How much shadowing should I do?

[Code Blah]

I have about 40 hours shadowing right now, I'm hoping to add maybe 30 hours more shadowing a physician in China during my study abroad this summer. Is 70ish hours enough? Additionally, I don't have other clinical experience, mostly because I spent all my extra time playing/training for Ultimate frisbee (I calculated about 2700 hours over last 3 years). My ECs are solid b/c of Ultimate, research, and volunteering 1000ish hours at a camp for physically and mentally deficient kids. My grades (3.93, w/ science 3.95) and MCAT (42) are excellent. Am I competitive for top 20 med schools with my lack of clinical experience?

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[pfaction]

I'd shadow physicians in the US if I were you. I think the normal is 50 PCP 50 hospital/speciality.

Holy **** at your grades and MCAT. I'd say you're goddamn competititive.

 

[rubisco88]

I smell a troll. Why would you shadow docs in china? You are planning on practicing in the us right?

 

[deleted382095]

I smell a troll. Why would you shadow docs in china? You are planning on practicing in the us right?

He's gonna to do a study abroad in China. I don't see anything wrong shadowing a doctor in another country.

 

[music2doc]

I have about 40 hours shadowing right now, I'm hoping to add maybe 30 hours more shadowing a physician in China during my study abroad this summer. Is 70ish hours enough? Additionally, I don't have other clinical experience, mostly because I spent all my extra time playing/training for Ultimate frisbee (I calculated about 2700 hours over last 3 years). My ECs are solid b/c of Ultimate, research, and volunteering 1000ish hours at a camp for physically and mentally deficient kids. My grades (3.93, w/ science 3.95) and MCAT (42) are excellent. Am I competitive for top 20 med schools with my lack of clinical experience?

40 hrs is about right, although you could get another 10-20 if you so desired. They should all be in the U.S. to "count" in terms of shadowing for schools/admissions.

Lacking general clinical experience is a kiss of death. Cut back on the Ultimate and go get some clinical experience NOW!

Are you on an actual Ultimate team or is this just a hobby? If this is not a team, I'd probably develop other hobbies. Recreation sports are great, but if this is just a "I go out every afternoon and play Ultimate with my buddies for 2-3 hours and have been doing this for 3 years" that's not going to cut it. What is your research like? The disabilities camp is good, but it won't substitute for solid clinical experience.

Excellent MCAT and GPA. Just get your ECs in order now and you'll be good to go! (At this point, no, you're not competitive for top 20 programs with such a clinical deficit. It's possible a school would take you, but you could certainly do a lot better. I do know we had 3 40+/3.8+ students turned down this year at every single MD program. I don't know exactly why this was, but I would suspect it had something to do with ECs and/or school selection.)

 

[Code Blah]

I play for my college for 3 years, 4 if you count next year, and I played for Little Rock club (Slipped Disc, now disbanded) and Nashville club (Duel) for a summer each. I also tried out for Tanasi (a National-caliber team based out of Nashville) and made the practice squad. This summer I tried out for Chain Lightning (one of the best teams in the nation, based out of Atlanta), but I didn't make it. This summer, I'll be playing Chinese summer league and Beijing Club (Big Brother). I wanted to try out for Chinese National team, based in Beijing, but tryouts are already over, so I'm going to try to walk on.
I probably should've played less frisbee...
My research is about mosquitoes, and I should get a paper published next year where I would be first author, but as I am applying right now, that feels like its going to be too late. I also did an internship researching the effect of maternal smoking on mice neuro-modulation, but no paper came of that.

I was hoping to spin shadowing in China into broadening my shadowing experiences or something like that...would that be worth a try or would the Med Schools immediately smell bull?

Also can you give me suggestions about school selections? Right now I have 9 top-25 Med schools; and 13 mid/low tiers.

 

[Code Blah]

Also next year, I'm doing some volunteer at an ER and Burn Center. Is there anyway I can add this to my application after I sent it in?