Shadowing opportunities for high school studentAnswered
I'm currently a junior in a private school in India. I will be starting my senior year (12th grade) in March 2022. I am currently interested in applying to some of the BSMD programs in the US and I do recognize how difficult and how highly competitive getting into this program is. I also want to explore my interests in the field of medicine and see if it really is the right career for me.
I was thinking of shadowing a doctor in a hospital to accomplish both my goals, but unfortunately, I do not have direct personal connections to any doctor that I could shadow so now I am left with no option but to cold call/email hospitals asking for shadowing opportunities which I plan to do over the summer vacation (April/May). If my request to shadow a doctor or a surgeon is denied by all the hospitals I ask, how can I get more clinical experience or increase my extracurricular profile in terms of getting into a BSMD program or just getting more experience in a clinical setting in general?
Earn karma by helping others:
1 answer
BS/MD programs are incredibly competitive, but as a high school student, admissions officers can’t expect you to have a resume comparable to an undergrad student applying to med schools. Clinical experience is important but I think in general places will understand that it’s just not a possibility for everyone.
Cold calling is a good idea, if you’re interested in shadowing, this would be a good way to start. If you have any routine appointments coming up, you could always try asking them as well (it sounds a little out there, but I’ve heard of this working for people before). I’m not familiar with the regulations in India but you could consider pursuing EMT or CNA liscense around the time you’re graduating, or maybe looking into scribe positions.
Research also looks good, you could cold email professors / labs or pursue this independently. Some summer programs will offer lab experience and dual enrollment can provide opportunities for this as well.
Good luck on the college application process, and I hope you can find somewhere to shadow!
Your chance of acceptance
Your chancing factors
Community Guidelines
To keep this community safe and supportive:
- Be kind and respectful!
- Keep posts relevant to college admissions and high school.
- Don’t ask “chance-me” questions. Use CollegeVine’s chancing instead!