Diversify volunteering between multiple institutions?

[KiddCo]

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I have been volunteering at hospice the last few months in a clinical role (going into patient rooms, talking with patients).

I feel like I need more nonclinical hours and was considering volunteering at the same hospice doing kitchen work or something that would be considered nonclinical.

Would it look bad to do both clinical and non clinical at the same place and for the same organization?



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[PapaGuava]

I would say if you're going to do something that is non-clinical, I wouldn't pick the kitchen (unless it was soup kitchen) as your first choice but rather look for some type of direct involvement within your community, or a different organization.

 

[esob]

I feel like the clinical hrs checkbox is meant to demonstrate to adcoms that you know what it's like to be around sick people (and I think hospice is a particularly good EC to demonstrate this with). Conversely, I feel like the non-clinical volunteer hrs are meant to show that you understand what it is like to work with the less fortunate (IE homeless shelter, food bank, etc). So, unless this hospice is something of a free charity organization and you are doing kitchen work to feed people who otherwise would not have food, then I would say find a different non-clinical EC.

 

[KiddCo]

I feel like the clinical hrs checkbox is meant to demonstrate to adcoms that you know what it's like to be around sick people (and I think hospice is a particularly good EC to demonstrate this with). Conversely, I feel like the non-clinical volunteer hrs are meant to show that you understand what it is like to work with the less fortunate (IE homeless shelter, food bank, etc). So, unless this hospice is something of a free charity organization and you are doing kitchen work to feed people who otherwise would not have food, then I would say find a different non-clinical EC.

The kitchen work would be at the Hospice facility preparing food for Hospice facility residents.
I get your point, I'll be better off finding a homeless shelter or food bank.

I have around 35 hours at a food pantry as is stands, but would like around 200 nonclinical before applying.

Side note: When I was in high school and part of college, I was a volunteer firefighter and EMT. I have around 600+ hours of that over several years. Not sure if that falls under the disadvantaged/less fortunate category though.

 

[Goro]

I have been volunteering at hospice the last few months in a clinical role (going into patient rooms, talking with patients).

I feel like I need more nonclinical hours and was considering volunteering at the same hospice doing kitchen work or something that would be considered nonclinical.

Would it look bad to do both clinical and non clinical at the same place and for the same organization?



Sent from my SM-T813 using SDN mobile

Do what you love and love what you do.

 

[esob]

The kitchen work would be at the Hospice facility preparing food for Hospice facility residents.
I get your point, I'll be better off finding a homeless shelter or food bank.

I have around 35 hours at a food pantry as is stands, but would like around 200 nonclinical before applying.

Side note: When I was in high school and part of college, I was a volunteer firefighter and EMT. I have around 600+ hours of that over several years. Not sure if that falls under the disadvantaged/less fortunate category though.

If you have a strong application, I think you would be fine with 100+ hrs of community service that focused on the less fortunate. I had under 100 hrs split between the food bank and habitat and was fine. I don't think your time as a volunteer firefighter will count as serving the less fortunate, but it is still a very good EC for your application.

 

[KiddCo]

If you have a strong application, I think you would be fine with 100+ hrs of community service that focused on the less fortunate. I had under 100 hrs split between the food bank and habitat and was fine. I don't think your time as a volunteer firefighter will count as serving the less fortunate, but it is still a very good EC for your application.

Thanks, for the feedback.

I'm not sure my application will be considered strong. Will depend on the MCAT. My Cum GPA is 3.68 and my science GPA is 3.5.
I'm trying to kill it with ECs.

I have one professor who volunteered to write me a LOR who I still keep in contact with on Facebook. There may be one or two more that remember me well enough to write a decent LOR, but I'm concerned decent won't cut it.

I also work full time in the hospital right now as a Patient Care Navigator, so that is bonus clinical experience.

 

[esob]

Thanks, for the feedback.

I'm not sure my application will be considered strong. Will depend on the MCAT. My Cum GPA is 3.68 and my science GPA is 3.5.
I'm trying to kill it with ECs.

I have one professor who volunteered to write me a LOR who I still keep in contact with on Facebook. There may be one or two more that remember me well enough to write a decent LOR, but I'm concerned decent won't cut it.

I also work full time in the hospital right now as a Patient Care Navigator, so that is bonus clinical experience.

EC's will definitely help, MCAT will have probably 10x the leverage of EC's however. So, if it comes down to going into the cycle with less than optimal EC's or less than optimal MCAT, definitely choose to make the MCAT the priority. Over the years I've seen on SDN time and time again students with amazing EC's but subpar grades and MCAT scores. When asked "what happened," the response is usually "I didn't have time to study for MCAT/Classes because I was "insert doing activity X/Y/Z." People throw around the term "holistic" regarding the desirability of applicants and I think that perhaps among a given set of metrics (same MCAT, same GPA) that holds true. However, if you don't hit the threshold metrics to begin with, your EC's will never matter because you will get screened before anyone even reads your story.