Shadowing
A Beginner’s Guide to Medical Shadowing: One Pre-Med’s View
About Ryan
Ryan Hodge graduated from North Central College in May of 2021 as a biology major and Spanish minor on the pre-medicine track. After his sophomore year, he participated in the Atlantis Summer 2019 shadowing program in Tarragona, Spain.
The Importance of Shadowing
Every pre-medicine student’s favorite question: what are the things I need to do to get into medical school? Although maybe not phrased exactly like this, the highlighted question sums up what essentially every pre-medicine student wants to know. Of course, it is important to earn good grades and score competitively on the MCAT. However, it is what you do outside the classroom and outside your scores that can ultimately set you apart. Medical shadowing is a component of your application that occurs outside the classroom that can afford quality observational experience to see what the healthcare profession is like. Although all shadowing experiences have some things in common, there are a few shadowing opportunities/programs that allow experiences beyond shadowing and allow you to grow in ways other than your passion for medicine. We will dive into those later, but first, let’s discuss the intricacies of shadowing.
What Should I Shadow?
First, every medical school would like to see that you have done some sort of shadowing experience before applying to their school. The Princeton Review offers tips and advice when it comes to shadowing, as well as information about the different types of shadowing opportunities that are offered to pre-medicine students.
One example of medical shadowing includes contacting your local primary care physician and asking if they’d be willing to have you shadow them for a few hours one week. You’d be able to enter into the rooms with the physician and observe how they interact with the patients, their methodology behind prescribing medications, and would be able to ask them what they enjoy and do not enjoy about their careers.
Additionally, paid positions within healthcare systems also offer chances to shadow indirectly, in roles like being a medical scribe. During my personal experience as a medical scribe, I was able to work alongside multiple E.D. physicians and chart for them every patient interaction that occured throughout our shift. Although under the job description it didn’t clearly state “shadow doctors,” working as a medical scribe offered me a shadowing experience while getting paid, and I got to learn things about the E.D. working multiple shifts that sometimes the occasional ‘shadower’ is unable to see because they are not there as long. In terms of what to shadow, you can shadow anything you want! If you have an interest in pediatrics, shadow a pediatrician! As long as you are shadowing in a healthcare setting and following around a doctor, you are most likely going to pick up something about the physician profession that you didn’t know before.
When Should I Shadow?
This is a very important question and topic to consider. You want to make sure you have time to shadow and are relaxed when you shadow. Shadowing when you have the time will allow you to soak in the information, and ask the right questions so you can attempt to know exactly what you are getting yourself into when it comes to the healthcare profession. Trying to reach out to shadow physicians during a busy school semester can be stressful. Worrying too much about trying to shadow, or extracurricular activities in general, can lead to poorer grades as you are spending too much time and energy worrying about shadowing during the school year. That’s why I decided to shadow for three straight weeks, in three different specialties, in a foreign country. The Atlantis shadowing program allowed me to shadow physicians of several different specialties in Tarragona, Spain during the summer of 2019. During my three-week trip, I shadowed orthopedic surgeons, general surgeons, internists, and ER physicians. This freed up my time for the following summer, where I was able to devote all of my time and efforts to studying for the MCAT, in which I received a competitive score. Medical shadowing outside of my school schedule also allowed me to focus on my studies during the school year to earn the best grades possible.
It is important to shadow, not only because medical schools want to see it, but also for you as an individual. You want to know what being a physician is about before you start on this incredible endeavor. However, don’t shadow when you have a million other things going on. Plan accordingly so you can take in the full experience and observe what it really means to be a doctor!
Our Alumni Enter Great Medical Schools
John Daines
- Atlantis '17
- Brigham Young University '19
- Washington U. in St. Louis MD '23
Zoey Petitt
- Atlantis '17
- U. of Arizona '18
- Duke MD '23
Zoey Petitt
Hungary ’17 || University of Arizona (undergraduate) ’18
Completed Atlantis Program Location and Date:
Hungary, Summer 2017
Do you believe your Atlantis experience helped you get into your graduate program?
I believe it was very helpful.
Generally, why do you think Atlantis helped you get into your graduate program?
For me, my Atlantis experience played a key role in confirming my decision to go into medicine. This was important for me to discuss during the admissions process.
Specifically, did you talk about Atlantis in your interviews?
Yes
Yong-hun Kim
- Atlantis '17
- Stanford '19
- Mayo Clinic MD '24
Yong-Hun Kim
Budapest, Hungary ’17 || Stanford University
Program:
Budapest, Hungary – Winter 2017
Undergraduate:
Stanford University class of 2019
Major:
Computer Science
Honors:
Bio-X Grant (award for research)
Undergraduate Activities:
President and Founder of Stanford Undergraduate Hospice and Palliative Care, Volunteer for Pacific Free Clinic, Research Assistant in Wernig Pathology Lab, President of Hong Kong Student Association, violin performance
Describe Atlantis in three words:
Eye-opening. Spontaneous. Exhilarating.
Why did you choose Atlantis?
I chose the Atlantis program because it combines opportunities to shadow physicians and travel abroad, both of which I had little prior exposure to.
What was your favorite experience as an Atlantis participant?
My favorite experience as an Atlantis participant came in the stories exchanged over meals or excursions and the breadth of conversation that reflected the diversity of backgrounds within our cohort and site managers.
What was the most meaningful aspect of your time shadowing?
I appreciated the chance to speak with physicians in Budapest and hear their personal motivations for pursuing medicine because it really helped better contextualize and validate my own interest in medicine. The physicians were also just really welcoming, relatable, and down-to-earth people.
How has Atlantis helped equip you for the future?
The Atlantis program has equipped me with a better understanding of what a career in medicine looks like, which I think is an invaluable gift considering the long road ahead of those who aspire to be a physician.
How has Atlantis equipped you for active leadership in the medical field?
The ability to interact and empathize with patients of diverse backgrounds and communities is a necessity to be a leader in the medical field. I think the Atlantis program, through my interactions with mentors and their patients, has helped me take my first steps toward attaining the cultural vocabulary and literacy required of a physician.
Megan Branson
- Atlantis '18
- U. of Montana '19
- U. of Washington MD '24
Sarah Emerick
- Atlantis '19
- Eckerd College '20
- Indiana U. MD '25
Snow Nwankwo
- Atlantis '19
- Catholic U. of America '21
- Georgetown U. MD '26
Tiffany Hu
- Atlantis '16
- U. of Maryland '17
- U. of Michigan MD '22
Tiffany Hu
Tereul, Spain ’16 || U Michigan Medical School
Program:
Teruel, Spain – Summer 2016
Undergraduate:
University of Maryland class of 2017
Admitted medical student at:
University of Michigan Medical School
Major:
Neurobiology
Honors:
Honors Integrated Life Sciences Program, Banneker/Key Scholarship
Extracurricular Activities:
American Medical Student Association Co-President & Advocacy Day Liaison, Alternative Breaks Experience Leader, Health Professions Advising Office Student Advisory Board, Biology Teach Assistant, Health Leads, Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, NIH Research Intern, Physicians for Social Responsibility Environment & Health Intern
Describe Atlantis in Three Words:
Educational. Eye-opening. Exhilarating.
Why did you choose Atlantis?
I wanted to expand my horizons and understand a culture of health different from the ones I am accustomed to. I had shadowed doctors in the United States and Taiwan prior to my Atlantis program experience, and being able to see first-hand the healthcare system in Spain allowed me to draw comparisons between the different complex healthcare systems.
What was your favorite experience as an Atlantis participant?
Bonding with the other participants and celebrating our time together along with the doctors we shadowed. We would discuss our interests, passions, and motivation for medicine, and it was an incredible experience to learn from and alongside them.
What was your experience with the doctors you were shadowing?
Because of the pre-established relationships with the hospitals in which we shadowed, all the doctors were very welcoming and accommodating. They were willing to translate for us and explain in detail all of their medical decisions. My doctors and I had wonderful conversations about the differences between life in Spain vs. the United States.
What was the most meaningful aspect of your time shadowing?
I was excited to scrub in on surgeries and watch as the doctor explained what he was doing throughout the operation. Before and after surgeries, as well as in my other rotations, I observed how the doctors reassured and communicated with their patients. I was able to glean insight into differences between the experience of health in Spain versus the United States through observation as well as conversations with the doctors.
How has Atlantis helped equip you for the future?
Besides the wealth of medical knowledge I gained from shadowing the doctors, I challenged myself to step outside of my cultural comfort zone and explore more than I thought I was capable of. Atlantis allowed me to make connections with people from all around the United States and abroad, and the friendships I gained helped me learn so much more than I would have on my own.
Lauren Cox
- Atlantis '18
- Louisiana Tech '20
- U. of Arkansas MD '24
Lauren Cox
Libson, Portugal ’18 || Louisiana Tech
Completed Atlantis Program Location(s):
Lisbon, Portugal
Year of most recent program:
Fall ’17 – Summer ’18
Season of most recent program:
Summer
Do you believe your Atlantis experience helped you get into your graduate program?
Extremely helpful
Generally, why do you think Atlantis helped you get into your graduate program?
It exposed me to shadowing that was hard to come by in the states. It also gave me a chance to see other systems of healthcare.
Specifically, did you talk about Atlantis in your interviews? If so, how much relative to other topics?
Yes – they wanted to know about my experience, and specifically how the healthcare I saw in another country compared to what I had seen in the USA.
Kayla Riegler
- Atlantis '18
- U. of Kentucky '20
- U. of Kentucky MD '24
About Atlantis
Atlantis is the leader in pre-health shadowing and clinical experience, offering short-term programs (1-10 weeks) over academic breaks for U.S. pre-health undergraduates. Medical schools want 3 things: (1)healthcare exposure, (2)GPA/MCAT, and (3)certain competencies. Atlantis gives you a great version of (1), frees you to focus on (2), and cultivates/shows (3) to medical school admissions committees.
Watch Video: The Atlantis Shadowing Experience and How it Helps In Your Med/PA Admissions Future
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