Generic Volunteering for Pharmacy

[SparkleMotion]

Is generic volunteering, unrelated to pharmacy, something worthwhile?

I spend 2 hours a week at the public library basically cleaning up and 2 hours tutoring high school students at another establishment.

How beneficial will these be for a pharmacy school application?

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[scripNmyLV]

Is generic volunteering, unrelated to pharmacy, something worthwhile?

I spend 2 hours a week at the public library basically cleaning up and 2 hours tutoring high school students at another establishment.

How beneficial will these be for a pharmacy school application?

You should include this in your application. It shows that you volunteer your time in other areas as well. In the application were you would write it, there is a place to select if the event is related to pharmacy or not.

 

[SparkleMotion]

You should include this in your application. It shows that you volunteer your time in other areas as well. In the application were you would write it, there is a place to select if the event is related to pharmacy or not.

Right, but I'm wondering if these types of activities will mean anything to admissions.

 

[UES Girl]

Right, but I'm wondering if these types of activities will mean anything to admissions.

Well, admissions are human and each individual person will have/form their own impression of your EC. Tracy Johnson may think you are milking for ECs while Peter Parker will think you are being a productive member of society and helping your community, we have no way of knowing what they will think.

General consensus is any volunteering is better than sitting at home on the couch but to quantify "how beneficial" would be pretty impossible.

 

[kmapes]

Well, admissions are human and each individual person will have/form their own impression of your EC. Tracy Johnson may think you are milking for ECs while Peter Parker will think you are being a productive member of society and helping your community, we have no way of knowing what they will think.

General consensus is any volunteering is better than sitting at home on the couch but to quantify "how beneficial" would be pretty impossible.

On a completely unrelated note, every time I see your username, I think of a chupacabra. Just thought I would share.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chupacabra

 

[pinksparkly]

From the "Tips for Applicants" of my school's admissions website:

Be sure to have experience in volunteering, community service, extracurricular and/or leadership roles. Examples: Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, fraternities/sororities, tutoring, band/choir, academic or social clubs, team sports.

The admissions committee expects community service and volunteerism to be part of a lifestyle, not just part of an application. List only genuine volunteer service on the application. "Padded" volunteer/extracurricular experience often is discounted by the admissions committee.

My sole volunteer experience was being a Girl Scout leader for three years. It was a great experience, and I wound up writing one of my supplemental essays about it. It most likely didn't seal the deal, but it probably made my application stronger. It may have even been an advantage that my experience wasn't pharmacy-related. Of course, every adcom is different.