A Worthwhile Volunteer Opportunity?

[memeskook]

Hi, I'm a freshman Premed student who's just about done with my first year in university. I work part time in a clinical job every other weekend. I would like to volunteer, and I know the importance of volunteering in a clinical position, but I am wondering how to know if an opportunity is worthwhile or not.

For instance, in my part-time job, I work as a CNA so I can see outright my involvement through my assistance with patients and interactions with nurses. However, the hospital I used to volunteer with during high school consists of mainly mundane activities, even in places such as the emergency department. As a civilian volunteer, we are not allowed to touch the patients in any way for obvious reasons, so I mainly handed out blankets, introducing myself to admitted patients as a volunteer and letting them know that I was available to give pillows, water, call the nurse, etc. I stayed in that position for about a year before transferring to transport, in which I helped with discharging patients and maneuvered around the hospital, from patient rooms to X-rays and back. Through my experience as a CNA, though, I am not sure if this volunteer work actually accomplishes anything in comparison. The interaction with patients and healthcare faculty is very minimal, as I am more of an outsider just lending a hand.

This contrasts with other volunteer activities I've done, such as Habitat for Humanity, in which I have been able to visibly see my impact in helping build houses and such.

Does something such as this matter? Am I just overthinking it? Are all medical-related volunteer opportunities surface level such as this?

@LizzyM

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[WIMNFamilyMed]

For the last point, I don’t believe they are all like that but finding one that isn’t can be tricky. As a hospice volunteer I frequently help the CNAs and RNs, doing cna-typenwork. Feeding patients is also a duty at this facility. However, the facility itself indicates that this level of patient contact is not possible in most places.

Volunteering at a nursing home may give you a more consistent group of patients and help you develop relationships with them and staff to have more meaningful experiences.

 

[jarednogeek]

Find a clinical activity you like and a non clinical volunteer activity you enjoy. Try to do them once a week or every other week for a couple years until you apply. consistency looks good. If you don't enjoy an activity or don't get something out of it, don't do it. In the end it's not just the hours you put in, but the experiences you get out of it. When asked in an interview the impacts you made with the activity, and the impacts it made on your life, can you have a heartfelt answer?

 

[Catalystik]

Hi, I'm a freshman Premed student who's just about done with my first year in university. I work part time in a clinical job every other weekend. I would like to volunteer, and I know the importance of volunteering in a clinical position, but I am wondering how to know if an opportunity is worthwhile or not.

For instance, in my part-time job, I work as a CNA so I can see outright my involvement through my assistance with patients and interactions with nurses. However, the hospital I used to volunteer with during high school consists of mainly mundane activities, even in places such as the emergency department. As a civilian volunteer, we are not allowed to touch the patients in any way for obvious reasons, so I mainly handed out blankets, introducing myself to admitted patients as a volunteer and letting them know that I was available to give pillows, water, call the nurse, etc. I stayed in that position for about a year before transferring to transport, in which I helped with discharging patients and maneuvered around the hospital, from patient rooms to X-rays and back. Through my experience as a CNA, though, I am not sure if this volunteer work actually accomplishes anything in comparison. The interaction with patients and healthcare faculty is very minimal, as I am more of an outsider just lending a hand.

This contrasts with other volunteer activities I've done, such as Habitat for Humanity, in which I have been able to visibly see my impact in helping build houses and such.

Does something such as this matter? Am I just overthinking it? Are all medical-related volunteer opportunities surface level such as this?

@LizzyM

If you are getting active clinical experience through the workplace, then clinical volunteering is no longer a "must." The experience you've gotten in a hospital environment is still valuable, as is familiarity with various departments. When you feel you've gotten all you want to out of the hospital volunteering, it's fine to give it up (especially because the CNA gig is more satisfying to you) and give more time to HforH.

 

[RNtoMD87]

For those of us that do have clinical work experience, what are good ideas for volunteering?

 

[Catalystik]

For those of us that do have clinical work experience, what are good ideas for volunteering?

Besides Habitat for Humanity, some ideas for community service might include Meals on Wheels, homeless or women's shelter, soup kitchen, food pantry, crisis hotline, after school tutoring of kids or ESL for adults, Big Brother/Big Sister, Special Olympics or coaching athletic programs for the physically disabled, helping with a scout troop or other youth group, providing enrichment classes in a school (eg, science demonstrations or health topics), or Humane Society.

 

[RNtoMD87]

Is nonclinical volunteer work necessary? I much rather work doing hospice, nursing home stuff, autopsies, etc. I really enjoy being able to volunteer at something where I can care for patients directly.

Right now I'm teaching diabetes prevention education classes at the YMCA and doing autopsies. I'm thinking of volunteering at the local hospice facility as well when I get time. So hard when you work and go to school full time.

 

[Catalystik]

Is nonclinical volunteer work necessary?

Right now I'm teaching diabetes prevention education classes at the YMCA

I'd call that nonclinical. They aren't patients yet.

 

[Bob's Gift]

For the last point, I don’t believe they are all like that but finding one that isn’t can be tricky. As a hospice volunteer I frequently help the CNAs and RNs, doing cna-typenwork. Feeding patients is also a duty at this facility. However, the facility itself indicates that this level of patient contact is not possible in most places.

Volunteering at a nursing home may give you a more consistent group of patients and help you develop relationships with them and staff to have more meaningful experiences.

Great point about the nursing homes!

 

[Sk8Coa1]

I am wondering how to know if an opportunity is worthwhile or not.@LizzyM

Whether or not an opportunity is worthwhile--are you passionate about it? Do you personally feel like you are making an impact? Especially since you are already a CNA, your volunteer activities do not need to be medically related. You just need to do something you truly care about and stick with it.