Am I Wasting My Time?

[P1doc]

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Hi all,

So I currently have about 150 hours at a low-income health clinic volunteering gig. My duties include: Greeting patients, answering phones and relaying messages to doctors and nurses, stocking, copying, and keeping the clinic tidy.

I just can't get it out of my head that this experience isn't "clinical" enough even though I'm surrounded by doctors, nurses, and patients. I do, however, think that I better understand what being a physician is actually like because of this experience, and I know that I wouldn't mind being around sick people for the rest of my life.

Still, am I wasting my time?

 

[Catalystik]

So I currently have about 150 hours at a low-income health clinic volunteering gig. My duties include: Greeting patients, answering phones and relaying messages to doctors and nurses, stocking, copying, and keeping the clinic tidy.

I just can't get it out of my head that this experience isn't "clinical" enough even though I'm surrounded by doctors, nurses, and patients. I do, however, think that I better understand what being a physician is actually like because of this experience, and I know that I wouldn't mind being around sick people for the rest of my life.

Still, am I wasting my time?

If you are asking about gaining active clinical experience, you're not wasting your time, unless greeting patients and talking to them on the phone is a small component of your role.

 

[HybridEarth]

If you have learned something or continue learning something new every shift, I don't think you're wasting time. If you're doing it just to do it, I'd stop and do something new. Besides, 150 hours is plenty

 

[parachichi]

Doesn't sound like a waste of time, but I understand your frustration, as I'm currently in a similar volunteer role. I usually feel like I'm not being much help, but I've definitely gained some insight. Try striking up conversations with the patients or staff members who seem more chatty; my favorite conversation was with the sheriff who sits outside our clinic and has to handle rape cases, gang-related traumas, child abductions, etc. In this role, focus on "collecting" a couple of patient stories to keep in your back pocket for interviews. Notice the rewards and challenges of working in this particular setting. Once you feel like you've gotten about as much out of this experience as you can get, move on to an organization that actually challenges you intellectually and emotionally - it doesn't have to be clinical! I'm at about 120 hrs at my volunteer position and I'm pretty sure I'm gonna call it quits soon. I've had more meaningful experiences with other volunteer/service gigs and felt like I was being a productive member of society instead of just a box-checking premed (not to call all clinical volunteer gigs trivial - I'm sure plenty of people on here were able to find more involved work).

 

[parachichi]

Yes, what the poster above me said very succinctly, haha.

 

[utmn]

I learned a whole lot about hospital dynamics and what sort of provider I do/do not want to be by befriending the clerks and techs where I volunteered.