Dornsife/Keck Shadowing Program

Our Shadowing Program is open to all USC pre-health students who meet the eligibility requirements. Inclusive across majors, the program welcomes anyone on the pre-health track, including non-science majors and students from other schools (such as Marshall, Viterbi, etc.).

Our programs are designed to meet students where they are, and we use a hybrid admissions process with eligibility requirements and a self-assessment form.

• GPA above 3.0
• Letter of Recommendation
• 100 hours of total hospital or clinical volunteering or research
• Junior standing or above
  • Units completed: 64 units and above

Please provide the proper documentation so we may verify the GPA, units, and hours.

Our program provides an opportunity to explore and affirm your interest in medicine and healthcare through physician shadowing, mentorship, and guided reflection. ​

• Close-up observation of clinical practice​
• Meaningful engagement with peers, mentors, & advisors​
• Deeper understanding of the physician’s role ​
• Build professional insight and diverse perspective in healthcare​
• Self-reflection on your readiness to pursue this career

General Application​

• Tell us about your academic and background, your starting point for the pathway.​

Short Essay​

• Share your motivation and goals, why shadowing matters in your journey.​

Self-Assessment Form​

• Reflect on your experiences and map them to key pre-health competencies.​

The application is open on June 15th, 2026. Submission will be accepted through June 30th, 2026.

We look forward to receiving your application.

We currently partner with Keck Hospital to facilitate shadowing with faculty MDs and DOs across a wide variety of clinical specialties. We are happy to announce that this partnership now also includes PA shadowing in a wide range of specialties. We are continuously striving to expand our partnerships with additional clinical sites and health professional schools.

Helps us understand your readiness, reflect on your experiences, and guide placement. Your experiences are unique and may fit into one or more categories, choose the best fit category…If you have an experience that fits in more than one, choose the best fitting category.​

• Academic & Research Readiness​
• Clinical & Healthcare Exposure ​
• Service, Leadership, & Cultural Engagement ​
• *Other Impactful Experience (optional)