Do hours from Campus Club count as volunteering?

[tradkeke]

I'm in a club where we visit nursing homes, I was wondering if these counted as volunteering hours or if it would count towards hours in the club?

Or does it not matter because adcoms would see it regardless? I'm not sure how AMCAS works so I was unsure if there were separate places to list clubs and volunteering and if I would list it as both or one.

Also, does this fit in the realm as "service to those less fortunate"? While I have a good amount of volunteering it is mostly hospital and am looking to branch out more and wondered if I should look for a nursing home or go more towards the free clinic route. I'm interested in both! It would just be easier to volunteer at a nursing home because I'm already involved in a few. However, I don't want glaring holes in my application.

Thx!

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[Catalystik]

I'm in a club where we visit nursing homes, I was wondering if these counted as volunteering hours or if it would count towards hours in the club?

Or does it not matter because adcoms would see it regardless? I'm not sure how AMCAS works so I was unsure if there were separate places to list clubs and volunteering and if I would list it as both or one.

Also, does this fit in the realm as "service to those less fortunate"? While I have a good amount of volunteering it is mostly hospital and am looking to branch out more and wondered if I should look for a nursing home or go more towards the free clinic route. I'm interested in both! It would just be easier to volunteer at a nursing home because I'm already involved in a few. However, I don't want glaring holes in my application.

What is your role when you visit the nursing home?

Is this nursing home a senior retirement center where those residing there are Independent, or is it an Assisted Living Center where aides help with some activities of daily living, or is it a skilled- level facility where nurses care for the patients?

Is this a county nursing home or a private facility?

Yes, AMCAS has separate tags for clubs and for volunteer activities. Are you keeping track of the time you spend on site at the nursing home?

 

[tradkeke]

What is your role when you visit the nursing home?

Is this nursing home a senior retirement center where those residing there are Independent, or is it an Assisted Living Center where aides help with some activities of daily living, or is it a skilled- level facility where nurses care for the patients?

Is this a county nursing home or a private facility?

Yes, AMCAS has separate tags for clubs and for volunteer activities. Are you keeping track of the time you spend on site at the nursing home?

I have an executive board role, we plan events (such as meet & greets, game nights, Christmas card making, showing them how to use computers, sometimes we put on "dances") and provide companionship. It is a private facility where some are assisted living and some are skilled-level depending on where their room is.

As it is required for our club I have kept track of all the hours actually at the nursing home.

 

[Catalystik]

I have an executive board role, we plan events (such as meet & greets, game nights, Christmas card making, showing them how to use computers, sometimes we put on "dances") and provide companionship. It is a private facility where some are assisted living and some are skilled-level depending on where their room is.

As it is required for our club I have kept track of all the hours actually at the nursing home.

So do you personally interact with the people who live in this facility (play games, assist with card making, sit next to a client and help them with a computer task, dance with them, have prolonged conversations, etc), or are you more in a leadership role delegating tasks and having oversight of an entire event? If your participation is a mix, what percent is leadership vs client interaction? This would make a difference in how you categorize the activity when listing it on AMCAS.

does this fit in the realm as "service to those less fortunate"?

If this is a private-pay facility, the residents are not needy or "less fortunate." If it's a county nursing home or similar, you can assume that a high percentage receive public assistance, and they would be "underserved."

 

[tradkeke]

So do you personally interact with the people who live in this facility (play games, assist with card making, sit next to a client and help them with a computer task, dance with them, have prolonged conversations, etc), or are you more in a leadership role delegating tasks and having oversight of an entire event? If your participation is a mix, what percent is leadership vs client interaction? This would make a difference in how you categorize the activity when listing it on AMCAS.

If this is a private-pay facility, the residents are not needy or "less fortunate." If it's a county nursing home or similar, you can assume that a high percentage receive public assistance, and they would be "underserved."

Myself and other members of the board plan the events by figuring out dates and time, coordinating transportation/rides, filling out campus/nursing home paperwork setting up supplies if needed all before the event along with other general club things like advertising, answering questions from members etc. During the event everyone is interacting with residents, including myself and all other members/exec board. If there is any issue we will handle it but that is rare to never.

The hours actually at the nursing homes aren't particularly impressive as we typically only have about 2 events per month. My volunteering hours greatly outnumber the ones I've spent here. The difficult part is planning and coordinating events so we have enough members able to attend so all of the residents can get interaction. I just didn't know if I would classify it as leadership, clubs, volunteering, etc or if I would list it under multiple categories. I feel each particular aspect of the club was very important to me (leadership, growing the club to reach more residents, and my actual involvement with the residents). While the hours might not be substantial the impact it has had on me is.

 

[Catalystik]

Myself and other members of the board plan the events by figuring out dates and time, coordinating transportation/rides, filling out campus/nursing home paperwork setting up supplies if needed all before the event along with other general club things like advertising, answering questions from members etc. During the event everyone is interacting with residents, including myself and all other members/exec board. If there is any issue we will handle it but that is rare to never.

The hours actually at the nursing homes aren't particularly impressive as we typically only have about 2 events per month. My volunteering hours greatly outnumber the ones I've spent here. The difficult part is planning and coordinating events so we have enough members able to attend so all of the residents can get interaction. I just didn't know if I would classify it as leadership, clubs, volunteering, etc or if I would list it under multiple categories. I feel each particular aspect of the club was very important to me (leadership, growing the club to reach more residents, and my actual involvement with the residents). While the hours might not be substantial the impact it has had on me is.

There are several ways you could list this activity. You get the choice depending on space available, space needed for description, and what categories will best balance your application:

-It could be divided into 1) Club general membership (Extracurricular) 2) Leadership - Not listed elsewhere, and 3) Volunteer not Medical/Clinical, so long as the hours for each space are sufficient. Each space would designate the dates for that subcomponent.
-It could be entered under the tag "Other" or "Extracurricular" with the name you give the space making clear it includes leadership and volunteering.
-It could be 1) Extracurricular, including the leadership (or Leadership if the general membership was brief or not worth mentioning), and 2) Volunteer.

You could designate any of the aboves space as Most Meaningful and get an extra 1325 characters above the usual 700 for description, role impact, etc. You get a maximum of three MM spaces.