How Much Shadowing do you need for Medical School? The MedEdits 75-1-3 Rule

How Much Shadowing do you need for Medical School? The MedEdits 75-1-3 Rule

It’s a question we get asked often: how much physician shadowing do I need for medical school? Before I answer this question, let me first explain why shadowing is important and why you need some shadowing, but not an excessive amount.

Does Every Premed Need to Have Shadowing Hours?

The majority of successful premedical students have participated in shadowing. For example, at The George Washington School of Medicine, 88% of medical school matriculants had shadowing experience. Therefore, shadowing is almost a requirement for premeds, unless a student has other clinical experiences in their portfolio (see below).

The only way to really understand what it is like to practice medicine is to immerse yourself in a clinical arena where you will learn about patient care, ancillary services, the value of teamwork and professionalism, the patient experience, and so much more.

However, since shadowing is a passive and purely observational activity, you don’t want to spend the majority of your premed years shadowing. The goal is to put most of your efforts into other premed extracurricular and scholarly experiences where you can make a greater contribution and impact.

When During Your Premed Timeline Should You Shadow?

Ideally, you want to get your shadowing time in shortly after you decide to be premed, which hopefully coincides with opportunities to shadow. It is usually easiest to shadow physicians during your freshman and sophomore years of college. Later in college, you are more likely to be busy with other premed activities and MCAT preparation. However, some students, depending on their other commitments, especially if those are clinical endeavors, may shadow later in college.

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How Can You Find Shadowing Opportunities?

Many students reach out to their own physicians, such as their pediatrician or family physician, and ask about shadowing opportunities. Others find opportunities and programs through their premed or career advising office. Oftentimes, a student may shadow the researcher they are working with if that researcher also practices clinical medicine. Finally, some students reach out to physicians directly. If you are applying to osteopathic medical schools, you can contact the American Osteopathic Association, which keeps a database of osteopathic physicians who accept shadow students.

RELATED: How to Get Shadowing Hours (with email templates)

How Many Specialists Should I Shadow?

The ideal complement of doctors to shadow is one primary care physician (internal medicine, pediatrics, or family medicine) and two to three specialists. Even if you have no interest in primary care, it is important to demonstrate that you understand the value of preventive healthcare and patient education, which primary care physicians focus on. The key is to gain a broad understanding of how clinical medicine is practiced in different specialties and settings.

What about Virtual Shadowing?

How Many Hours of Shadowing Do I Need?

As a very general rule, we recommend 75 hours of shadowing in total. Typically, students will shadow in four-hour increments but can sometimes have eight to twelve-hour shifts.

Do I Need to Have Shadowing Hours if I Am an EMT or Scribe and Have Extensive Clinical Experience?

Not all medical school applicants have upwards of 75 hours of shadowing, especially if they have devoted their time to extensive hands-on or patient-facing work. We have worked with plenty of successful medical school applicants who have fewer than 50 hours of shadowing yet have impressive clinical exposure through other activities.