Gaining clinical experience is an important part of the medical school application. But some have questioned if it’s necessary to shadow a doctor in order to be a competitive medical school applicant.
It’s true that shadowing is a great experience, as it exposes you to patient care in a clinical setting and gives you an idea of the day-to-day demands of a medical career. But as a pre-med student, you're often balancing a rigorous academic schedule, along with extracurricular and personal responsibilities, so shadowing may not be a possibility.
In a recent survey of medical school admissions officers conducted by the AAMC, 87% of survey respondents indicated that they accept an alternate activity instead of clinical shadowing.
Admissions officers want you to not only show depth of experience and a longitudinal commitment to the work you choose, but also to be able to articulate how your medical exposure has informed your motivation for a career in medicine.
You can learn more about each school's policies regarding clinical experiences in the Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR). It's also a good idea to contact any medical school that you’re interested in to ensure that your planned activity meets their admission criteria.