Best Clinical Shadowing Tips for AMCAS and AACOMAS Applications
When looking for activities to include on your American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) or American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS) application, shadowing/clinical observation is a powerful way to demonstrate your interest in and realistic knowledge of the medical field. Shadowing a breadth of different specialties in as much depth as possible is optimal, as the only way to know whether you will enjoy a career in a particular area is to gain direct experience. (Tip: if you are unsure about whether to pursue the MD path or the DO path, be sure to shadow both types of physicians in clinical practice!)
How to Get Started
Follow these steps to make your shadowing/clinical observation experience a reality:
- Research the areas of interest to you.
- Locate doctors who practice in that field in your community by networking.
- Contact the doctor(s) with your request, and provide your qualifications in the form of a cover letter and updated resume or CV.
- In your request, specify a clear start and end date for the experience.
- Follow through by completing HIPAA forms or any other requirements before the start date.
Making the Most of Your Shadowing Experience
After you’ve identified the doctor to shadow and finalized a schedule, keep the following tips in mind to get the most out of the experience:
Ask for clear guidelines about the doctor’s expectations.
Depending on the field, the doctor may request that you ask questions only after procedures are completed. Each doctor will have different preferences. By asking for clearly defined expectations, you can follow the requested etiquette to ensure the most positive experience possible.
Be helpful.
Offer to help in any way that you can. Be open to filing records as well as taking notes during physical exams. Anything that you can do to help the doctor and medical staff as well as to improve the patient’s experience will be beneficial for everyone.
Be observant.
Your job is to observe. Therefore, keep a daily journal and take notes about what you do and do not like about the work. This information can help you assess whether you are indeed interested in this field or if medicine is perhaps not for you after all. Avoid the impulse to jump in and help unless you are requested to do so. Learn as much as you can by observing how the doctor interacts with each person and what kind of care they provide. This information may guide you in terms of how you want to practice medicine in the future. In the best-case scenario, the doctor you shadow may become a mentor.
Be on time, and be respectful of all requests.
To be as unobtrusive as possible, arrive early and prepared for the day. Some patients may not be comfortable having an observer present, so you may not be able to shadow during all exams or procedures. Acquiesce to all requests as quickly and quietly as you can to be respectful of the doctor-patient relationship.
Establish patient trust.
Patients must give their permission for you to be present while they meet with their doctor. Therefore, introducing yourself after the doctor’s introduction, making eye contact, and maintaining a calm demeanor will be important to establishing trust with each person.
When your shadowing experience has finished, I encourage you to send a thank you note to your supervising physician, offering both your gratitude for the experience and a few specific learning moments that positively impacted you.
Watch this Accepted video for additional suggestions on how to maximize your experience during shadowing and clinical observation.
As the former assistant dean of student affairs at the William Beaumont School of Medicine and former director of pre-health advisement and the Postbaccalaureate Certificate Program at Sacred Heart University, Valerie brings more than 20 years of success working with pre-health candidates in medicine, dental, vet, PA, PT, OT, exercise science, and nursing. Her clients appreciate her expertise in the holistic admissions process and her patient, thoughtful, strategic, and data-driven working style. Work with Valerie! Schedule a free consultation today!
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