How many shadowing hours do you need for medical school?

Most medical schools do not specify a minimum number of shadowing hours, but a general benchmark is 40 to 100 hours across one or more specialties. Quality matters more than quantity. Shadowing in a single specialty you know well for 20 meaningful hours is more valuable to your application than 100 passive hours across multiple settings where you were not genuinely engaged.

What should you write down after a shadowing experience?

Write down observations about each experience in your own words, noting what you saw, what surprised you, and what it taught you about the specialty or the practice of medicine. Keep these notes strictly free of any patient identifying information. This material becomes genuinely useful when you are writing your personal statement and activities section, and when interviewers ask what you gained from your clinical exposure.

Should you send a thank-you note after shadowing a physician?

Send a thank-you email within 24 to 48 hours of each shadowing experience. Reference something specific you observed or learned to make it personal rather than generic. If you are interested in shadowing the same physician again or asking for a letter of recommendation later, maintaining this contact is important. A brief follow-up note is an easy way to stay on their radar professionally.

MCAT

How to Make the Most Out of Physician Shadowing

Q: How do you find a physician to shadow?

The easiest starting point is reaching out to any physicians in your personal or family network. If you need to start from scratch, identify specialties that interest you, find physicians in your area through hospital directories or LinkedIn, and send a brief, professional cold email introducing yourself, explaining your interest, and asking if they allow premed students to shadow. Most physicians are open to it when the request is specific and respectful.

Tyler Whitney, MD

May 12, 2026

5 min read

Updated

Jun 7, 2026

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Key Takeaways

Physician shadowing is most valuable when you treat it as a learning experience rather than a box to check. Showing up prepared, observing actively, taking good notes, and following up professionally turns a few hours with a physician into something that meaningfully strengthens your application and your understanding of medicine.

Physician shadowing is a requirement for most medical school applications, but the students who benefit most from it are the ones who treat it as a genuine learning opportunity rather than an obligation to fulfill. The difference shows up clearly in personal statements, in interviews, and in how confidently applicants can speak about their understanding of the medical profession. Here is how to approach every step of the process well.

What Are the Basics of Physician Shadowing?

There is no set time frame on when to shadow. I would suggest any convenient time before your dedicated MCAT studying. Summer, Spring, and Christmas breaks work for some but not for everyone. In regards to the number of physician shadowing hours you need, don’t panic! You might hear that some students have hundreds and others have less than 50. The most important point is that when you apply to medical school you have an idea of what practicing medicine is like and what you are signing up for–it is not what you see on TV. Some schools might have a minimum number of physician shadowing hours so check every schools’ website. If you plan to apply to DO schools, it is essential to also shadow DO physicians. If you work in a medical field, you definitely don’t need as many hours, but it is always recommended to shadow in different locations and specialties to get a breadth of experiences. If you have no idea what area of medicine you might be interested in, family medicine would be the best place to start.

How Do You Find a Physician to Shadow?

From personal experience, the easiest option is to reach out to any physicians you or your support network know. If you need to start at square one, I would recommend finding contact information online and reach out to a specific doctor. Emailing would be preferred over calling, but go with whatever information you have. Be aware that some will not respond to your email/phone call or the receptionist might not know how to forward your request. Some hospital systems require you to go through their human resources department first. With email correspondence, remain professional and be clear about being a pre-med, the amount of time you are requesting to shadow, and what you are hoping to gain from the experience. Sometimes the process to be approved for physician shadowing can take a couple of weeks, so be sure to reach out early. Have your shot records and TB skin tests handy and be ready to fill out lots of paperwork. Once you know where you will shadow, be sure to ask what is the appropriate dress. It would be unfortunate to be in scrubs when everyone else is in business professional clothes.

What Should You Do During Your Shadowing Experience?

Write down some of the big picture things you learned during shadowing the physician and be sure to exclude any patient identifying information. What kind of patients did you see? What did you like or dislike about the experience or the specialty? Did you get to perform any procedures? This can be handy when you are writing up your AMCAS experiences months later. Try to ask all of your questions at the end of the visit after the patient has left the room. It is rude to speak unless requested to do so during the appointment and might unduly frighten the patient should it be a serious topic. As a pre-med, you will most definitely have questions. Ask them! It shows that you are interested and engaged. They might even invite you to do some research with them if they have a project and a spot open.

What Should You Do After Shadowing?

It is common practice to send a thank you email or note to the physician after you shadow. Doing this can also help them remember you if you ask for a letter of recommendation later. If you want to shadow anywhere else in the department or hospital, ask that physician for an in person or email introduction. This can make it easier for you to get in the door of another specialty and skip the paperwork for another institution. Also be open to shadowing other health professionals such as Physician Associates (PA), Nurse Practitioners (NP), or nurses. This can be helpful on interview day to answer the question, “Why MD/DO?” because you have experience with some of the other options. Be sure to write down the names and contact information of everyone you shadowed so that you can contact them later or to document on your application.

Physician shadowing is a right of passage for all medical students and I hope these tips can help make your experience great. Don’t get discouraged if you are told no multiple times, there are plenty of doctors out there who are excited about mentoring students and helping them along the path to med school. Remember to soak up all you can and have fun. The next time you are in a doctor’s office, you could be the one running the show.

Common questions

Tyler Whitney, MD

Tyler is a resident at the Oklahoma Children's Hospital in pediatrics. She plans to go on to fellowship to become a Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician and enhance the lives of parents and patients with special needs.