Shadowing
7 Mistakes You’re Making When Trying to Shadow a Physician
About Alexia
Alexia Katsaros is a Purdue graduate (’21) and a pre-medical student enjoying a gap year on the Atlantis admissions team. As an undergraduate, she majored in psychology and minored in biology and sociology. In the summer of 2019, she shadowed doctors at KAT hospital when she journeyed to Athens, Greece through the Atlantis shadow abroad program.
Shadowing is important for any pre-med, but sometimes you might not feel like you’re getting enough out of it. Below are some common mistakes people make when shadowing physicians.
1. You Have Not Done Your Research
With so many opportunities out there, it’s critical that you take the time to do your research. What physicians are in your area? If you find a good physician nearby, it can ensure that you can consistently shadow without having to worry about long commutes. Ask yourself if you’d be willing to travel to gain a shadowing experience abroad. The Atlantis program gave me the unique opportunity to shadow doctors in Athens, Greece. As a result, I was able to get a unique outlook on healthcare outside of the United States.
2. You Have Poor Etiquette
Although this may seem obvious, you should understand that there are expectations for any shadowing endeavor. Always be on time. This is an important habit to fall into; promptness exudes professionalism. Make sure to communicate on the days you cannot show up for shadowing. Always stay engaged and, when appropriate, ask questions. Doctors will be more receptive to you if you show that you’re interested. Finally, if you are in a situation where a doctor asks you to interact with a patient, ensure that you have the patient’s consent. Always protect their privacy and do not discuss any patient-specific information outside of your shadowing location.
3. You Are Trying to “Pad Your Resume”
DON’T shadow just to fill in your application. DO shadow to gain insight on the field(s) you’re interested in and better understand the day-to-day routines of healthcare workers. This will be the most rewarding to you in the long run.
4. You Aren’t Consistent
You should have a clear schedule for shadowing. This can help keep both you and the physician you’re shadowing on track. If your schedule is too tentative, your physician might not follow up with you and you might lose your shadowing opportunity.
5. You Haven’t Found a Field You Are Interested In
If you find that you’re not getting as much out of your shadowing experience as you thought, try finding a physician who specializes in something you’re interested in. It can be easy to pick the first physician that becomes available to you, but it would be more rewarding for you to seek out a specialty you personally like. When I was in Athens with Atlantis, I was able to specifically request the types of physicians I wanted to shadow. This included abdominal surgery and orthopedics, though I was open to any type of surgery. I was able to shadow the doctors I requested and even got to observe some unique surgeries along the way.
6. You Are Shadowing Too Little
This tip strongly pairs with being consistent and creating a reliable schedule. If you’re shadowing for only a couple of hours once month and a couple more the next, you won’t convince medical schools that you’re really interested in clinical shadowing when you list your hours in the AAMC application.
7. You Are Physician Hopping
This can tie in with the importance of doing your research before selecting a position to shadow. Although trial and error are important, you should at least narrow down what type of shadowing you’re interested in before you commit to it. There are only 15 spots to talk about your extracurriculars on your medical school application, so if you change physicians too much you might have to omit some of your experiences. Keep this in mind when you’re shadowing different physicians and try to keep it to 3-4 experiences max— supplement this with quality hours.
With these tips, I hope you were able to identify some of the ways you could improve your shadowing process. Remember to weave in the AAMC’s core competencies when applicable, too. Good luck and happy shadowing!
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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