So I have already sent out 3 emails to some local PT practices and have had no response in the past 2 weeks. I will definitely try to reach out harder and to more places, but it is kind of disappointing not to even get an acknowledgement from them thus far. Also, are they usually flexible to your hours of need? I work full time so I would need pretty short and specific hours to observe.
Is it hard to get volunteer hours?
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I would highly recommend walking into the PT office and asking in person. Have a resume ready in case they would like to view it.
In my experience it hasn't been hard finding hours, just realize not every place is going to say yes. Some places want interviews, others don't.
In my experience it hasn't been hard finding hours, just realize not every place is going to say yes. Some places want interviews, others don't.
Hi,
I was wondering the same thing myself. I called one place to volunteer, and I left a voicemail since no one picked up, and I did not receive a response. I called another place, and they told me that they are currently accepting student volunteers so she gave me the email of the volunteer coordinator to contact. I sent her an email, and I never received a response. I also work full time from 8-5pm, most places close shortly after 5pm, and most PT places around here are not open on weekends. I recently started the job too so it is difficult for me to get some time off so I understand how it is.
I have talked to a few people though, and they said that if you can, try to take a little bit of time off to go and talk to a pt volunteer coordinator in person instead of trying to contact by email. It will look better to that person, and you will more than likely be able to find volunteer work that way. Also, be persistent. Don't just contact them once and not contact them again if you do not hear a response. They want to see that you really are truly interested in volunteering. Good luck!
I was wondering the same thing myself. I called one place to volunteer, and I left a voicemail since no one picked up, and I did not receive a response. I called another place, and they told me that they are currently accepting student volunteers so she gave me the email of the volunteer coordinator to contact. I sent her an email, and I never received a response. I also work full time from 8-5pm, most places close shortly after 5pm, and most PT places around here are not open on weekends. I recently started the job too so it is difficult for me to get some time off so I understand how it is.
I have talked to a few people though, and they said that if you can, try to take a little bit of time off to go and talk to a pt volunteer coordinator in person instead of trying to contact by email. It will look better to that person, and you will more than likely be able to find volunteer work that way. Also, be persistent. Don't just contact them once and not contact them again if you do not hear a response. They want to see that you really are truly interested in volunteering. Good luck!
Honestly, the lack of response shouldn't be taken as an insult. They're likely just busy; life in a PT clinic is like treading water, and answering e-mails sometimes gets pushed to the periphery.
Getting volunteer hours shouldn't be challenging. Most physical therapy clinics would love an extra pair of hands. However, getting hours at a specific location can be depending on the amount of students requesting to volunteer. Some of the mecca hospitals in big cities actually have waitlists.
My suggestion would be to ask around and see if you know someone that knows someone at a PT clinic. As with everything else in life, connections mean everything, so that'll likely grease some hands. Otherwise, be proactive and walk into the clinics. Talk to the director or office manager and get a feel for how they use volunteers. If they offer you a spot, take it. If not, then move to the next one. It's potentially an exhausting process but will be worth it. Good luck!
Getting volunteer hours shouldn't be challenging. Most physical therapy clinics would love an extra pair of hands. However, getting hours at a specific location can be depending on the amount of students requesting to volunteer. Some of the mecca hospitals in big cities actually have waitlists.
My suggestion would be to ask around and see if you know someone that knows someone at a PT clinic. As with everything else in life, connections mean everything, so that'll likely grease some hands. Otherwise, be proactive and walk into the clinics. Talk to the director or office manager and get a feel for how they use volunteers. If they offer you a spot, take it. If not, then move to the next one. It's potentially an exhausting process but will be worth it. Good luck!
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I forgot to mention, but as other people said, in-patient/hospital hours are much harder to get. Some schools even require that you have some time in in-patient PT.
For a hospital I would call instead of going in person. Those are the places that will want an interview first and may put you on a waiting list, so make sure you organize this a year before you plan on applying to grad school.
For a hospital I would call instead of going in person. Those are the places that will want an interview first and may put you on a waiting list, so make sure you organize this a year before you plan on applying to grad school.
I agree with thekman. You should check with friends and friends of friends to see if anyone can help set you up with a volunteer position. Connections seem to be the key in today's world. I was having a difficult time finding volunteer work as well at the places I did not know anyone, but it looks like I might get to start volunteering in inpatient at the hospital my brother works at, only because he knows some of the PTs at the hospital well. So ask everyone you know, you might be surprised to find a connection somewhere. Even if you know a nurse or a doctor ect. in a hospital, they most likely communicate with PTs often while on the job.
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I echo most of what's been said. In patient is usually the hardest to get into, so start earl in case you are put on a waiting list. I also found that I had the best response from calling on the phone/going in person. Emails, like others have said, are much easier to ignore, so a phone call/a physical person is not, although it is still possible to get "ignored" via these methods. And as someone else stated, try not to take it personally; they are busy and probably get a lot of questions about volunteering so sometimes it's hard for them to keep up with everyone's needs.
I finally got an email back 
... they are asking how many hours I want to do. Since I'm new with this I'm not sure what to do. What is a good start? I most likely won't be doing more than 6 hours a week since I have a busy schedule already. Do they need to know a specific total amount of hours I want to go there? I was hoping to just feel that out as I go.
... they are asking how many hours I want to do. Since I'm new with this I'm not sure what to do. What is a good start? I most likely won't be doing more than 6 hours a week since I have a busy schedule already. Do they need to know a specific total amount of hours I want to go there? I was hoping to just feel that out as I go.- Joined
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Just tell them you were hoping to volunteer for about 6 hours a week, and that certain times would work better than other times. If you're not sure of total hours, aim for about 100.I finally got an email back
I finally got an email back
What type of a setting is it? If it's a single setting like outpatient orthopedic, I'd say a 50 hours commitment would suffice. You can always ask to stay longer if you feel like you haven't learned enough.
If you're strictly observing or shadowing, I think that having a broader array of 50-75 hour experiences in multiple settings will probably trump having a thousand hours in outpatient ortho. If you're actually involved in patient care as an aide though, that's another story.
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The reason I recommend 100 is because it's his first setting. In my opinion the largest amount of hours should come from the first experience, so that he can fully grasp what that place has to offer and get a better understanding of how a PT office works. There's a much smaller adjustment period in succeeding observation settings, and thus he won't need to stay as long at the next places. Plus, I personally just don't think 50 hours is enough to get a glimpse at the full variety of patients.
If you're in a case when you only have 100 hours of volunteering time before applying to PT school, then I would break it up into 2-3 settings (because variety is indeed more important than a massive number of hours at one place). But If you have the time to do 75-100 at each place, my advice is to do at least that.
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If you're looking for inpatient/acute start the process early! I applied at a large hospital in August and only just started last week finally. There were interviews, training sessions, medical records, blood tests, etc. But even then, I get to work at the information desk for 40 hours before they will consider transferring me to PT. They also ask for a commitment of 100 hours minimum. But I'm okay with that, because I plan on getting a lot of hours, and I can get a lot of different experiences in a large hospital.
Something I learned along the way...
Even if you're trying to observe in acute care, speak to a physical therapist instead of a volunteer coordinator for a hospital. I called and spoke to a VC who was very rude when I mentioned my interest in anything remotely related to PT. Given that I was working full-time as a tech and going to school at night, I didn't have a TON of free time to just volunteer at the Help Desk. Of course, I didn't mention that to her, but I did mention that I'd like to eventually observe in-patient PT. She was not inclined to help me just because I mentioned my interest.
After a personal appointment at a different hospital, I stopped by the out-patient clinic and spoke to a physical therapist, explaining that I was a student and interested in learning more about in-patient PT. He took a little bit of time out of his lunch hour to walk me to the volunteer coordinator's office and ensure that I was volunteering with his acute care PTs over the summer. I went in for orientation a few days later and had 50+ hours of observation over the summer. If it weren't for him, I never would've had that observation experience. I'm so thankful that he was so willing to help someone interested in PT. Speaking to a therapist in person makes a huge difference.
Even if you're trying to observe in acute care, speak to a physical therapist instead of a volunteer coordinator for a hospital. I called and spoke to a VC who was very rude when I mentioned my interest in anything remotely related to PT. Given that I was working full-time as a tech and going to school at night, I didn't have a TON of free time to just volunteer at the Help Desk. Of course, I didn't mention that to her, but I did mention that I'd like to eventually observe in-patient PT. She was not inclined to help me just because I mentioned my interest.
After a personal appointment at a different hospital, I stopped by the out-patient clinic and spoke to a physical therapist, explaining that I was a student and interested in learning more about in-patient PT. He took a little bit of time out of his lunch hour to walk me to the volunteer coordinator's office and ensure that I was volunteering with his acute care PTs over the summer. I went in for orientation a few days later and had 50+ hours of observation over the summer. If it weren't for him, I never would've had that observation experience. I'm so thankful that he was so willing to help someone interested in PT. Speaking to a therapist in person makes a huge difference.
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I think every hospital and every department is different. At mine they spend something like $1200 to $1500 per volunteer so I'm sure they try to invest those costs by requiring 40 hours of gift shop, information desk, etc. They get more use out of you there than observing a PT. They also want to see if you are committed, they don't want to spend all that money just to have you show up for a month and you're gone. I have no problem putting in my time I think it's only fair, but then again I won't apply to PT school for two more years, so I have the time.
One word of advice though, don't mention anything about getting hours for grad school, just say you want to help people and work in the health sciences field and you want to get a feel for different careers and professions and life in a hospital. Just like any interview, they want to know what you can do for them, not what they can do for you.
One word of advice though, don't mention anything about getting hours for grad school, just say you want to help people and work in the health sciences field and you want to get a feel for different careers and professions and life in a hospital. Just like any interview, they want to know what you can do for them, not what they can do for you.
Since volunteers are not paid, did your hospital say how it arrived at that figure? At mine, the only perks we get is free parking in the hospital deck, and a voucher for $3 to spend at the cafeteria if we work more than 3 hours in one stretch.
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It's not compensation to us or perks, but operating costs to keep us there. There's training, orientation, blood tests, tb tests, shirts, etc. All cost money. Most of it is incurred before you even start your first shift, so they want to make sure you add value after the money they have spent. Let's be honest, if the hospital doesn't get some kind of benefit from us being there they won't let us in the door. And observing a PT doesn't necessarily give a whole lot to the hospital. But working the front desk does and I think it's only fair to trade benefit for benefit.
I think the benefit hospitals receive is brand awareness and/or marketing. I knew very little about Hospital B before my summer there. I had a great experience. The staff was very knowledgeable, approachable, and professional. Now, if asked about this hospital, I have many positive things to say. I would seriously consider working there after I graduate from PT school. They're getting their name out there on volunteer's resumes and increasing their presence in the community.
I don't believe my hospital was out a great sum of money. They provided us with IDs, TB testing, free parking, and free lunch on the days we volunteered. Those costs are pennies to a large healthcare organization. It certainly did not greatly benefit from any of the "skills" a group of high school and college kids performed.
I don't believe my hospital was out a great sum of money. They provided us with IDs, TB testing, free parking, and free lunch on the days we volunteered. Those costs are pennies to a large healthcare organization. It certainly did not greatly benefit from any of the "skills" a group of high school and college kids performed.
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I agree that while they do benefit from word of mouth and marketing, I'm not sure it's a worthwhile endeavor to spend all that time and money on a volunteer just so they have good things to say about their hospital. I don't think that's the primary benefit they get from us working there.
The costs of a volunteer are not just IDs and TB tests (I don't get a free meal). There are two full time employees to supervise and train the volunteers at my hospital. While it's not a huge amount of money to a giant hospital, their labor has to be calculated in to the cost as well.
Working at the information desk, we are the first people patients and visitors see when they come and the last people they see when they leave. I feel we benefit the hospital a great deal and the volunteer coordinators make us feel very appreciated. If we weren't there, they would have to hire someone to fill our positions, I doubt they would care if volunteers weren't there to observe a PT.
It's a win-win, we help the hospital, and in turn they help us get hours. I don't blame you for circumventing the volunteer process, because we all have schedules and time constraints, I just find value in starting from the bottom.
The costs of a volunteer are not just IDs and TB tests (I don't get a free meal
). There are two full time employees to supervise and train the volunteers at my hospital. While it's not a huge amount of money to a giant hospital, their labor has to be calculated in to the cost as well.Working at the information desk, we are the first people patients and visitors see when they come and the last people they see when they leave. I feel we benefit the hospital a great deal and the volunteer coordinators make us feel very appreciated. If we weren't there, they would have to hire someone to fill our positions, I doubt they would care if volunteers weren't there to observe a PT.
It's a win-win, we help the hospital, and in turn they help us get hours. I don't blame you for circumventing the volunteer process, because we all have schedules and time constraints, I just find value in starting from the bottom.
An Excel spreadsheet. For those of you who file your own taxes, the commute to/from your volunteer gig may be tax-deductible. Excel can help tally it up nicely.
