Does it matter how you volunteer?

[nmd2027]

I'm currently working as a part-time scribe for a surgeon in my area, and I want to use the rest of my time during the week volunteering. I was thinking of being a volunteer biology/chemistry tutor for students at my nearby high school who can't make traditional tutoring hours. I am also a native Spanish speaker and would be willing to tutor anyone that has difficulty learning a topic because of the language barrier.

I'm wondering if this is something that medical schools would like to see. I definitely have an opportunity to volunteer at the hospital, but I feel like doing this is a little more unique (and honestly, very fun as I like to teach) than the traditional clinical volunteer experience. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

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[Crayola227]

I'm currently working as a part-time scribe for a surgeon in my area, and I want to use the rest of my time during the week volunteering. I was thinking of being a volunteer biology/chemistry tutor for students at my nearby high school who can't make traditional tutoring hours. I am also a native Spanish speaker and would be willing to tutor anyone that has difficulty learning a topic because of the language barrier.

I'm wondering if this is something that medical schools would like to see. I definitely have an opportunity to volunteer at the hospital, but I feel like doing this is a little more unique than the traditional clinical volunteer experience. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Teaching is always good, especially hard science, serving the underserved is always good, as are Spanish language skills.

The key thing is balance. The scribing for a surgeon is probably better quality shadowing and getting insight into the work of a doctor, than most hospital volunteering gigs but it depends on the details of the hospital volunteering.

I would always say that as long as you have the clinical experience that you need for your app, the rest of your volunteering should show passion, uniqueness, altruism, and longevity.

I don't know where you will be for total clinical experiences, types, and total hours, vs how much consistency you'll be able to have with these other activities.

But exact balance aside, yes, medical schools love to see the non-clinical volunteering activities you've mentioned in the non-clinical volunteering section.

 

[nmd2027]

Teaching is always good, especially hard science, serving the underserved is always good, as are Spanish language skills.

The key thing is balance. The scribing for a surgeon is probably better quality shadowing and getting insight into the work of a doctor, than most hospital volunteering gigs but it depends on the details of the hospital volunteering.

I would always say that as long as you have the clinical experience that you need for your app, the rest of your volunteering should show passion, uniqueness, altruism, and longevity.

I don't know where you will be for total clinical experiences, types, and total hours, vs how much consistency you'll be able to have with these other activities.

But exact balance aside, yes, medical schools love to see the non-clinical volunteering activities you've mentioned in the non-clinical volunteering section.

Thank you very much!

 

[BeMoConsulting]

Hi there! We always say that the volunteering activities you engage in should be those that you enjoy. You know you will need some clinical experience as part of your application, but once you have that, you can focus on other things that make you happy. The important thing to remember is that non-academic activities should show two things: Commitment + Progression. Additionally, the key is how you describe your activities when the time of the application comes. Using strong action verbs to talk about your responsibilities will help you highlight your skills. You should always think about the impact that the experience had on you and on others and about the skills you developed or enhanced by going through them. You should also mention how you will use these skills moving forward and how this learning will be useful. As you can see, it’s not about having a long list of activities but showing your ability to reflect on past experiences. Hope this helps!