Best place to volunteer in a hospital?

[shawnpl]

So when I turn sixteen in a few weeks, I'm going to start volunteering at a hospital near me so I can get a picture of what the medical field is like. My question is what would be the best volunteer job where I would deal with patients a lot and would be interested. The hospital I'm going to has a few positions:

Emergency Dept Hospitality Associate: Visit patients in exam rooms to talk with them and assist with getting them items such as blankets, beverages, etc. Deliver items to patient rooms. Communicate to staff the needs of patients. Re-stock food and medical supplies.

General Services: Provide a variety of services throughout the hospital on an "as needed" basis to departments, nursing stations and labs. Discharge and transport patients as requested. Deliver documents, flowers, mail and equipment to areas throughout the hospital.

Pre Admission Testing Info Concierge: Sign in pre op testing patients, assist with family and patient flow in the Pre-Admission Testing waiting area. Act as liaisons between pre-op patients and the PAT staff. Direct and/ or escort patients and visitors as needed.

Surgery Assistant ( OR, Ambulatory & Gen Surg Recovery): Makeup clean beds, stock supplies and bring blankets to patients as needed in recovery room. Put together charts and help with light clerical tasks. Restock medical supplies in drawers. Discharge patients, deliver specimens.

Unit Assistant: Visit patients on all three patient units(Med Surg, Ortho, PCU) to talk with and find out their needs. Assist with getting them items such as blankets, water, beverages, etc. Deliver items to patient rooms. Re-stock supplies as needed. Other tasks as requested by staff.

Thanks in advance, sorry for the long post .

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[schrizto]

The first one, the fourth one, and the fifth one all sound the same, just different areas of the hospital. Pick one of those.

 

[Substance P]

I think the Unit Assistant sound the best. I worked in the ED, and unless you are a Trauma 1 or 2 center it blows. You don't get to see many cool cases and end up seeing either old people, fat people, or circulatory issues (cool, but you don't usually get to follow the patient and learn what happened).

The unit assistant position sounds like one where you would be able to see a little bit of everything and engage in conversation with doctors of varying fields to get their perspectives on things. It would be a great way for you to make some shadowing contacts and learn a little bit more about medicine.

I'm sure you're decision isn't permanent, you can always ask the volunteer coordinator to switch if you get bored or want to see something else, so don't sweat the decision that much.

 

[CScull]

I worked in PAT and it was a lot better than anything else we were aloud to do.

I got stuck in Human Resources one day...

*shudder*

 

[FutureCTDoc]

The best place is to avoid the hospital and try and shadow with a specific physician. I shadowed mainly in ophthalmology for several hundred hours, I was able to view surgeries (cataract, vitrectomy, lensectomy), procedures (Lasers, Kenalog Injection, Iridotomy, Avastin/Lucentis), routine patient encounters (including special needs, HIV+, diabetic and patients with memory problems) and be able to learn to refract, do a fundoscopy, use a slit lamp and an indirect ophtalmascope, take BPs, Ausculatate and some palapation. Granted my experience was unique, as the physician was my father, but finding a doctor who is willing to serve as a preceptor is a great boon.

 

[EyEnStein 07]

1, 4, or 5...all pretty similar just pick one. I did the same. You could always rotate if they allow you.

 

[El Nino]

I have question.

Why do pre meds need to volunteer in a hospital? Wouldn't shadowing a doctor offer a better experience?

 

[Near]

The first one and last one sound very nice.



At least you're not just discharging patients and delivering specimens, like many other teen volunteers.

 

[manu101]

the last one sounds pretty interesting. I would definitely try it out, and if you don't like it you can always switch!

 

[c5212]

go for the first or last one for sure- sounds like good interaction w/ the patients

 

[shawnpl]

I have question.

Why do pre meds need to volunteer in a hospital? Wouldn't shadowing a doctor offer a better experience?

I also want to have somewhere I can say I volunteered in case I need to apply to some type of summer internship or anything like that.

 

[DaTruMD]

Whatever gets you patient interaction and a LOR from a doctor is good.

 

[Pepipanda]

The first one and last one sound very nice.



At least you're not just discharging patients and delivering specimens, like many other teen volunteers.

I agree. At the hospital where I volunteer, teens can only work in playrooms (it's a children's hospital) and we are not allowed to transport patients unless we are helping an adult.

 

[mintgreen19]

Wow....lucky. I volunteer in the Medical Library because that's the only spot they had room in. And that was after being on a waiting list for a year.

 

[shawnpl]

Wow....lucky. I volunteer in the Medical Library because that's the only spot they had room in. And that was after being on a waiting list for a year.

I never realized so many people couldn't get good spots in a hospital. Guess I am lucky.