Can students shadow doctors?

Shadowing entails following a doctor during the course of day-to-day work in a clinic, hospital, or operating room. Shadowing experience is often critical for getting into medical school—and for deciding whether that’s the right path for you in the first place.

How many doctors do I need to shadow?

If you want to put a number on it, around 100-120 hours is a good ideal range. Shadowing one doctor for one day will be approximately 10 hours, so if you can shadow multiple doctors for a total of 10 days spread over time, (even over a year or so if you start early), then you can easily hit your target.

Can I shadow a doctor at 14?

Any individual 14 years of age and older, is eligible to job shadow. To job shadow in the emergency department or surgery, individuals must be 16 years of age. High school students deciding on a career path who want to observe a professional doing everyday activities, may apply for a one-time, four-hour job shadow.

How do you call a doctor for shadowing?

Reach out to your school’s premed advisors or any professors who have taught you in premed coursework to ask if they know of any doctors whom you might be able to shadow. If you’re at a university with a medical school or hospital on campus, contact the med school or hospital directly.

How long do you shadow a doctor?

You may only want to spend one day with them, or you may want to shadow a few hours a week for several weeks or months. If you have the time in the summer or over a break, you may want to shadow full time for an entire week. Find out what the doctor is comfortable with or what has worked well in the past.

How do you ask someone to shadow them?

In your email, introduce yourself and explain why you are emailing them. Let them know what career you are interested in shadowing and (if you are emailing a company representative) ask if there is an employee who would be willing to let you shadow him/her for a few hours.