is shadowing doctors counted as part of volunteering too?

Question

and what is internship, for pre-med students, how do you find them, could you go to the school and ask to help find one for you or do we find by ourselves?

Answer 1

Shadowing a doctor does not count as volunteering. I shadowed a surgeon for a month. I was remarkably lucky, the surgeon was a friends father.

There were other people in my class that shadowed doctors, but I don't know how they got hooked up.

Answer 2

its not volunteering, but it is perhaps the most important addition to your pre-med resume because it shows that you have experience and insight into the world of healthcare professionals. certainly, there are other ways to do it like volunteering at a hospital or be lucky enough to get a job, but the key is to be around physicians so you know what to expect in that career.

an internship is more of an organized program, perhaps through your college where they set up a scheduled encounter between you and a physician. really though, that term is used more to describe people who are already in med school and are in their clincal rotations or have recently graduated and in their first years of residency.

Answer 3

I worked as a certified nursing assistant for three years prior to medical school. I have classmates that were also CNA's, nurses, physical therapists, paramedics, and even a physician's assistant. Actual patient care is much more valuable than shadowing.