out clinical experiences over the course of your pre-med college career path.
Dr. Katzen says, “I personally don’t think all your shadowing should be done in the last year of college. Instead, demonstrate a long-term commitment… You like to see somebody who has long-term experience, over a number of semesters.”
Start researching shadowing programs and opportunities in your freshman year. Not only does this give you four semesters across sophomore and junior year to work in diverse shadowing and volunteering experiences, but it can also help you figure out what specialty is right for you.
In rare cases, high school students have been known to shadow doctors. Generally, this is not necessary, but it may show an early dedication that could increase your chances of getting into the school of medicine of your dreams.
Read Next: Tips from the AAMC: Top Resources for Getting into Medical School
How Many Hours Are Needed?
Though there’s no strict minimum, you should aim to shadow for at least 40 hours to make your application competitive. It’s also beneficial to spread your shadowing hours across multiple specialties – admissions committees would prefer you shadow four different specialties for 10 hours each than one specialty for forty hours.
Some schools may only require as little as 12 hours of shadowing. However, as well over 90% of matriculating medical students have completed at least some shadowing (according to a 2023 AAMC survey), consider spending more time shadowing physicians if you want to stand above the rest.
As with other extracurricular activities, aim for quality over quantity. Shadowing for more than 100 hours probably won’t make you a more competitive applicant. By then, you’ve shown admissions committees that you’re committed to medicine and know what you’re getting yourself into.
A How-To Guide on Shadowing a Physician
I talked with Dr. Katzen about some tips concerning physician shadowing. With our combined experiences, the guide below should help you get the most out of shadowing a doctor.
“You have to realize the process of med school application is not an overnighter, a one semester process,” Dr. Katzen begins. “I mean, if you’re going to do shadowing or volunteering, that should not all be done in the last year of college. Instead, it should represent more of an ongoing commitment.”
Choose a Specialty You’re Interested In
When you’re researching shadowing opportunities, think about which specialties interest you to help guide your search.
Common medical specialties include internal medicine, family medicine, and pediatrics. Common surgical specialties include general surgery, ophthalmology, and otolaryngology.
Just remember that while it’s great to have ideas about what specialty you want to go into, you won’t be in a position to make that decision until your third year of medical school. Shadowing can help you get a feel for each specialty, but you won’t know your true preferences until you complete your rotations as a medical student.
Dr. Katzen also recommends that pre-meds remain versatile before entering med school.