Volunteer Hours

[Simpson]

I have been volunteering at my local hospital for a number of weeks. In addition accumulated a significant number of hours. I have hit 100 hours of volunteering/shadowing. I stay rather late at the ER because it is obviously opened 24 hours to help me gain hours faster;however, on a generic scale, how many hours should I aim for.

For instance, let's say I continued until I reached 1,000 hours. Would gaining this many hours actually help my application? or would it be compared to the same as 500 hours. I am implying, that the difference is quite large,however, medical schools would consider it above average category. Currently my HS studies have came to an end. AP testing is over, and I have exempted all of my exams (except LATIN).

I am asking this question simply because of opportunity cost; I enjoy my position very much so and have been given a tremendous amount of insight regarding medicine. On the other side, I do not wish to limit my success to just experience in a hospital where I am not paid. In conclusion, I want to make a poll to help me decide.

Thank you!

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[WedgeDawg]

The fact that you believe the end goal here is # of hours heavily suggests you don't understand the point of clinical volunteering as it pertains to the application process. For reference, I applied with fewer than 200 hours, but because of the way I wrote about my experiences, the topic always came up favorably during interviews.

Volunteering is a chance to learn about the environment you may find yourself working in and beginning to understand your own feelings about working in healthcare. Once you accomplish that, volunteering hours have sharply diminishing returns in terms of their bearing on your app (though obviously it's always a wonderful thing to devote your time and energy towards helping other people). If you continue to volunteer after learning these things, do so for the intrinsic value of it rather than hoping it will significantly benefit your app.

 

[mmmcdowe]

In terms of your application to medical school, technically your hours while in high school cannot be counted and, in general, they recommend not listing these EC's unless you 1) Continued them in college and 2) Your responsibilities were greater than they were in high school. I imagine by now your college apps are in, so I would only continue the experience for your own personal benefit.

 

[Simpson]

In terms of your application to medical school, technically your hours while in high school cannot be counted and, in general, they recommend not listing these EC's unless you 1) Continued them in college and 2) Your responsibilities were greater than they were in high school. I imagine by now your college apps are in, so I would only continue the experience for your own personal benefit.

Well, I am in college *dual enrolled.
So do I count these hours or not?

 

[mcatjelly]

Well, I am in college *dual enrolled.
So do I count these hours or not?

Taking college courses in high school is not the same as being in college.

If you plan to continue volunteering at the same hospital throughout your undergraduate career, you could make an argument for including those hours in your application. If you plan on leaving, I would talk about the experience in your personal statement (and also mention the extent of the commitment), but not include them under work/activities done while in college.

 

[Simpson]

Taking college courses in high school is not the same as being in college.

If you plan to continue volunteering at the same hospital throughout your undergraduate career, you could make an argument for including those hours in your application. If you plan on leaving, I would talk about the experience in your personal statement (and also mention the extent of the commitment), but not include them under work/activities done while in college.

I disagree. I will just send ADCOM a message.

 

[hippo_crates]

How can you disagree when you're asking the question?

 

[ndafife]

I disagree. I will just send ADCOM a message.

Well, I am in college *dual enrolled.
So do I count these hours or not?

1. Dual enrolled is still high school. Until you get a diploma, its still HS.

2. Unless you continue the same activity (and I mean specifically the same activity - volunteering at the same hospital/shadowing the same doctor) through college it does not and should not count.

 

[mcatjelly]

I disagree. I will just send ADCOM a message.

You disagree with dual-enrolled still being considered high school...? Have you graduated high school yet? "Dual enrollment programs allow high school students to enroll in college courses before high school graduation, giving them firsthand exposure to the requirements of college-level work and allowing them to gain high school and college credit simultaneously."

I'm not arguing that the courses you aren't taking aren't college-level, but that you are not yet a college student. You are not yet enrolled in a bachelor's degree program.

Your posts are very stereotypical "I am a smarter than thou high school student". We've all been there at some point, it's no big, but it never hurts to keep an open mind and accept when you're around people who know more than you.

 

[Simpson]

The credits I am receiving go towards my BS degree. That is why I am not in total agreement. Unless you have evidence, I can't just dismiss the notion.

 

[Apollo1]

The credits I am receiving go towards my BS degree. That is why I am not in total agreement. Unless you have evidence, I can't just dismiss the notion.

Dual-enrollment covers special programs that allow high-school students to take college courses in advance. You are getting a leg up on your future core requisites, but you're still technically in high-school.

 

[ndafife]

The credits I am receiving go towards my BS degree. That is why I am not in total agreement. Unless you have evidence, I can't just dismiss the notion.

You didn't have your HS diploma yet. You were in high school. Period. End of story.

From the AMCAS manual: "Assign High School (HS) status to college-level courses taken prior to the high school graduation date you entered in the Schools Attended section, regardless of the physical location of the college-level course." So given the fact that AMCAS views you as a high school student, you are a high schooler.

Stop acting like an arrogant know-it-all. We know more than you and have been through it all. That is why we are here, to provide some help to students like you.

 

[22031 Alum]

The credits I am receiving go towards my BS degree. That is why I am not in total agreement. Unless you have evidence, I can't just dismiss the notion.

I get the distinct impression that you're the biggest fish in whatever small-pond high school you go to. Dual-enrollment is not a big deal. Thousands of kids do it. On a discussion board made up almost entirely of people with the ability to go to med school, it is neither special nor impressive. That said, activities you do now are high school activities. You don't have to believe us, but you are years away from applying so you have plenty of time to learn (and mature).

 

[hippo_crates]

^^^ I'm in a dual enrollment program right now and when I signed up it explicitly said that although these were college level courses and I was enrolled in college classes, many graduate schools, law, medicine, dental, etc, many would only recognize the grades and not the extracurriculars that take place concurrently with the dual enrollment program.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Regardless, you will likely obtain better and more meaningful activities throughout college that will surpass what you are doing currently. There is a finite amount of space on your AMCAS application, you will likely not have space for this unless, like I mentioned above, you continue you it at a higher level for years in college. Even if it makes it into your list of ECs on AMCAS, it will not make a significant impact on your resume strength because you also have to list the dates that you performed it. If it is your primary clinical volunteering activity (assuming you do not continue it in college), you will be considered to have poor clinical exposure even if you log 1000 hours between now and freshman year of college.

Also as a point of clarification, your credits are able to be put towards A bachelors degree, but you are not a bachelors degree candidate based on what you do in high school even if you obtained 120 credits in a dual enrollment program because that program is not accredited to offer people in that program a bachelors degree. You would still have to spend some amount of time at the college subsequently to obtain a bachelors degree.

 

[Simpson]

I get the distinct impression that you're the biggest fish in whatever small-pond high school you go to. Dual-enrollment is not a big deal. Thousands of kids do it. On a discussion board made up almost entirely of people with the ability to go to med school, it is neither special nor impressive. That said, activities you do now are high school activities. You don't have to believe us, but you are years away from applying so you have plenty of time to learn (and mature).

Are you okay?

 

[Simpson]

Regardless, you will likely obtain better and more meaningful activities throughout college that will surpass what you are doing currently. There is a finite amount of space on your AMCAS application, you will likely not have space for this unless, like I mentioned above, you continue you it at a higher level for years in college. Even if it makes it into your list of ECs on AMCAS, it will not make a significant impact on your resume strength because you also have to list the dates that you performed it. If it is your primary clinical volunteering activity (assuming you do not continue it in college), you will be considered to have poor clinical exposure even if you log 1000 hours between now and freshman year of college.

Also as a point of clarification, your credits are able to be put towards A bachelors degree, but you are not a bachelors degree candidate based on what you do in high school even if you obtained 120 credits in a dual enrollment program because that program is not accredited to offer people in that program a bachelors degree. You would still have to spend some amount of time at the college subsequently to obtain a bachelors degree.

I never said that would be the only clinical experience I would note.
How many lines do I have?
Define "finite"

 

[mmmcdowe]

I never said that would be the only clinical experience I would note.
How many lines do I have?
Define "finite"

I never said tthat it would be either, merely pointing out that if it wasnt it wouldnt help you much and if it was it wouldnt help you much (assuming you didnt continue it in college).

15 when I applied. Someone closer can probably confirm or correct. You are also able to designate a select few as most important and get extra space to explain why.

 

[Simpson]

I never said tthat it would be either, merely pointing out that if it wasnt it wouldnt help you much and if it was it wouldnt help you much (assuming you didnt continue it in college).

15 when I applied. Someone closer can probably confirm or correct. You are also able to designate a select few as most important and get extra space to explain why.

Alright, thanks.
Did you ever post your stats in the forum, if so can you direct me them?

 

[mmmcdowe]

Alright, thanks.
Did you ever post your stats in the forum, if so can you direct me them?

I did not, but my information is contributed to mdapplicants.com and can be viewed there among the other mad ivy league gunners up in here .

 

[Simpson]

I did not, but my information is contributed to mdapplicants.com and can be viewed there among the other mad ivy league gunners up in here .

What is your md application name? just curious

 

[mmmcdowe]

What is your md application name? just curious

There isnt one. I contributed it without a user name to help others, but I did so anonymously.

 

[Simpson]

There isnt one. I contributed it without a user name to help others, but I did so anonymously.

Found it

MCAT: BS 15, PS 14, VR 11, T
Overall GPA: 3.97
Science GPA: 3.95

 

[mmmcdowe]

Found it

MCAT: BS 15, PS 14, VR 11, T
Overall GPA: 3.97
Science GPA: 3.95

If you want to think thats me then feel free. That being said, it is extremely poor form to try to out someone on the forum.

 

[Simpson]

If you want to think thats me then feel free. That being said, it is extremely poor form to try to out someone on the forum.

The MD applicant name was MMMCdo1 . I assumed it was you.
I don't see anything wrong with estimating your "IVY gunner stats".

 

[mcatjelly]

The MD applicant name was MMMCdo1 . I assumed it was you.
I don't see anything wrong with estimating your "IVY gunner stats".

They clearly did not want this information on this forum. You seriously need to step outside your egocentric bubble.

 

[mmmcdowe]

The MD applicant name was MMMCdo1 . I assumed it was you.
I don't see anything wrong with estimating your "IVY gunner stats".

I am unable to find any such applicant on mdapplicants. Nor can I find them when I input those stats.

 

[Simpson]

They clearly did not want this information on this forum. You seriously need to step outside your egocentric bubble.

*facepalm

I defined the IVY league gunner stats.
Can you not just read the post?
He even said it was anonymous, therefore, it would be IMPOSSIBLE to figure out his stats.

MMMCdo1 is an inside joke, never mind.