Shadowing
Why is shadowing necessary? Shadowing a professional in your field of interest is essential for your professional school application. But beyond the application, understanding what medical professionals see, do and feel in their daily routines is an important experience for Pre-Professional students. It is one thing to see professions from a patient side or through videos, but in-person shadowing provides a deeper exposure and hopefully a fuller understanding of the profession. It also can be helpful for a pre-health student to experience and see the multidimensional, team-work aspect of medicine. So many different professions working together, all for patient health.
Finding and developing a shadowing network Expand
Start by thinking of those people you know who are in medicine or know someone in medicine. Those people include your family, friends, neighbors, classmates, clubs/organizations, etc. You can also search through your LinkedIn account and/or your account in Bearcats Connect.
These options can help you see and connect with professionals in our region. If you are still drawing a blank, meet with your PPAC advisor to brainstorm other contacts and ways to develop a network. Don’t be afraid to reach out but do be respectful. Healthcare professionals will often remember when they were Pre-Professional and are open to sharing if they can.
How to ask for a shadowing opportunity Expand
Before reaching out to professionals, it’s best to create an effective resume and have it reviewed by a career coach in the Bearcat Career Studio. Professionals may ask for your resume so that they can learn a bit more about you.
Here is an example of how you might introduce yourself and ask for a shadowing experience:
Dear Dr. Xxxxxx,
I am a University of Cincinnati student in my second year and I am eager to explore the field of (xxxxxx) by shadowing. I learned of your practice by (xxxxxxxxxx), and was hoping I could shadow you in your office as you work. My current experience as a UC student in (xxxxx major) includes (xxxx) and I would greatly appreciate your allowing me to learn from you by shadowing.
You can reach me by email at xxxxx@ucmail.uc.edu or by phone at (xxx)xxx-xxxx. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Eager Pre-Health Student
Prepare ahead of time for Shadowing Expand
These links that give great suggestions on how to dress and behave while in shadowing situations. Medical School Headquarters, Prospectivedoctor, GoDental shadowing, MyRoadtoPT. You should definitely dress professionally and be sure to listen and watch. Shadowing should never be a hands-on while you are an undergraduate student. Follow all the professional’s instructions during your shadowing time and be sure ask questions at the end, as appropriate (including a follow up request for another shadowing opportunity). Then always send a thank you email.
Track and journal your shadowing experiences Expand
Always track the shadowing hours, professional and your experiences. Prepare ahead of time by thinking of what you might see and expect from the experience. Then afterwards write about the experience. This doesn’t have to be a long essay each time but is should be consistent and in some detail.
The PPAC has created an Experience Log for tracking that you can download and use to help yourself track these experiences over time.
For Pre-Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and some Physician Assistant programs (MSJ for example) there are more specific forms or details you need to document your experience.
Shadowing during COVID 19 Expand
"How can I shadow and volunteer during times of COVID-19?"
- See our COVID-19 informational page for lots of ideas to stay connected and some additional online/virtual opportunities.
- Virtual Shadowing is good healthcare exploration and learning, but is not considered true shadowing. During COVID-19 it can be better than no exploration, but you will not be able to list it on your application as a shadowing experience.
Below are a few virtual shadowing opportunities we have found:
- PreHealth Virtual Shadowing www.prehealthshadowing.com/
- Colorado Univ – Virtual Shadowing Nano Course www.coloradowm.org/courses/pre-med/virtual-shadowing-nano-course-emergency-medicine/
- Virtual Shadowing: www.virtualshadowing.com
- BrainInterns WebinarSeries: www.youtube.com/channel/UCUCAVzKkJ1ecHX9cxALDryA
- WebShadowers
- Dental Shadowers
- Club Med Dental Shadowing
- PA Platform offers video discussion of PA practice and programs
- Additional resource: Unscripted - UC Medical School Podcast - episodes about virtual shadowing:
- E34: Virtual Shadowing in Family Medicine à Apple Podcasts | Spotify
- E35: Virtual Shadowing in Med-Peds à Apple Podcasts | Spotify
- E37: Virtual Shadowing in OBGYN à Apple Podcasts | Spotify
More Information:
AMCAS has encouraged all Medical Schools to look at medical exploration in a broader sense for the coming years. To assist applicants with getting medical exploration, AMCAS provides the following resources.
Ways to get experience - AAMC
Disclaimer: The PPAC at the University of Cincinnati encourages students to use precaution and fully investigate all aspects of these programs before committing to one. The PPAC has no control or responsibility for the: (a) quality or safety of any experiential learning opportunity/position descriptions or (b) the application, hiring practices, or EEO/AA status of any of the organizations listed here.