Does hospital matter?

[georgelee100]

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I just wondered does volunteering in different hospitals really matter? I mean different size or reputation.

 

[drizzt3117]

I just wondered does volunteering in different hospitals really matter? I mean different size or reputation.

Yes. Schools carefully peruse the USNWR hospital rankings to determine whether your volunteer hours are at a legitimate hospital.

 

[AnotherBioMajor]

Yes. Schools carefully peruse the USNWR hospital rankings to determine whether your volunteer hours are at a legitimate hospital.

 

[RookTookIt]

I don't think it's such a weird question. I think volunteering in different places can be beneficial. I volunteered/shadowed at 2 very different locations: one super fancy state of the art cancer center and a free clinic. Gave me a huge range of things to talk about including different access to health care, how diagnostic tests can change in different settings, etc.

 

[Dr McSexy]

Hospitals of larger sizes (or those with a large university near-by)are usually more equipped to take on volunteers.

At my small-town hospital and nearby-city hospital it was hard to get a gig volunteering as a young college student.

YMMV

 

[the duck]

Hospitals of larger sizes (or those with a large university near-by)are usually more equipped to take on volunteers.

At my small-town hospital and nearby-city hospital it was hard to get a gig volunteering as a young college student.

YMMV

On the other hand, I think the larger hospitals might be less inclined to have the volunteers actually do stuff since they have a lot of staff. The small ER I volunteer in has let my do CPR and bag people etc. Most of the nurses ( and a few of the docs) know me by name. I think the smaller hospital setting allows the volunteers to get more involved.

800th post ftw!

 

[Dr McSexy]

On the other hand, I think the larger hospitals might be less inclined to have the volunteers actually do stuff since they have a lot of staff. The small ER I volunteer in has let my do CPR and bag people etc. Most of the nurses ( and a few of the docs) know me by name. I think the smaller hospital setting allows the volunteers to get more involved.

800th post ftw!

True. I just found it harder to get the gig in the first place.

 

[Tots]

I volunteered at a huge university hospital for awhile I folded towels, filed papers and went on adventures looking for pillows for the ED. They didn't let me do anything because of liability, I even had to jump through hoops to refill a glass of water. My friends at smaller hospitals have had much better experiences volunteering though.
If you have free clinics around you I would try volunteering there in addition to the hospital. I currently volunteer at a free clinic and it has been a great experience! 😍

 

[georgelee100]

I volunteered at a huge university hospital for awhile I folded towels, filed papers and went on adventures looking for pillows for the ED. They didn't let me do anything because of liability, I even had to jump through hoops to refill a glass of water. My friends at smaller hospitals have had much better experiences volunteering though.
If you have free clinics around you I would try volunteering there in addition to the hospital. I currently volunteer at a free clinic and it has been a great experience! 😍

So, what matter is the quality of volunteering, right?

 

[Residual]

What matters is what you can show you've learned from it.

 

[naijapikin]

Nah, it doesn't matter. Just make sure you can explain what you got from those experiences.

 

[toff4l]

I just wondered does volunteering in different hospitals really matter? I mean different size or reputation.

No because as a volunteer you are very limited as to direct patient contact. When I volunteered, we were not allowed to touch patients or "dirty" equipment so it doesn't matter which hospital you volunteer at.

You will have plenty of time to work in a "big" hospital when you are in medical school.

 

[KING3]

no, the hospital doesn't matter, its about the experience, who you shadowed and how it shaped your ideals to enter into a career in medicine. At least thats what I got from my interviews.