Does this count as volunteer hours?

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MDgirl92

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Does working as an EMT count as volunteer hours? I know lots of people do this but I mean working, not volunteering as one. Would I have to volunteer somewhere else as well?

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If you work in a medical environment, it isn't necessary to do additional clinical volunteering, but it would be helpful if you got involved in some nonmedical community service for a cause you care about.

Awesome thanks! I just have no interest in a volunteering at a hospital doing paperwork for hundreds of hours..
 

Don't be mad. You are confusing volunteering with clinical experience. Working as an EMT gives you the latter, not the former. To really strengthen your application and depth of experience, I would recommend some non-clinical service as well, like tutoring low-income kids or Habitat for Humanity.
 
There are several different categories of "experiences" on the AMCAS application. One is "volunteer, clinical" and another is "employment, non-military". Either of these experiences can be "clinical" depending on what it is. "Volunteer, clinical" or "volunteer, non-clinical" are obviously "volunteer" although there are other categories of experience that an also be volunteer such as "teaching/tutoring" which might be volunteer or might be paid. There are some other situations where something might fit into more than one category and you need to decide how to label it.

Most schools will want to see that you have had some exposure to patients/medical settings so as to test your interest in medicine and to determine that it is a good fit for you (thus answering the question, "will this applicant love medicine?".) Some schools are also looking for applicants who are generous with their time in service to others, particularly the needy as the adcom of a given school might consider this an important characteristic for students at that school (thus answering the question, "will this applicant fit with our school's culture?"). Those schools are going to be looking for "volunteer, clinical" and/or "volunteer, non-clinical" activities on the application.

Clinical employment is almost always as good or better than "volunteer, clinical" to show that you have tested your interest in medicine as a career. Clinical employment is not a substitute for volunteerism at a school that highly values volunteerism.
 
There are several different categories of "experiences" on the AMCAS application. One is "volunteer, clinical" and another is "employment, non-military". Either of these experiences can be "clinical" depending on what it is. "Volunteer, clinical" or "volunteer, non-clinical" are obviously "volunteer" although there are other categories of experience that an also be volunteer such as "teaching/tutoring" which might be volunteer or might be paid. There are some other situations where something might fit into more than one category and you need to decide how to label it.
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Well thank you! I appreciate you answering my question and all :)
 
Don't be mad. You are confusing volunteering with clinical experience. Working as an EMT gives you the latter, not the former. To really strengthen your application and depth of experience, I would recommend some non-clinical service as well, like tutoring low-income kids or Habitat for Humanity.

I was thinking about coaching under-privileged kids in soccer, good idea?
 
I was thinking about coaching under-privileged kids in soccer, good idea?

On the contrary, why would this be a bad idea?

It's volunteering, it's fun, it's helping other people! Go!
 
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