I graduated from Berkeley in 2009, and ran into a similar problem as you when I was an undergraduate. It is a major commitment when you dont have easy transportation to do hospital volunteering--many have restrictions or non-clinical requirements that you go through before actually volunteering in a hospital department. That being said, my experience with a variety of hospitals is that this sort of thing is pretty much the norm.
For me, I didn't really have time in my schedule to do hospital volunteering. I was a double major, scrambling to graduate in four years. I did research at UCSF which meant a 2.5 hour round trip commute each time I went out to my lab, so you can imagine how that ate up my free time. Furthermore, I spent most of my time doing things I liked/was good at--volunteering and working in teaching, tutoring, serving actively for a student organization on campus. Theseeker24 is right in saying that "clinical" does not automatically mean "hospital"--there are plenty of clinical opportunities in smaller, less obvious clinics and settings where you can get valuable experience. It's not about checking "hospital volunteering" off a list--it's having experiences and stories close to patients, families and healthcare professionals and being able to articulate the impact of these experiences on your understanding and inspiration for medicine.
Here are a few places I suggest you look/I'm going to address the hospitals you listed:
1. Alta Bates
-I am assuming this is the one you say is the "closest and most convenient"
-It's a popular program because its so accessible--but remember there's a campus near Berkeley as well as out in Oakland past MacArthur
-I don't know about only taking Jr's and Sr's--but it really comes down to you being on top of it when the online application opens each month (or week? I don't remember) and getting your name down, after that it's all about your availability
-Here, you are assigned your department for your first 100 hours of volunteering--then you get to pick your department. Summers are a great time to start because the demand is a bit lower and your schedule is hopefully more wide open. In the school year, if you have open mornings, you will be valuable because most students have class conflicts
2. Highland Hospital
-INSANE application process
-non-clinical office requirement before clinical departments. Keep in mind this office volunteering is 9-5 M-F. I tried to do this but I work fulltime, so when they told me about the office volunteering requirement, I asked if there was a weekend, or after hours alternative. The volunteer on the phone told me to quit my job. Needless to say, I ceased trying to volunteer here
-IT IS RIDICULOUSLY COMPETITIVE. They get tons of applications, and the waitlist for spots in departments is hundreds of people long. Again, having a wide open schedule helps, but be prepared to be patiently waiting for a call
-did I mention it's competitive? They have a great ED volunteering program--as the main trauma center in the area, you see some grisly stuff. They also have a great surgery-internship-type program which lets you gain access to some doctors for more shadowing opportunities
CHORI
-Simple application process--even though it says weekdays only, I worked fulltime and was prepared to volunteer on evenings and weekends--and they didn't have a problem with it
-CHORI gives you access to the research side potentially too--great for if you haven't done much research, etc
-Long process. You submit the app, and then wait for about 2, 3 months until the earliest orientation. Word of warning, these orientations are RARELY scheduled, If offered one, you want to move as much as you can in your personal schedule to make it haha
Other Non-hospitals
-There's a hospice on Linda and Piedmont Ave in Oakland..sort of near Fentons--check it out. I've never volunteered there but it seems like a great option
-Berkeley ophthalmology. Haste and MLK. It's part of the Alta Bate Herrick campus, but they've hired students in the past. You end up being a sort of half office/half clinical assistant. They train you to do simple measurements on patients that come in, or you simply stick to the clerical stuff like intake, office surveys, etc etc
JUST REMEMBER. It's not about matching the joneses or having the thing that sounds the best on paper. It's about the experience that informs you BEST about why medicine is something for you. This can come at a hospital, office setting, clinic, etc. You don't have to be drawing blood from people to have a powerful experience. Sometimes just talking to patients can tell you so much.
PM me if you have any other questions. Also, I will say that ironically volunteering become MUCH easier as a post-college grad. I could work fulltime and have a regimented schedule, and devote evenings or early afternoons (if I got to work early) to volunteer few times a week. It's busy as hell, but you offer these volunteer places your commitment and rigid schedule, which is the consistency they so love 🙂
