Physician shadowing is one of the most important pre-med experiences you can have — not just for your application, but for your own informed decision about whether medicine is the right career. Medical schools want to see that you have observed the day-to-day realities of being a doctor before applying.
How Many Hours Do You Need?
The AAMC 2025 matriculant survey found that the average accepted medical student had approximately 80 hours of shadowing. However, competitive applicants often have 100–200 hours, especially those shadowing multiple specialties. The quality of your reflections on shadowing experiences matters as much as the hour count — being able to articulate specific things you observed about patient interaction, clinical decision-making, or the emotional demands of medicine is essential in interviews and essays.
How to Find Shadowing Opportunities
Cold emailing: The most effective approach for most students. Find private practice physicians in your area through physician directories, Google, or your own doctor. Send a polite, professional email explaining that you are a pre-med student at [your college], that you deeply respect their work in [their specialty], and that you would be grateful for the opportunity to shadow them. Keep it concise. A 50% non-response rate is normal — keep reaching out to different physicians.
Pre-health advising office: Many colleges maintain lists of physicians who have agreed to accept pre-med shadows. Start here before cold emailing strangers.
Hospital programs: Some hospital systems have formal pre-med shadowing programs, often through their medical education or volunteer services offices. These are competitive but structured.
Personal connections: Family physicians, dentists, or family friends who are doctors are entirely appropriate to approach. There is no advantage to shadowing a stranger versus someone you know — what matters is what you observe and what you learn.
What to Do During Shadowing
Arrive early, dress professionally (business casual or scrubs if specified), keep your phone away, and observe attentively. Do not ask too many questions during patient interactions — observe, and ask questions during downtime or at the end of the day. Take brief notes immediately after each session: what cases did you see, what struck you about how the physician communicated, what did you find challenging or inspiring?
Shadow Multiple Specialties
Shadowing only one physician in one specialty can signal narrow exposure. Aim to shadow at least 2–3 different types of physicians — for example, a primary care physician, a surgeon, and a hospitalist. This demonstrates that you explored medicine broadly before deciding which aspects resonated with you, which is a more compelling narrative than "I always wanted to be a surgeon."
How to Track and Document Hours
Keep a running log: date, physician name and specialty, hours, and a 2–3 sentence reflection on what you observed. AMCAS asks you to describe each shadowing experience in 700 characters — your logs will be invaluable when writing those entries months later. Ask your supervising physician for a brief letter of acknowledgment if they are willing, though this is not required.