Hospital volunteering...is this what to expect?

[DOwnage]

So recently, I've started hospital volunteering and the tasks that I do are typically helping with paperwork and secretarial duties, cleaning, helping patients to make their stay more comfortable, and limited wheelchair transport duties.

The law really prevents me from doing anything really awesome... but I'm still getting the whole "hospital experience" just from being there, seeing health care workers interact, and I get to talk to patients occasionally.

• Is this the typical type of volunteering duties that I should expect no matter what hospital I go to?
• Is this on the higher end of volunteering quality since I actually get to see patients?
• How do DO admissions people view this type of volunteering? Is it adequate or inadequate?

To anybody that could answer these questions I'd really appreciate it. thanks in advance!!

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[FutureDoc1988]

So recently, I've started hospital volunteering and the tasks that I do are typically helping with paperwork and secretarial duties, cleaning, helping patients to make their stay more comfortable, and limited wheelchair transport duties.

The law really prevents me from doing anything really awesome... but I'm still getting the whole "hospital experience" just from being there, seeing health care workers interact, and I get to talk to patients occasionally.

• Is this the typical type of volunteering duties that I should expect no matter what hospital I go to?
• Is this on the higher end of volunteering quality since I actually get to see patients?
• How do DO admissions people view this type of volunteering? Is it adequate or inadequate?

To anybody that could answer these questions I'd really appreciate it. thanks in advance!!

This is similar the the experience that I had while volunteering at a hospital. I basically made sure the charts had the correct paperwork and then sat at the desk waiting for someone to press the call button. If you want a place where you get more interaction I would suggest volunteering at a free clinic. At the clinic where I now volunteer I take vital signs and help get patients ready for blood draws. You get a lot more patient interaction with the free clinics.

 

[DOwnage]

How do you find free clinics? I was actually looking for them online recently and found HPSA lists divided up by county. It wasn't really helpful because they never really gave the name of the place and there was no link to actually see more details about the area.

Also, I contacted this one local clinic which I initially expected to have exactly what you described as much more intense patient interaction, but when I asked the nature of their volunteering, they said that it was a lot of clerical duties, which really surprised me. Like I said earlier though, I was looking and I found some but they are all really far away and regular volunteering would be extremely difficult on my schedule. Is there any other way to search for them in case I'm missing some?

 

[FutureDoc1988]

http://www.freeclinics.us/freeclinic.php

This website has quite a few free clinics mentioned. If you cannot find one near you I would go to a local food bank and ask them. I live in Seattle and here some of the food banks have free walk in clinics.

For some of the clinics it may be more clerical, but I would just keep looking for other clinics. Even if you can just get the job as a receptionist it gets your foot in the door. For example I started out as the scheduler and now I am also the medical assistant.

 

[NightOwlPM]

That is what hospital volunteering is like. Feeling out of place, always looking for something to do, but more importantly trying not to get in anyone's way. But you have to do it. Why? Because med schools say so.

I got a lot more out of shadowing. That way you can actually see what you are signing up for.

 

[DOwnage]

For example I started out as the scheduler and now I am also the medical assistant

Do you have to get a certification to become a medical assistant from somewhere like a community college or did they give you some kind of on the job training?

 

[GraceEuphoria]

Do you have to get a certification to become a medical assistant from somewhere like a community college or did they give you some kind of on the job training?

I am fairly certain for ANY medical assistant job you must be a certified CMA, which can be acquired at a community college in 12 to 18 months. I might be slightly off on the exact requirements, but this is what I recall from my shadowing/volunteering days.

In answer to your other questions...
For the most part, yes, volunteer work is boring, mundane, monotonous, etc. I have always said the real purpose of volunteer work, organic chemistry, and shadowing in med school admissions is to see if you are crazy enough to stick with it all and do it in order to get in- aka how bad do you REALLY want it?? 🙂

Haha, no in all seriousness, volunteer work is fantastic experience, even if it is boring. My biggest volunteer commitment was at a pediatric and prenatal clinic for uninsured and Medicaid patients. While all I did was make copies of forms, file forms in charts, etc. it was a GREAT experience. As you prove your capabilities too you will usually get bigger and more interesting tasks. Plus, doing all these mundane tasks with a smile on my face actually enhanced my LOR from the DO in the office I volunteered, as I eventually shadowed him. He remembered the hours and hours of work I put in!

For a light at the end of the tunnel...I did some of the most amazing volunteer work the semester I was reapplying to med school. At the local children's hospital, I was fortunate enough to be assigned to the tutoring department of the hospital. Since kids are often in the hospital for extended stays, they often need people to help them get through their schoolwork. I got to do that job! It was such an awesome role- I really couldn't have asked for anything better. Not only did it keep my spark going during my re-application, but it really forced me to come out of my shell in the clinical setting. I had a very independent role of going out into the wards and setting up good times with my kids (around their procedures and treatments), not to mention interacting with the parents of, often, very sick kids. I loved it 😍

The point of all my rambling is this: volunteer may or may not be boring. Regardless of its nature, though, it serves a greater purpose in many aspects of your application process. Do it, love it, learn from it. And seek out those awesome opportunities like I found. They are out there!

Good luck with everything!

 

[ManUnderFire]

U can definitely learn and grow from your experiences doing clerical work, maybe not from the work itself but more from meeting expectations, working quickly/efficiently, demonstrating enthusiasm while completing mundane tasks, maintaining professionalism and grace under fire, etc. But if you're looking for that life changing type of volunteer role, they exist, just not in front of the photocopier.

I once did a stint at a radiology department transporting x-rays and instructing patients on the procedures. Although I wasn't too enthused with the prospect of being the "X-ray delivery boy" at first, I gave it a shot and slowly grew into the role. Even so, I needed something more challenging (and inspiring). After a few months, I moved on for greener pastures. I did a stint in a speech pathology ward doing tongue exercises with CP/stroke patients...it didn't tickly my fancy so I gracefully bowed out after a few sessions. After calling around and inquiring about potential volunteer roles, I hit pay-dirt. A year later...I started volunteering in the rehab dept of a major hospital. Wa-mo! I work with patients (sometimes one on one) throughout their rehab programs and I have witnessed patients with paraplegia learn to walk again (albeit with minimal use of assistive devices). Keep looking, and you'll eventually find what you want. In the mean time, give ur current place a shot...u might like it in the end.

 

[Damia]

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[Gabby]

You have to be pro-active. As another poster suggested, try volunteering at a free clinic. If that falls through, try a small community hospital instead of big academic hospitals. At the smaller hospitals, where no one goes to volunteer, you could be the only volunteer they have, which means that nurses will love you and once you prove yourself, they'll allow you to do things.

I got to take vitals, bandages, help with sutures, etc. My shifts were spent with the patients from the time I got there to the time I went home. Very rarely was I asked to do any clerical work, though I sometimes filed stuff away and things like that to help the nurses out. Because I was the only volunteer on the floor, the nurses introuced me to all the doctors who then allowed me to shadow whenever I wanted. They even came to get me off the floor a few times when they had an interesting case or something they wanted me to see.

Always go for the big-fish/small-pond scenario if you have a choice. It'll lead to more hands-on experiences.

 

[ScottMontgomery]

Just tough it out and hang in there. You may be allowed to do more and more things as you are more well known.

I started volunteering in the ER a while back, and for the longest time all I did was get water and blankets for the patients, when I wasn't doing that I was cleaning and dressing the beds.

I can't really elaborate much further, but I can say this: If you find the right doc, he/she could possibly take you under their wing and allow you to see and do things you never thought you would as a volunteer.

I currently am more like a TP (Technical Partner, or Nurse Tech.)

I work Friday and Saturday nights from either 8-12 or 8-2, depending on how busy the ER is. No other volunteers want to work these hours, and I love them! I am the only volunteer at the time, so I get used alot!

 

[EvolutionaryRevolutionary]

This thread is so helpful!

 

[BubbleStitch]

This was definitely my experience as a volunteer in the hospital. The first floor I was on, I sat at the front desk and buzzed visitors into and out of the ward. It was mindnumbingly boring. Moreover, I felt that I was being taken advantage of because the hospital paid someone to do this, but when I was there, they left to the back to chat with their friends. I then switched to another floor which wasn't locked down and was given the opportunity to do secretarial work, answer call bells, deliver food trays... It was infinitely more exciting than buzzing people in.

The real jump came when I befriended the nurse's assistants. They didn't find any particular joy in their job (taking vitals, changing patients, etc) and saw how excited I was to actually be of use, so they would sometimes let me do these things. Also found a doctor who saw I was wasting my time most of the time and let me round with him. I think your experience will be what you make of it, so try reaching out and making friends, particular with the aides. Greatest opportunity for patient contact was doing the things that they didn't want to do.

 

[efle]

Most hospitals have a range of volunteer jobs. Many are what you described, at my children's hospital they are "pager volunteers" and they sit around with pagers until someone calls them to help fetch items or transport someone etc. Another spot are basically as playroom supervisers that stop kids from beating on each other for the high demand toys, teaching them rules to board games etc. But I looked around for something more interesting and found a spot as a volunteer tutor at the school room, helping keep long term stay patients up to date on missed schoolwork, and so I pretty much am 24/7 working one on one with patients K-12 for an hour+ at a time, often seeing them weekly across a few weeks or months. As other posters have said, it is all about being proactive. I've enjoyed my position a lot and recruited a couple others to it too. You can find some really enjoyable stuff where you will feel like you're contributing and helping non stop while you're there.

 

[SpicyFalafel]

OP, Free clinic is the way to go because there are no nurses work there.However, you could get some clinical hours at local hospital. I just found a free clinic, where I will be taking vitals,EKG plus shadowing. You will be introduced with different specialties along with more hands on experience which most of pre-meds look for.

Edit: you/we are not required to have any sort of hands on experienc( just icing on the cake really).Med schools know this already, and they do not have set rules in stone for volunteering more than commitment to the field.

 

[efle]

OP, Free clinic is the way to go because there are no nurses work there.However, you could get some clinical hours at local hospital. I just found a free clinic, where I will be taking vitals,EKG plus shadowing. You will be introduced with different specialties along with more hands on experience which most of pre-meds look for.

Are you not required to have some official training to do vitals and EKG ? I was under the impression untrained pre meds do not get to contribute anything to patient history and visit notes ...

 

[SpicyFalafel]

Are you not required to have some official training to do vitals and EKG ? I was under the impression untrained pre meds do not get to contribute anything to patient history and visit notes ...

True, but I am getting that training once I start is what I was told. I got so excited when the coordinator told me that, and I asked him the same question. He mentioned the shortage of nurses, medical assitants, and limited number of lab techs.

 

[SpicyFalafel]

Are you not required to have some official training to do vitals and EKG ? I was under the impression untrained pre meds do not get to contribute anything to patient history and visit notes ...

If you use some contacts you would be surprised on what you can find out. I found an opportunity with mercy clinic with one of their programs which is called street medicine, but I do not speak Spanish and they were looking for bilingual. Training is offered too

 

[JibsGuy52]

How do DO admissions people view this type of volunteering? Is it adequate or inadequate?

If someone could answer this that would be great. I also do this type of volunteering and was wondering if DO schools have certain requirements for their volunteering etc.

 

[SpicyFalafel]

If someone could answer this that would be great. I also do this type of volunteering and was wondering if DO schools have certain requirements for their volunteering etc.

combination between clinical(interacting with patients in any way)- non clinical ( administrative tasks). That's typical for any applicant, so considered adequate.