Continue volunteering at a hospital or find a job as a phlebotomist?

[Sharknad0]

I'm a reapplicant who ended up taking an unexpected second gap year.

cGPA 3.61 sGPA 3.44, MCAT 514

I've been volunteering at a homeless shelter and at a hospital since March and I've gotten about 80 and 200 hours respectively since March. I'm considering taking courses in phlebotomy to get an actual job but I'm worried med schools will look down at me for leaving volunteering for a job, especially when I need the volunteer hours on my application. Is it worth it to stop volunteering for a position like this?

I'm also waiting to hear back about post-bacc classes at a local college, and if I get into that then I'm not sure about potential scheduling conflicts for class/work as a phlebotomist. The course is around $700.

Pros: Earn my own money, more clinical experience

Cons: Might have to stop volunteering, might have potential conflicts with PB classes that I haven’t heard back about yet.

What do you guys think? Wait to hear about classes first?

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[premedprepa]

can't you work part time phlebotomist and still volunteer (maybe just less)?

 

[Sharknad0]

can't you work part time phlebotomist and still volunteer (maybe just less)?

I think I'd be able to manage that, but would increasing hours be more worth it than improving my GPA through my app cycle? I'm leaning more towards classes + hospital/shelter because it would be the best of both worlds, just no money.

 

[u_raptor]

Personally, if I had had the opportunity to work Phlebotomy before applying I would've done it. At this point you have 200 hours clinically which is great I believe! How long have you been volunteering at the hospital? While you may be worried about the way it looks to "leave", if you have been doing it for more than a year you have shown the dedication! Plus, I would think Phlebotomy would stand out more, as many already do hospital volunteering. It would be a nice addition to your application, and is something that still counts for medical exposure. Definitely wait till you hear back from classes ofc however.


Plus more $ is always a plus when apps are so expensive.

 

[907914]

As far as clinical exposure goes, phlebotomy was 100. You literally go in, have a conversation, and leave (at least, that is how it comes out if you did it right). After a few weeks you won’t even need to pay attention to doing the blood draw and just talk/let the patient talk.

Source: cumulative 2 years phlebotomy experience over a 6 year period

 

[Sharknad0]

At this point you have 200 hours clinically which is great I believe! How long have you been volunteering at the hospital? While you may be worried about the way it looks to "leave", if you have been doing it for more than a year you have shown the dedication.

This started in March so it’s been 5 months