Does "service orientation" encompass clinical volunteering as well?

[RedNosedReindeer]

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I am an incoming applicant from an Ivy League with a 4.0 GPA and 521 MCAT. I have several hundred hours of clinical volunteering and strong research, but little non-clinical volunteering. I am confused what schools I fit the mission for. I don't think I am a research fit relative to other applicants, but I am not a non-clinical fit. Does "service orientation" include clinical volunteering hours as well? Any advice for schools I should look at?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I am an incoming applicant from an Ivy League with a 4.0 GPA and 521 MCAT. I have several hundred hours of clinical volunteering and strong research, but little non-clinical volunteering. I am confused what schools I fit the mission for. I don't think I am a research fit relative to other applicants, but I am not a non-clinical fit. Does "service orientation" include clinical volunteering hours as well? Any advice for schools I should look at?

Welcome to the forums.

Just briefly: Service orientation is already part of clinical service. What we look for is whether you have service orientation because you inherently have that competency, not because it's expected of you as a future health professional. Is service orientation intrinsically motivated, or are you extrinsically motivated as part of your expected role in healthcare? TL/DR: Do you fake it? 🙂

Since you have not shared a WAMC profile with us, I suggest

Mission Fit: Key to Your Success | Student Doctor Network | SDN

All medical schools have a stated mission. Understanding how you fit into that mission helps you focus your application for success.

www.studentdoctor.net

 

[RedNosedReindeer]

Welcome to the forums.

Just briefly: Service orientation is already part of clinical service. What we look for is whether you have service orientation because you inherently have that competency, not because it's expected of you as a future health professional. Is service orientation intrinsically motivated, or are you extrinsically motivated as part of your expected role in healthcare? TL/DR: Do you fake it? 🙂

Since you have not shared a WAMC profile with us, I suggest

Mission Fit: Key to Your Success | Student Doctor Network | SDN

All medical schools have a stated mission. Understanding how you fit into that mission helps you focus your application for success.

www.studentdoctor.net

Thank you for the feedback! I tried to satisfy application expectations while choosing activities that aligned most with my passions. That is why I chose to devote my time to a lot of clinical volunteering with kids, because I felt really fulfilled by learning how their development and wellbeing were affected by long-term hospital stays, and I wanted to try to help them cope. I probably would have been just as fulfilled volunteering non-clinically in schools, but the opportunity just didn't present itself at the time.

 

[secondariesftw]

You will benefit greatly from some non-clinical volunteering. Typically the best activity is volunteering in a soup kitchen or some other activity for the underserved community. While there are no published hard and fast rules, you typically need a minimum 150 hours of this. You can apply without it, but risk being screened out by many schools. Not just schools like Rush which are service oriented.

 

[LizzyM]

Agree with @secondariesftw but if available in your area, you might feel fulfilled by volunteering with the children of migrants, or with homeless kids (this includes gay teens who have left home).