Visiting Medical Student Policy
Student Shadowing Program Guidelines
A hospital job shadow is a short-term observational experience where aspiring individuals follows a hospital employee—typically a physician, nurse, or other clinical staff—to learn what their day-to-day work is like.
During a job shadow, the participant:
- Observes patient care and clinical workflows (without actively participating)
- Gains insight into the responsibilities, environment, and pace of the role
- Learns about medical decision-making, teamwork, and hospital operations
- Has opportunities to ask questions and explore career interests
Job shadowing is
- Unpaid
- Short in duration (often a few hours to a few days)
- Non-hands-on, meaning no direct patient care or procedures are performed by the student
This student shadowing program is designed exclusively for medical students or college students actively pursuing admission to medical school (MD or DO programs).
To be eligible for shadowing, students must first independently secure a physician willing to host them. Once a physician has been confirmed, students must complete all required steps and submit all documentation, no exceptions will be made.
Shadowing is limited to a maximum of five (5) days per experience, and requests must be submitted no more than 30 days prior to the desired shadowing start date.
If you meet the eligibility criteria, have secured a host, and are interested in participating, please complete all required documents and submit them all at once to [email protected]
All non-staff individuals and students are required to complete and return the following materials at least 14 days prior to the start of shadowing:
A. Required Forms
- Must be signed by the student
- Requires a parent/guardian co-signature if the student is a minor
- Job Shadow Request Form
- Job Shadow Confidentiality Agreement
- Clinical Shadow Experience Clinical Attestations
- Shadowing Requirements Statement Form (includes 2 videos)
- Proof of recent flu vaccine.
- Negative TB Test.
Please note: Failure to complete and submit all required forms will result in denial of your shadowing request.
For any questions, please contact [email protected]