EC dilemma: do what you like vs what looks good

[FinPreMed2020]

Hello my fellow SDNers!

As the title says, I have a dilemma. I'm planning on starting to volunteer at a new place but can't decide where.
To begin with, I live in Los Angeles and thus my dream med schools also are based in LA.
I've been in between homeless shelter/underserved community and some other volunteering place. For certain reasons, I would love to be a hospice volunteer but I know that since I live in Los Angeles, working for the underserved is a "hot topic". I'm not saying that I wouldn't enjoy working for the underserved but hospice work would be something that I would actually genuinely want to do. I'm afraid to start volunteering at - let's say homeless shelter - and in the interview when I'm asked about it, the adcom will see straight through me and realize that I did it just because it looks good and is on the ideal, LA based applicant checkbox.
Any opinions?? What should I do?? Note that I have clinical experience already and am currently volunteering at a hospital etc so this new experience would not be my only one. Moreover, I'm just contemplating which one to add to my schedule; underserved which looks good or hospice which I genuinely would like to do.

A follow-up Q: Do you think that people living in LA and other areas with lots of homeless/poor/underserved need to have experience in those areas?
I'm a little stressed since there are so many things I would like to do to make my application stand out but I'm a human like all of us and thus can't do everything. I know every applicant is different but I just really need to know if I should have experience in the underserved community as I am an LA applicant.

Thank you for helping!

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[boogiecousins94]

I don't think it should depend on your geographic location, I think you should do it regardless.

Also

Hello my fellow SDNers!
I'm afraid to start volunteering at - let's say homeless shelter

The whole point of it is to get out of your comfort zone. I understand people may not want to spend the night in a homeless shelter but you can help in the day or something

Do you have a specific hobby you enjoy? I'm sure there is some way of using the hobby with an underserved population. Do you like sports? You can probably help coach a team in a poor area. Like music? Try and find opportunities where you teach an instrument to underserved youth

 

[SpoiledMilk]

Diversifying your volunteerism will give you a broader perspective on what service means. However, you might end up leaving the homeless position if you are miserable. In your instance, stick to what you enjoy. Quality over quantity.

 

[FinPreMed2020]

Hey guys,
Thanks for replies!

I do play golf so teaching that to the underserved would definitely be something that I would enjoy doing!

DV-T that's exactly my fear! That I would stop volunteering after a few months... and to my mind it's better to have some other diversifying experiences that I like instead of having to explain in the interview (which I hopefully will get, fingers crossed!) why I stopped volunteering after such a short period of time.
Anyway, thanks for the comments!

 

[boogiecousins94]

Hey guys,
Thanks for replies!

I do play golf so teaching that to the underserved would definitely be something that I would enjoy doing!

DV-T that's exactly my fear! That I would stop volunteering after a few months... and to my mind it's better to have some other diversifying experiences that I like instead of having to explain in the interview (which I hopefully will get, fingers crossed!) why I stopped volunteering after such a short period of time.
Anyway, thanks for the comments!

See if the local Special Olympics is in need of coaches as well, they have golf teams that usually need coaches and in addition to helping athletes you get to play golf which is a cool way to volunteer

 

[Tenk]

Hello my fellow SDNers!

As the title says, I have a dilemma. I'm planning on starting to volunteer at a new place but can't decide where.
To begin with, I live in Los Angeles and thus my dream med schools also are based in LA.
I've been in between homeless shelter/underserved community and some other volunteering place. For certain reasons, I would love to be a hospice volunteer but I know that since I live in Los Angeles, working for the underserved is a "hot topic". I'm not saying that I wouldn't enjoy working for the underserved but hospice work would be something that I would actually genuinely want to do. I'm afraid to start volunteering at - let's say homeless shelter - and in the interview when I'm asked about it, the adcom will see straight through me and realize that I did it just because it looks good and is on the ideal, LA based applicant checkbox.
Any opinions?? What should I do?? Note that I have clinical experience already and am currently volunteering at a hospital etc so this new experience would not be my only one. Moreover, I'm just contemplating which one to add to my schedule; underserved which looks good or hospice which I genuinely would like to do.

A follow-up Q: Do you think that people living in LA and other areas with lots of homeless/poor/underserved need to have experience in those areas?
I'm a little stressed since there are so many things I would like to do to make my application stand out but I'm a human like all of us and thus can't do everything. I know every applicant is different but I just really need to know if I should have experience in the underserved community as I am an LA applicant.

Thank you for helping!

Do hospice.

 

[wholeheartedly]

Be real, do what you love. Things always tend to work out better that way.

 

[FinPreMed2020]

Thanks for comments!
The way I've thought about this whole issue is no med school student has the exact same things in their application (no kidding:-D) but what do they all have common. I know it highly depends on the school but I'd say that LA based med schools most likely would have same requirements when it comes the underserved. But then again I'm sure that not every single person had that experience... For instance my friend is doing his last year at Keck (USC) and he didn't have anything even related to serving the underserved.
I don't know if I'm just trying I make myself feel better and justify that it's ok not to do the underserved but hospice instead...
I Just want other peoples' opinions and see how everyone else thinks about this.

 

[calivianya]

I don't think anyone's going to look down on you for volunteering with hospice.

I'm probably wrong, but hospice checks off about the same box as working with the underserved in my head - the "uncomfortable" box. I'd argue that volunteering at a homeless shelter is probably easier, mentally speaking. It's not easy working with death and the dying, especially if you visit some of the same people multiple times and develop a relationship with them before they pass.

 

[FinPreMed2020]

I don't think anyone's going to look down on you for volunteering with hospice.

I'm probably wrong, but hospice checks off about the same box as working with the underserved in my head - the "uncomfortable" box. I'd argue that volunteering at a homeless shelter is probably easier, mentally speaking. It's not easy working with death and the dying, especially if you visit some of the same people multiple times and develop a relationship with them before they pass.

Yes I agree that it is equally if not more uncomfortable to be a hospice volunteer.
I also think that being willing to do hospice and creating those relationships with duying patients (and continuing to volunteer there for a long time) show that I can handle the bad side of being a doctor - dealing with death and losing patients.

 

[Goro]

Hello my fellow SDNers!

As the title says, I have a dilemma. I'm planning on starting to volunteer at a new place but can't decide where.
To begin with, I live in Los Angeles and thus my dream med schools also are based in LA.
I've been in between homeless shelter/underserved community and some other volunteering place. For certain reasons, I would love to be a hospice volunteer but I know that since I live in Los Angeles, working for the underserved is a "hot topic". I'm not saying that I wouldn't enjoy working for the underserved but hospice work would be something that I would actually genuinely want to do. I'm afraid to start volunteering at - let's say homeless shelter - and in the interview when I'm asked about it, the adcom will see straight through me and realize that I did it just because it looks good and is on the ideal, LA based applicant checkbox.
Any opinions?? What should I do?? Note that I have clinical experience already and am currently volunteering at a hospital etc so this new experience would not be my only one. Moreover, I'm just contemplating which one to add to my schedule; underserved which looks good or hospice which I genuinely would like to do.

A follow-up Q: Do you think that people living in LA and other areas with lots of homeless/poor/underserved need to have experience in those areas?
I'm a little stressed since there are so many things I would like to do to make my application stand out but I'm a human like all of us and thus can't do everything. I know every applicant is different but I just really need to know if I should have experience in the underserved community as I am an LA applicant.

Thank you for helping!

Do what you love, and love what you do.

 

[Geo16]

I used to live in LA near Pico-Union and Skidrow.
A lot of f'd up things happening in front of you, but you don't really have to experience them. But anywhere I volunteered actually fit that category lol