Premed students know that shadowing is an essential part of their journey, but with conflicting advice on how much is enough, it can be confusing to know where to start. Some students worry they haven’t done enough, while others wonder if there’s a point where additional hours no longer add value to their application.

At AcceptMed, we help students strategically build their applications, ensuring they meet medical school expectations without wasting time on unnecessary extras. In this article, we’ll break down what medical schools actually look for in shadowing experience and what the ideal number of hours looks like for a strong application.

1. Are Shadowing Hours Required for Medical School?

Most medical schools strongly recommend shadowing but do not have strict minimum requirements. However, some schools, particularly DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) programs, require shadowing with a DO physician.

• MD schools: No fixed requirement, but expect experience in clinical settings.
• DO schools: Typically require at least 50 hours of shadowing a DO physician.

2. The Ideal Number of Shadowing Hours

While there’s no exact rule, most competitive applicants report completing:

• 50-100 hours: A well-rounded range for most students.
• 100+ hours: Ideal for students without direct patient care experience.
• 20-40 hours: Acceptable if supplemented with other clinical activities like volunteering or working as a scribe, EMT, or CNA.

3. Balancing Shadowing with Other Clinical Experiences

Shadowing alone isn’t enough to demonstrate a strong clinical background. Medical schools want to see hands-on experience in addition to observation. If you have limited shadowing hours, bolster your application with:

• Clinical volunteering (hospital, free clinics, hospice care).
• Patient-facing jobs (medical scribe, EMT, phlebotomist, CNA).
• Research experience in healthcare-related fields.

4. Making Shadowing Count in Your Application

Admissions committees want to see what you learned from shadowing, not just how many hours you completed. To effectively include it in your application:

• Mention specific patient encounters that shaped your understanding of medicine.
• Discuss key takeaways in secondary essays or interviews.
• Connect shadowing experiences to your personal journey into medicine.