Fie on you Volunteering.

[TRuss]

So I am interested in hearing some of the many spectacular things that you guys/gals are doing for volunteer work. I am currently working as an ER registration clerk at a local hospital, and am trying to decide what to try and fit in to my busy schedule. I have heard from some posters that medical related volunteering is strictly the way to go, and I have also heard that not all of your volunteer work needs to be medically related. Any suggestions? I ask because I was recently contacted by the boys and girls club, and am very interested in helping them out with their cause.

=)

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[bwells46]

So I am interested in hearing some of the many spectacular things that you guys/gals are doing for volunteer work. I am currently working as an ER registration clerk at a local hospital, and am trying to decide what to try and fit in to my busy schedule. I have heard from some posters that medical related volunteering is strictly the way to go, and I have also heard that not all of your volunteer work needs to be medically related. Any suggestions? I ask because I was recently contacted by the boys and girls club, and am very interested in helping them out with their cause.

=)

My day job has me profiling doctors and hospitals but I spend the weekend volunteering in the pediatric ICU. I love being in there because you get to work with the kids and do what you can to make their stay in the hospital a little nicer. It's such a rewarding experience.

I'd say just do what makes you happy and shows that you have a genuine desire to help others. While it's importing to get medically-related volunteering, I think it makes you a more interesting applicatant if you have volunteering and/or work experience in other areas.

 

[MollyMalone]

If you have paid clinical experience, feel free to volunteer doing whatever trips your trigger. They want you to have had clinical exposure and they want you to volunteer -- you don't have to combine the two.

Hope that helps!

 

[frany584]

I volunteer in the ER of my local hospital to get medical experience, but I am also a big sister in Big Brothers, Big Sisters and I love it! I've always liked tutoring and helping children who may not have older siblings to look up to or who may need some extra help in certain subjects. Also, my sister (my biological sister that is ) is an athlete in Special Olympics, so I'm involved in her practices and games too. It's been really fun and I have been involved with it for about five years now. I think that no matter what, you should do something that you enjoy because then you will be able to discuss your experiences on interviews and adcoms will know that you really liked what you did, and u didnt do it just to put it on an application.

 

[dbhvt]

So I am interested in hearing some of the many spectacular things that you guys/gals are doing for volunteer work. I am currently working as an ER registration clerk at a local hospital, and am trying to decide what to try and fit in to my busy schedule. I have heard from some posters that medical related volunteering is strictly the way to go, and I have also heard that not all of your volunteer work needs to be medically related. Any suggestions? I ask because I was recently contacted by the boys and girls club, and am very interested in helping them out with their cause.

=)

I don't really know what I'm talking about, but I'd say if you already have some medical experience, do something creative volunteering. Take some initiative and do something to fill a need in your community that may not be filled by anyone else. I think you'll get more out of it AND it will look cooler on any applications.

 

[deuist]

You don't need to do medically-related volunteering.* Feel free to volunteer in whatever you want to; just make sure that it's meaningful to you. Some good places to start are Habitat for Humanity, your local crisis center, or become a Boy Scout leader.


* You will have to get some kind of clinical experience. It can be either paid---via the CNA or EMT route---or not paid---via the very common pre-med route of filing paper work and pushing wheel chairs for a hospital.

 

[potato51]

I enjoy teaching one-on-one, so this year I volunteered at a literacy center to teach reading and math to kids and adults. Great stuff, until I learned the place was run by scientologists who secretly hated me for working in biomedical research.

Fun times.