best type of volunteer exp

[gaki]

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Hello,

I found a nice little hospital on ny that has a new volunteer program and so are relatively flexible with what their volunteers are able to do. I have some art therapy background, so I am able to volunteer in psych and detox units as a sort of recreation volunteer and I get to sit in on rounds once a week. I am pretty happy with this because I was thinking of going into psychiatry.

But I have heard that volunteering in the ER instead is sort of a standard thing to do, and that schools might like that you have had exposure to the kind of things that go on there. My role would be something along the lines of customer service and helping incoming people get around or just giving them magazines while they wait around. Also, since I already have some art therapy internship experience (not in a psych or detox place) its been suggested that doing volunteering along these lines would be redundant.

If I pass up the chance to volunteer in the ER (or anyplace else) am I really leaving a bad gap in my volunteer experience?

Anyone have suggestions?

 

[blee]

My suggestion is that you should volunteer where you would feel happiest/most interested. If that means psych/detox, then I think you should do that rather than worry about what adcoms might think. If you're interested in what's going on, you'll take more of a personal stake in your volunteer work, which might net you more responsibility and eventually more notice from the staff who actually work in the department. If, instead, you go to the ER because you think you should, I doubt you would be as motivated to go beyond the call of duty for what is essentially free labor.

More to the point, I don't think that adcoms are prejudiced towards one particular type of volunteer or clinic experience. I think they're more interested in seeing why you picked to do something and what you got out of it.

 

[medworm]

I second blee's suggestion. Only go into the ER if you're interested and make sure it's a Level 1 Trauma Center -- otherwise it gets painstakingly quiet.

 

[DocteurMarion]

I second blee's suggestion. Only go into the ER if you're interested and make sure it's a Level 1 Trauma Center -- otherwise it gets painstakingly quiet.

I agree with previous post - I volunteer myself in ER and most of the time I am bored and don't get exposed to anything really... 😡 Make sure the ER you go to will be busy and that you will get to do some "stuff". 🙂

 

[Sundarban1]

Typically smaller hospitals are more volunteer dependant and therefore as a volunteer you tend to take on more responsibilities and get to see more interesting things than in larger, over staffed hospitals.

 

[gaki]

very good feedback.. thanks a lot!

i am going to stick with the placement i got.. it sounds like its the best spot i could be in. like sundarban said, its really looking like i am going to get to have a lot of responsibilities, and freedom, in what i want to do.
i didnt know ERs could be known to be boring, like what medworm and docteurmarion said.. but i guess its true.. when we went to volunteer orientation, they did mention that if the ER goes quiet, we are required to stick around for the whole shift.. even if the place is empty for the whole shift.

thanks folks, good things for a volunteer to know 🙂