Best volunteering programs?

[nysegop]

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What are some good volunteering organizations for Pre-Med? I checked both the Unicef and United Nations websites for volunteering. They both require college degrees 🙁

 

[deleted462159]

You might want to look into internships at local hospitals. While they vary in scope, there are Clinical Care Extender opportunities for undergraduate students that allow you some hands-on experience.

 

[nysegop]

Unfortunately I live in a small state with relatively few hospitals, and most of them are small, privately owned.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Teach for America, the red cross, doctors without borders, habitat for humanity.

 

[nysegop]

Teach for America, the red cross, doctors without borders, habitat for humanity.

Those look good. Thanks. I think I will try for red cross, they are very active in my area.

 

[nysegop]

I was in a similar situation in high school. You wouldn't believe it, but even the small privately owned hospitals will let you volunteer if you're mature and persistent. If that doesn't work, try nursing homes. Don't give up. You'll find students from rural locales with clinical experience when you get to college - don't think you can't be one of them!

Is it really important to have experience BEFORE undergraduate school? You aren't even supposed to put it down for applications if you did it prior to having graduated from high school.

 

[nysegop]

No, but speaking from experience, many will. I didn't decide medicine was for me until after sophomore year in college. By that time, my classmates had been building on the experiences they acquired in high school and their knowledge of the medical field far surpassed mine, which put them at a significant advantage. For instance, when I was volunteering to learn what medicine was all about, they were finishing their EMT-B certifications to find part-time employment in the field and start accruing clinical experience. You don't need to start now for the sake of your future medical school application, but the earlier you start the further ahead you will be when your first admission cycle does roll around.

I see. Thanks. Do a lot of people become EMTs before becoming doctors? Is it helpful when applying to med school?