Is it necessary to volunteer at Hospital?

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Will2Survive

All it takes is Will
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Is volunteering at a hospital really that necessary? I mean you really don't learn anything.. doctors are usually to be busy to talk to you etc.. I want to volunteer somewhere, but I don't know where.

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Is volunteering at a hospital really that necessary? I mean you really don't learn anything.. doctors are usually to be busy to talk to you etc.. I want to volunteer somewhere, but I don't know where.

Don't learn anything?
Seriously?
I can almost guarantee you don't have what 'it takes' to be a doctor with that logic.
 
Don't learn anything?
Seriously?
I can almost guarantee you don't have what 'it takes' to be a doctor with that logic.

That's not true in the slightest. It is well known that most hospital volunteering is unfulfilling.

What is necessary is clinical experience; you don't have to be in a hospital to get that, though that is the most common route.
 
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Don't learn anything?
Seriously?
I can almost guarantee you don't have what 'it takes' to be a doctor with that logic.

bro, chill out... I don't have what it takes to be a doctor? stop being such a gunner and an ***hole..

I am asking a simple question...
 
I have gotten two acceptances so far, along with 7 interviews, and I have zero clinical volunteer hours. The only clinical activity I have is shadowing (~50 hours). Do what you're passionate about and you'll be fine
 
Is volunteering at a hospital really that necessary? . . . I want to volunteer somewhere, but I don't know where.
To have your application appeal to the most schools, it is important to get clinical experience where you interact with patients, whether that be through volunteerism, employment, for class credit, or through clinical patient research. There are many places this can happen other than a hospital, like a skilled-nursing care facility, hospice, rehab, clinics (free-, family-planning, low income, VA, sport med, or even private), as an EMT, in certain camp environments, etc.

Regardless of how you acquire patient experience, nonmedical community service is also highly desirable. So is physician shadowing.
 
To have your application appeal to the most schools, it is important to get clinical experience where you interact with patients, whether that be through volunteerism, employment, for class credit, or through clinical patient research. There are many places this can happen other than a hospital, like a skilled-nursing care facility, hospice, rehab, clinics (free-, family-planning, low income, VA, sport med, or even private), as an EMT, in certain camp environments, etc.

Regardless of how you acquire patient experience, nonmedical community service is also highly desirable. So is physician shadowing.

thank you so much :), My next question was where could i get hours :). I'm going to try a clinic :)
 
I have gotten two acceptances so far, along with 7 interviews, and I have zero clinical volunteer hours. The only clinical activity I have is shadowing (~50 hours). Do what you're passionate about and you'll be fine
Wait, really? I'm trying to get as many clinical hours as possible to be able to apply next year, but I'm at a disadvantage because I'm starting next month, when the average of applicants is 1.5 years. I thought clinical experience was a requirement.
 
Clinical experience (or any other service) is kind of state dependent too. In texas, I know a lot of people with very few volunteering hours (but good/decent stats) who all get in.

I'd recommend a free clinic though.
 
Wait, really? I'm trying to get as many clinical hours as possible to be able to apply next year, but I'm at a disadvantage because I'm starting next month, when the average of applicants is 1.5 years. I thought clinical experience was a requirement.

It is certainly a benefit, but by no means is it a requirement. I never stepped foot in a hospital in a volunteering capacity and have only shadowed a family physician.

Without any clinical experience, it is difficult to convey what you know about medicine as a profession.
 
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Wait, really? I'm trying to get as many clinical hours as possible to be able to apply next year, but I'm at a disadvantage because I'm starting next month, when the average of applicants is 1.5 years. I thought clinical experience was a requirement.
His shadowing is still clinical experience. I had started hospital volunteering the same month I applied, averaged <4 hours per week from that time until my interview in September, and had those hours volunteering and a couple shadowing hours as the entirety of my clinical experience. Would a ton of hours improve your chances? Sure. Should you be worried because you don't meet the SDN-proclaimed "average" number of hours? Not at all.
 
Wait, really? I'm trying to get as many clinical hours as possible to be able to apply next year, but I'm at a disadvantage because I'm starting next month, when the average of applicants is 1.5 years. I thought clinical experience was a requirement.

It definitely isn't a requirement. I did all of my shadowing this Feb/march, applied in June/july and just got some acceptances. Prior to this I had zero clinical experience. Don't stress over it too much, do what you can in the time being. I did and at one point thought that it would keep me out of medical school. It didn't. Shadowing is much more important than hospital volunteering. Make sure in your AMCAS you write about what it meant to you. This is all just my opinion from my experience though...
 
I don't think it's absolutely necessary that you volunteer in a hospital, however I recommend you try and volunteer in the E.R. It can pretty interesting and you can interact with a lot of the staff. You also get familiarized with the hospital environment. I ask doctors plenty of questions whenever they aren't busy, and they don't mind.
 
I second that ER volunteer, I basically shadow residents and doctors
It's really a good experience
 
How can you be in a hospital and not have patient interaction? If you aren't getting interaction ask if you can.

It isn't illegal to take a elderly or pregnant patient to lab or OB or out to their car. Even helping in this capacity and chatting along the way is patient interaction.
 
Volunteering at a hospital itself, no, isn't a required activity.

The whole point of hospital volunteering is to get some insight into the medical profession. There are a variety of ways you can get that experience; hospital volunteering is usually mentioned since it's fairly easy (depending on the hospital) to get involved with and usually pretty flexible with respect to times.
 
I second that ER volunteer, I basically shadow residents and doctors
It's really a good experience
x3, I'm the only volunteer on my shift and I stay busy with patients and get more than enough exposure to things. So it's all about finding a good spot and sticking with it, be it a free clinic, hospital or in private practice.
 
Don't learn anything?
Seriously?
I can almost guarantee you don't have what 'it takes' to be a doctor with that logic.
That's ridiculous, and why is 'it takes' bounded by apostrophes?

OP, you need clinical experience. Without something that you can spin as meaningful patient contact your application is dead. You also need volunteer experience to show that you care, are empathetic, whatever. But clinical volunteer experience is not explicitly needed.
 
That's ridiculous, and why is 'it takes' bounded by apostrophes?

OP, you need clinical experience. Without something that you can spin as meaningful patient contact your application is dead. You also need volunteer experience to show that you care, are empathetic, whatever. But clinical volunteer experience is not explicitly needed.

I have 200+ shadowing hours
I coached baseball for 2 years for underprivileged kids
basketball for 1 year for boys and girls club

I'm going to try a free clinic and volunteer there
 
I have 200+ shadowing hours
I coached baseball for 2 years for underprivileged kids
basketball for 1 year for boys and girls club

I'm going to try a free clinic and volunteer there

Do you feel comfortable talking about your clinical experiences? Do you feel knowledgeable (or at least as knowledgeable as you can be) about the field? If so, then you probably don't need to do the volunteering unless you want to.
 
Clinical experience (or any other service) is kind of state dependent too. In texas, I know a lot of people with very few volunteering hours (but good/decent stats) who all get in.

I'd recommend a free clinic though.

It is certainly a benefit, but by no means is it a requirement. I never stepped foot in a hospital in a volunteering capacity and have only shadowed a family physician.

Without any clinical experience, it is difficult to convey what you know about medicine as a profession.

His shadowing is still clinical experience. I had started hospital volunteering the same month I applied, averaged <4 hours per week from that time until my interview in September, and had those hours volunteering and a couple shadowing hours as the entirety of my clinical experience. Would a ton of hours improve your chances? Sure. Should you be worried because you don't meet the SDN-proclaimed "average" number of hours? Not at all.

It definitely isn't a requirement. I did all of my shadowing this Feb/march, applied in June/july and just got some acceptances. Prior to this I had zero clinical experience. Don't stress over it too much, do what you can in the time being. I did and at one point thought that it would keep me out of medical school. It didn't. Shadowing is much more important than hospital volunteering. Make sure in your AMCAS you write about what it meant to you. This is all just my opinion from my experience though...
My mind is officially blown. :boom: I always thought that if you didn't have more than 100+ hours of clinical experience, your app was dead, which is why I was so worried about starting so late in November. If that's not the case, that's a huge weight off my back.
 
My mind is officially blown. :boom: I always thought that if you didn't have more than 100+ hours of clinical experience, your app was dead, which is why I was so worried about starting so late in November. If that's not the case, that's a huge weight off my back.

Nothing is as cut and dry as you make it- its all about the total package. However, again, you have to show that you know what it is like in the medical field to be taken seriously
 
Do you feel comfortable talking about your clinical experiences? Do you feel knowledgeable (or at least as knowledgeable as you can be) about the field? If so, then you probably don't need to do the volunteering unless you want to.

No I don't actually, thats why I really want the clinical experience. I'm searching for free clinics trying to find one that will hire me.
 
Hospitals are not the only route. Do you know anyone in the medical field that can help? My mother is a RN that has devoted her life to geriatrics. She is current the administrator for a very nice elderly care facility so when we take leave and I visit home I can easily volunteer at her facility. Geriatrics is not my niche like it is to her, but it is a way for me to assist doctors/nurses/therapists.

The point is don't just think of large scale hospitals. Look at all of your possibilities, find out what is around you. I personally would prefer to volunteer at a free clinic for awhile because I want to help the underserved communities, but some people may not like that. Do what you will feel passionate about because you will apply yourself more when possible.
 
To reiterate what many have said, you don't have to get clinical experience in a hospital, but it is an ideal and very convenient place for you to acquire valuable clinical experience. Just make sure you don't get put in the gift shop(which is still good service, but not the clinical exposure you need). To be honest for my first few weeks at the hospital all I did was answer the telecom and ask patients/family members on the ward for coffee. Once the clinical director saw that I was able to interact well with the personnel and patients, I was able to do more things(walk around with patients chill with them etc). But even while sitting at the reception, I was able to become accustomed to the hospital environment and learn the ins and outs of a hospital (not medicine but just how it runs and such). It makes a lot of sense for medical schools to emphasize clinical exposure. What if you started your 3rd year in med school and felt uncomfortable at the hospital? You would have wasted yours and the school's time and resources.

Do it to become familiar with the environment and make sure medicine is what you want to do. It's not a requirement but definitely important. As an added bonus, if the doctors have a spare minute for you to chat them up, you can always ask to shadow them :thumbup:
 
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