I’m worried that virtual/ZOOM shadowing will harm my application. I’m also worried about in-person volunteer opportunities and exposing my family to COVID

Nontraditional Premed Discussion
1

I had a few in-person clinical opportunities lined up this summer that were cancelled due to the virus…and I’m disappointed but also sort of relieved. I’m scared to commit to a volunteer position that might not take my safety seriously; my worst fear is bringing COVID home to my 60yo mother, who is a cancer patient and graciously moved in last year to help with my toddler while I returned to school. If the pandemic is still an issue by the time I’m accepted, I’m willing to live separately and quarantine from my family if necessary…however, my husband’s position has been terminated until spring so we can’t afford for me to do that right now.

I have a mentor with Prescribe It Forward who suggested virtual shadowing to me. I didn’t realize this was an option until now…but I am wondering if medical schools will discount or dismiss “virtual” clinical hours, even in light of the pandemic?

I’m a mother, I work part-time, go to school part-time, and have a 4.0 (haven’t taken MCAT). I am the only person in our household bringing in money because my husband’s unemployment ran out a few weeks ago, so the virtual shadowing is honestly a fantastic option for me, considering my work/study/parenting schedule.

Will medical schools be sympathetic towards my situation? Or should I be making moves to ensure that I can access in-person shadowing/volunteer opportunities, even if it means separating from my household for a while?

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I think that there was a video that Dr. Grey had touched on about a premed who was worried about applying with zero in-person shadowing experiences. He mentioned that medical schools may take on case by case situations where covid affected the student’s ability to get shadowing during covid and he was saying it looks bad if you didn’t do anything during this time. He also stated that by doing something like virtual shadowing was better than no shadowing and would show that you are still serious about medicine, despite a global pandemic.

I am in the same boat. Come February of 2020 I was doing great and about to shadow and then the pandemic slapped my life so hard where I couldn’t leave the house to get any medical requirements done. Hopefully medical schools may be understanding of many students in this position besides just us nontrads.