There is no national answer to how many shadowing hours for medical school you need. The AAMC and AACOM do not publish a universal hour requirement, and individual medical schools set their own expectations. Focus on each target school’s current policy and on what you learn from observing physicians, rather than working toward an unsupported national average.
Shadowing lets you observe a physician’s typical work, patient interactions and place within a health care team. It is distinct from hands-on clinical work, so you should evaluate it alongside your broader experience and check every MD or DO program individually before applying.
Shadowing Hours for Medical School at a Glance
- The AAMC and AACOM do not set a national shadowing-hour requirement, and the AAMC emphasizes the quality and depth of an experience over its raw duration.
- Published expectations vary by school. UMMC expects at least 35 hours, while other schools require or encourage shadowing without specifying an hour total.
- DO schools often value familiarity with osteopathic medicine and experience with a DO, but their shadowing and physician-letter policies differ.
- Plan around the physician’s availability, remain strictly observational and keep accurate dates, hours and reflections for your application.
Is There a Required Number of Shadowing Hours for Medical School?
Neither the AAMC nor AACOM sets a required number of shadowing hours for medical school. The AAMC Guidelines for Clinical Shadowing Experiences for Pre-medical Students note that hospital standards for student shadowing vary widely, with no recognized national standard. The guidelines also note that HIPAA and other regulations can limit physicians’ ability to offer shadowing.
A 2016 AAMC Committee on Admissions survey summary provides helpful context, but it does not establish an hour target. Admissions contacts at AAMC member schools participated, with 43% of member schools responding. Among respondents, 73% highly recommended or required experience observing clinical practice. The schools used several terms, including clinical shadowing, physician shadowing, clinical experience, clinical exposure and clinical observation.
The same survey found that schools valued what applicants gained from clinical experience more than the number of hours. It also found that 87% of responding schools would accept alternate activities when an applicant could not secure shadowing. Because these findings come from a 2016 survey with a limited response rate, they should not be treated as a current policy for every medical school.
Your practical starting point is each school’s admissions page. Determine whether shadowing is required, encouraged or included within a broader clinical-experience expectation. Then separate observation from your total clinical exposure. IMA’s guide to how many clinical hours for med school addresses the broader question without treating every clinical activity as physician shadowing. Research is a separate question, covered in IMA’s guide to how many research hours for medical school.
Shadowing Hour Expectations Published by Medical Schools
Individual school policies demonstrate why a national shadowing target would be misleading. The examples below apply only to the named school, application cycle or program. They should not be extended to other institutions.
University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine
The University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Medicine admissions page expects applicants to complete at least 35 hours of U.S.-based physician shadowing before submitting an application. UMMC recommends observing a primary care physician and more than one specialty. It defines shadowing as watching physicians practice medicine, including direct patient care and doctor-patient interactions.
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
The Loma Linda University School of Medicine requirements for the 2027 application cycle require physician shadowing experience and direct patient care exposure but do not give a required number of shadowing hours. The school also suggests obtaining a letter from a physician you shadowed.
Georgetown University School of Medicine
The Georgetown University School of Medicine 2026-2027 application guide describes shadowing as one possible part of the substantive, longitudinal clinical experience presented by a highly competitive applicant. Its 200-plus-hour figure applies to clinical experience as a whole, alongside examples such as scribing, community EMS and medical mission trips. It is not a 200-hour shadowing requirement.
University of Maryland School of Medicine
The University of Maryland School of Medicine shadowing program expects its participants to complete at least 40 hours within about three months and does not set a maximum. This is an expectation for people accepted into that admissions-office program, not an admissions requirement for applicants to the medical school. The program page says new applications are paused and asks interested students to check back in the late fall.
Shadowing Expectations at DO Schools
DO schools often want applicants to understand osteopathic medicine, but they do not all impose the same shadowing policy. The AACOM admissions requirements say osteopathic medical schools look for applicants who have some clinical experience, know about osteopathic medicine and have shadowed an osteopathic physician. AACOM also says many colleges require applicants to get to know a DO and request a letter of recommendation.
If you are deciding whether osteopathic programs fit your goals, IMA’s MD vs DO comparison provides background on the two pathways. After reviewing that distinction, check every DO school’s admissions and recommendation-letter rules separately.
A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona
A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona strongly encourages candidates to spend time shadowing an osteopathic physician and obtain a letter of support from that physician.
California Health Sciences University College of Osteopathic Medicine
The CHSU-COM 2027 admissions policy identifies shadowing one or more osteopathic physicians as one way to demonstrate commitment to the osteopathic profession. It requires a physician letter from a DO or MD that can reflect shadowing, volunteer or work experience.
Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine
Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine does not require applicants to shadow a DO. It states that DO shadowing can demonstrate commitment to the profession and an understanding of osteopathic practice.
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine encourages a physician recommendation but does not require one. VCOM explains that shadowing a physician can give an applicant useful knowledge about the profession.
How Long Should You Shadow a Doctor?
Your shadowing schedule should fit the physician’s availability and give you enough time to understand what you are observing. AAMC Aspiring Docs does not prescribe an hour total when answering this question. It says an arrangement could last one day, a few hours each week for several weeks or months, or a full-time week during summer or another break.
AACOM similarly notes that many DOs host interested students for a day or two. These examples show that a legitimate experience can use different schedules. They do not create a recommended minimum or prove that one format is preferable for every applicant.
The more useful question is whether you can discuss what you learned. AAMC Aspiring Docs also says admissions officers value depth, longitudinal commitment and your ability to explain how medical exposure informed your motivation for medicine. The UMMC recommendation described above, to shadow in primary care and more than one specialty, applies only to that school’s applicants.
Before committing to a schedule, decide what you want to understand about the physician’s work and confirm what the host permits. IMA’s guide to how to shadow a doctor as a pre-med can help you prepare for the experience without turning it into a race for hours.
Your Role and Limits While Shadowing
Shadowing is observation, not patient-care work. The AAMC guidelines describe it as watching a licensed physician or another licensed health professional care for patients in hospitals, outpatient clinics, long term care facilities or private practices. You remain under the licensed professional’s supervision throughout the experience.
You must not practice medicine. The guidelines specifically prohibit activities such as diagnosing disease, giving medication, performing surgery, suturing or offering medical advice. For a fuller distinction between observation and patient-care responsibilities, read IMA’s guide to shadowing vs clinical experience.
Before shadowing begins, the host may require proof of immunizations, HIPAA training, a code of conduct and a confidentiality agreement. Patients retain the right to refuse a student’s presence. AAMC Aspiring Docs explains that a physician introduces you as a premedical student and that a patient may ask you to leave.
Use the experience to assess your fit for the profession, consider how the patient perspective affects care and understand the roles of the health care team. IMA’s guide on how to shadow a doctor effectively offers additional preparation for conducting yourself appropriately.
How to Find a Physician to Shadow
Start with people and institutions that already know you. AAMC Aspiring Docs suggests asking physicians you know, teachers, professors or premed advisors. You can also investigate your college’s connections with a medical school or hospital and contact hospital volunteer offices. Reach out at least a few weeks before you hope to begin.
When you contact a physician or office, make your request clear and give a realistic sense of your availability. IMA’s guide on how to ask to shadow a doctor can help you prepare the message. If the first office cannot host you, continue contacting suitable physicians without assuming that a refusal reflects on your qualifications.
For osteopathic shadowing, the AACOM pre-med timeline points students toward osteopathic college admissions and alumni offices, state osteopathic associations and doctorsthatdo.org. High school students should use advice written for their stage, including IMA’s guide to shadowing a doctor in high school.
Virtual Shadowing and Alternatives to Shadowing
Virtual shadowing may count at some schools, but acceptance is school-specific. An AAMC account of pandemic-era virtual shadowing describes one George Washington University medical student’s experience. The program moved online during COVID-19, and the student observed a cardiologist’s telehealth visits on five days, with about five encounters per day and minimal patient interaction. This individual account is not a national rule.
Current school policies illustrate the variation. The University of New Mexico School of Medicine says it considered virtual experiences during pandemic-affected semesters but now expects applicants to return to in-person clinical and shadowing experiences. Xavier University of Louisiana College of Osteopathic Medicine permits online shadowing hours for the class matriculating in 2027 while encouraging direct, in-person experience with a DO physician.
Before relying on an online program, review the current policy of every school on your list. IMA’s guide to virtual shadowing can help you consider the format, but the admissions office remains the authority on whether its school accepts the activity.
If shadowing is inaccessible, AAMC Aspiring Docs says it is not the only way to demonstrate relevant skills and attributes. Its listed alternatives include hospice volunteering, certified nursing assistant work, volunteer EMT service, hospital scribing and caring for an ill family member. Before relying on an alternative, verify each school’s present expectations.
How to Record Shadowing Hours on Your Application
Keep the dates and total hours for each shadowing experience so you can enter them accurately in AMCAS. The 2027 AMCAS Application Workbook lists Physician Shadowing/Clinical Observation as a distinct experience type. It is separate from Community Service/Volunteer (Medical/Clinical) and Paid Employment (Medical/Clinical).
For each Work/Activities entry, the AMCAS Applicant Guide asks for the start date, end date and total hours completed during that date range. You may add up to three additional date ranges for an activity that occurred repeatedly. The experience category is self-identified, meaning you choose the type that describes the activity.
Record information soon after each session rather than trying to reconstruct it later. Note what you observed and what questions each session raised. AAMC Aspiring Docs also recommends sending a thank you note, writing down what you learned and asking promptly for a recommendation if the experience went well.
When you are ready to organize the complete Work/Activities section, IMA’s AMCAS application guide provides broader application context. Describe shadowing as observation and keep it separate from activities in which you performed permitted patient-care duties.
Plan Shadowing Around Each School’s Policy
Build your plan from current school requirements rather than an average or a universal target. Confirm whether each program requires shadowing, recommends experience with a particular type of physician or accepts alternatives. Then choose opportunities that help you understand physicians’ work and give you specific learning to reflect on.
If local access is limited, structured programs such as IMA’s pre-med internships are another route to look into, but ask each target school how it would categorize the experience.
Keep your shadowing record current and review school policies again before submitting. If you want individualized help organizing shadowing within the rest of your application, you can learn about IMA’s medical school admissions consulting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Shadowing Hours Do You Need for Medical School?
There is no national number of shadowing hours required for medical school. The AAMC and AACOM do not publish a universal total, so you need to check each medical school’s current admissions policy. Some schools provide a specific expectation, while others require or encourage shadowing without naming an hour count.
Is Shadowing Required for Medical School?
Shadowing is required by some medical schools, recommended by others and not treated as the only acceptable form of clinical exposure by the AAMC. A 2016 AAMC survey found that 73% of responding schools highly recommended or required observing clinical practice, while 87% accepted alternate activities when shadowing was unavailable. Only 43% of AAMC member schools responded, so those results are not a policy for every school.
Do DO Schools Require Shadowing a DO?
Not every DO school requires you to shadow a DO. AACOM says osteopathic medical schools value familiarity with osteopathic medicine and DO shadowing, but individual policies differ. ATSU-SOMA strongly encourages DO shadowing, while ICOM does not require it but considers it evidence of commitment to osteopathic medicine.
Does Virtual Shadowing Count for Medical School?
Some medical schools accept virtual shadowing, and policies differ. Xavier University of Louisiana College of Osteopathic Medicine permits online shadowing hours for its class matriculating in 2027, while the University of New Mexico School of Medicine now expects applicants to return to in-person clinical and shadowing experiences. Check every target school before relying on virtual hours.
How Long Should You Shadow a Doctor?
Your arrangement should fit the physician’s schedule and allow meaningful observation. AAMC Aspiring Docs gives examples ranging from one day to several hours a week over weeks or months, or a full-time week during a break. These are scheduling examples, not recommended hour minimums.
Should You Shadow More Than One Specialty?
You should follow each school’s guidance rather than assume multiple specialties are universally required. UMMC recommends shadowing a primary care physician and more than one specialty, but that recommendation applies to UMMC applicants. Observing different settings may also help you become familiar with specialties and medical environments.
Can a Doctor You Shadowed Write a Letter of Recommendation?
Yes, a physician you shadowed may write a recommendation if the school accepts that type of letter and the physician knows you well enough to support your application. AAMC Aspiring Docs advises asking promptly when an experience went well. Loma Linda suggests a letter from a shadowed physician, while DO school letter policies vary.
What Can You Do If You Cannot Find Shadowing?
Look for other patient-facing experience and confirm that your target schools accept it. Hospice volunteer, CNA, volunteer EMT, scribe and family caretaker are alternatives admissions officers have cited to the AAMC, and in the 2016 AAMC survey 87% of responding schools said they would accept alternate activities from applicants unable to find shadowing.
