Haven't done any volunteering all semester...trouble?

[cfx]

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I usually volunteer a few hours every week in an ER around school, but this semester I kept putting it off week after week, until this point with a little over a month left in the semester. I'm only taking 13 credits, but combined with a research position I started this semester (3 of the credits), it's surprisingly sucked up nearly all of my time. I know most hyper-motivated pre-meds would go in and volunteer at 2am if need be, but I haven't been able to find that sort of motivation (even in my limited free time, I can't image doing anything other than nothing).

Long story short, if I'm involved in research, will it be a significant detriment to my application to go an entire semester without any clinical/volunteer activities? How much will this hurt me?

Note that I do plan on volunteering next semester (my last semester), and have already set up a shadowing position for next semester as well. If it's a bad idea to go an entire semester without anything, I can try to find time to go for the next month just to have something, if that's better than nothing...

 

[loveoforganic]

FWIW, I asked my premed advisor about doing psych research along with my chem research, rather than volunteering at a hospital, and he thought it was a fine thing to do (and I don't have a crappy advisor).

 

[jgauger]

Same situation here. Research is taking up all of my time. Also though, we were banned from volunteering for H1N1, but that is being lifted as soon as we get our vaccine. But I feel the same way. I keep thinking that its going to look really bad that I haven't volunteered all semester. I will be starting again in 2 weeks, but it is basically nearing the end of the semester already. Does anyone have any specific info about the op's ??

 

[anonymousername]

(same exact situation) - (research) = [me]

-log [me] = pMe

i feel sad

 

[oyoy]

.

 

[Abby_Normal]

I don't think you need to volunteer every semester, as long as you have done enough so that it shows some commitment. I think what is important to medical schools (and I'm not an expert here) is how much volunteering/research/other things that matter to you cumulatively that you have done and whether you have shown commitment/interest and done enough to have gained something from it. Some might place more importance on health-related volunteer work while others might look more at other experiences. What I was told is that the important thing is that what you do decide to do seems to have been something that mattered to you in some way or that you got something out of, not something you did just to check it off a list.

 

[cfx]

Thanks for the feedback...glad some others are in the same boat. I was mostly concerned that it would appear as a lack of dedication. Honestly, in this case it's necessary to do a few things just to "check them off a list." If they're not checked, it will likely raise some eyebrows, which I'd rather not do.

So, is there any point in trying to get in there for the next month, just to be able to say I did some volunteering this semester, or are you all saying that would be worthless?

 

[roseglass6370]

I'm in my first quarter as a sophomore. I have yet to commit to any volunteering position. Does this look bad?

Maybe I should get cranking...?

(P.S. I've worked in a hospital with patients since I was 16, so I'm good on clinical stuff.)

 

[oyoy]

.

 

[anbuitachi]

i have no time at all for volunteer. i'm applying next summer and i got 0 volunteer hours since college started. work/research take up all my time =(