Non-clinical volunteering & non-profit employment

[Emh_omega-323]

Hi y'all! I'm a very non-traditional student (will be 10 yrs out of undergrad when I apply). I do have at least 1,000 hours non-clinical volunteering back in 2017 directly with those less fortunate than myself but I know this is old. I have also spent the better part of the last 10 years working in non-profits, some in direct service and some in advocacy. I'm wondering how adcoms will view this and if I need more non-clinical volunteering.

On the one hand I hope that dedicating the last decade of my life to various causes shows I'm committed to service. How much does it matter that I was paid and do I still "tick the box?" If I need to pick up more non-clinical volunteering now I definitely will, but I suppose my concern has been that I will have so many different experiences on my activities section that I will appear scattered.

Any thoughts?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[gyngyn]

Hi y'all! I'm a very non-traditional student (will be 10 yrs out of undergrad when I apply). I do have at least 1,000 hours non-clinical volunteering back in 2017 directly with those less fortunate than myself but I know this is old. I have also spent the better part of the last 10 years working in non-profits, some in direct service and some in advocacy. I'm wondering how adcoms will view this and if I need more non-clinical volunteering.

On the one hand I hope that dedicating the last decade of my life to various causes shows I'm committed to service. How much does it matter that I was paid and do I still "tick the box?" If I need to pick up more non-clinical volunteering now I definitely will, but I suppose my concern has been that I will have so many different experiences on my activities section that I will appear scattered.

Any thoughts?

This will be viewed favorably.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

If you could explain exactly what you did, it might give me a bit more insight how adcoms might view it. Because you spent so much time post-graduation on this cause, you probably will get some credit depending on what you did.

 

[Emh_omega-323]

The first chunk of my employment history is in environmental education with kids, the second chunk in human rights advocacy/lobbying. The non-clinical volunteering is in humanitarian aid (food, water, medical aid) to migrants on the US/Mexico border.
I've bounced around a lot and also worked in the travel industry where jobs are meant to be short term. But I think I've got a pretty strong story as to how I ended up in medicine and will have 2 years fully devoted to it by the time I apply.