Hospital volunteering with no patient contact

[anonymousername]

I got a volunteer position (haven't been assigned a department yet) but the volunteer coordinator told me that I would have almost no patient contact. At most I would be rolling patients out on wheelchairs but other than that my responsibilities would be more "front desk" type of work like making copies of charts and making beds.

I'm a little hesitant to start looking for a different place to volunteer because the hospital is so close to my new house and the hours won't effect my school work.

Is this considered clinical experience even though there is limited patient contact? should I look for another volunteer position that is less convenient?

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[medchicago]

The time will come one day for you to fill out your AMCAS and describe your duties in this position. That, as well as conversation in your interview and possibly a letter of rec, will be the only way that the school will know what it is exactly that you did. If you don't think you're getting "patient contact" (and it doesn't sound like you would be in that position, you need to find another position. Simply volunteering in a health care setting but without gaining experience that would reinforce your career decision isn't wise, especially considering you could be using that time somewhere else, gaining valuable experience.

I'd try one of two things.

Stay in your current position doing administrative stuff. After you get familiar with a few people (volunteer coordinator, etc.) and they discover that you're a devoted and able individual, ask to be relocated to a department in which you'd have more patient contact. If you explain your situation, I'm sure they'd understand. Such positions are sometimes difficult to get, and some seniority might be necessary depending on the number of positions available. The key is to give them a reason to accomodate you so that you'll stick around. Be friendly and happy about your cabinet filing responsibilities.

Another option would be to start looking for other places while you're volunteering at the current location. I know it's close to home, but it would be better in the long run to get as much contact as possible.

Speaking of contact, keep in mind that we have lots of laws here in the US. In volunteer positions it can prove difficult to get someone to allow you to be a real part of the patients' care (i.e. touch them). If you want real patient contact, you might try trading in the candystriper vest for EMS school or a great shadowing program.

Good luck!

 

[willen101383]

Sadly this is what you will probobly find in most volunteer type jobs. After working in many many hospitals I know the drill. You might want to look into actual summer jobs where you will get to deal with patients. PCT, phlebotomy, ER tech, that sort of thing. I am partial to phlebotomy because I did that for 4 years undergrad. No real BS....drawing labs...talking to patients...dont really have anyone up your ass. But the volunteer positions at hospitals I have worked in have all been this type of thing. Running charts around, wheeling patients to Imaging, running labs up to the lab. Bitch work.

 

[LizzyM]

An an M3 you are going to be someone's bitch so you might as well get used to it and show the adcom that you can take it.

I was a patient not too long ago and I had to be wheeled out to the car (leg in a cast, no weight bearing). I suddenly discovered that how well someone does that separates the future physicians from the wanna-bes. There is an art to putting someone at ease, positioning things so that the patient can safely make the transfer, moving with care so that the injured limb isn't bumped against the wall or the door frame, making small talk if the patient is able to do so, and doing the whole job - not dumping the patient in the lobby and running back because the idea of going outside in minus-something weather for even 5 seconds is too much to ask. If it is done right, transporation is an experience to practice skills that are very important. Done without heart, it is just moving meat.

 

[anonymousername]

An an M3 you are going to be someone's bitch so you might as well get used to it and show the adcom that you can take it.

I was a patient not too long ago and I had to be wheeled out to the car (leg in a cast, no weight bearing). I suddenly discovered that how well someone does that separates the future physicians from the wanna-bes. There is an art to putting someone at ease, positioning things so that the patient can safely make the transfer, moving with care so that the injured limb isn't bumped against the wall or the door frame, making small talk if the patient is able to do so, and doing the whole job - not dumping the patient in the lobby and running back because the idea of going outside in minus-something weather for even 5 seconds is too much to ask. If it is done right, transporation is an experience to practice skills that are very important. Done without heart, it is just moving meat.

Thanks..as much as I want to show adcoms that I can be someones "bitch" I also want to show them that I have sufficient clinical exposure.

From what I was told, wheeling patients in and out of the hospital will be an extreemly small part of my responsibilities and the majority of my time will be spent making copies of charts, moving specimens, answering phones, and making beds.

Will adcoms like yourself consider limited to no patient contact as something negative even though the position is in a hospital?

 

[red10]

The majority of volunteering in the hospital is going to be doing stocking and paperwork and less than glamorous stuff. You're not qualified to do much else as a volunteer so it's not like they're going to ask you to clean wounds or close up after surgery.
It is entirely what you make of it though. I had a transport job where I learned SO MUCH more about medicine than I ever did shadowing. If nothing else even when you're doing paper work you can learn how a hospital runs, the people other than doctors who make the hospital work, etc.

Maybe if you volunteer there long enough you'll get to move to a different department and see more clinically related stuff. Remember: You're volunteering for THEM. you have to do what THEY need. you don't get to call the shots here.

 

[willen101383]

Thanks..as much as I want to show adcoms that I can be someones "bitch" I also want to show them that I have sufficient clinical exposure.

From what I was told, wheeling patients in and out of the hospital will be an extreemly small part of my responsibilities and the majority of my time will be spent making copies of charts, moving specimens, answering phones, and making beds.

Will adcoms like yourself consider limited to no patient contact as something negative even though the position is in a hospital?

HAHA that made me laugh! LizzyM knows what adcoms look for obviously! But dude....dont YOU want to show YOURSELF that you have sufficient clinical exposure? It is funny to read about premeds on here who do everything just to look good for admissions! How do you know you want to be a doctor unless you have a ton of clinical exposure? Get a paying job that affords you clinical exposure...and volunteer elsewhere! When I was in college/ after college I did volunteer work in areas that interested me....doing things that I liked...that had nothing to do with medical school in any way. I did volunteer work with a group that maintained mountain biking trails...and as an avid biker I liked doing that! I walked dogs at a shelter......because I am a dog owner, and love being around dogs. I got my clinical exposure through my positions in college, and after college....in the real workforce....like 40 hour week style. Hospitals have a certain culture to them...and an "ebb and flow," so to speak. You dont see that as a volunteer...

 

[LizzyM]

Thanks..as much as I want to show adcoms that I can be someones "bitch" I also want to show them that I have sufficient clinical exposure.

From what I was told, wheeling patients in and out of the hospital will be an extreemly small part of my responsibilities and the majority of my time will be spent making copies of charts, moving specimens, answering phones, and making beds.

Will adcoms like yourself consider limited to no patient contact as something negative even though the position is in a hospital?

Just having "volunteer, clinical" on your AMCAS is enough for some adcom members and not enough for others. How do you know that you want to be a physician? Have you shadowed or otherwise seen medicine from the physician view-point. Getting your feet wet at the hospital can give you some street cred so that when you contact docs to ask about shadowing you can say, "I've been volunteering as a ... at .... for x months but I'd also like to have a chance to see things from the doctor's point of view."

Furthermore, as you become more familiar with the facility and the staff become more familiar with you, there is the possibility that opportunities will open up for you. One applicant told me of being asked to sit with a slighly injured woman who had been in an accident while her husband was "worked on" elsewhere in the ER. There was no requirement to touch the patient or provide a medical service but there is an opportunity for growth in an experience like that.

It is my opinion that technical skills like drawing blood or starting IVs (things that most docs don't do in day-to-day practice) are not the important part of clinical experience. It is talking to strangers, becoming comfortable in uncomfortable situations, putting others ahead of yourself (unselfishness) and so forth that is the important thing.

 

[J ROD]

Yeah, I did the ER thing and mainly was used to transport patients, clean rooms, etc...but I did get to do vitals and place EKG leads...

I was also used in codes and got to do other stuff like assist docs in procedures....

you basically have to get in there and do stuff....at first, they were like I am not sure you should be doing that, then I did it and did it well, and then they wanted me helping out...it makes their workload less!!

Prove yourself!!

 

[FIREitUP]

my hospital experience was really intriguing: cutting bandaids and sitting there with a blank look on my face. Free labor FTW!

 

[J ROD]

I have also found that more rural areas will let you do more....

 

[anonymousername]

thanks for the advice guys, I'll be taking the volunteer position and since it'll be a 1 year commitment I'll probably be able to request a department that has more patient contact at some point.

 

[Mopp22]

I got a volunteer position (haven't been assigned a department yet) but the volunteer coordinator told me that I would have almost no patient contact. At most I would be rolling patients out on wheelchairs but other than that my responsibilities would be more "front desk" type of work like making copies of charts and making beds.

I'm a little hesitant to start looking for a different place to volunteer because the hospital is so close to my new house and the hours won't effect my school work.

Is this considered clinical experience even though there is limited patient contact? should I look for another volunteer position that is less convenient?

I had no real prior volunteer experience, but when I filled out the application I "sold" myself as much as possible. I didn't mention med school pre reqs, etc. I emphasized the skills and characteristics I have that would make me excellent in patient care. I mentioned the committment I was willing to give to the hospital and their goals.

My unit is specifically patient care and I interact with patients ALL THE TIME on my shift. I am getting the experience that I need plus making their hospital stay more comfortable. I travel a total of 2 hrs approx(depending on traffic) by car one day a week. I am planning to continue this for as long as I possibly can, in an unfamiliar city, in a state I have lived in for under 2 years, in a country I have lived in for approx 4yrs.

Hopefully somewhere in this experince you will find useful info on how to proceed. Show your dedication to the hospital/clinic's goals and don't be afraid of long distances and risks if it means a better opportunity for you. The obstacles you are willing to overcome shows how much you want it and that will look good to med schools I'm sure.

 

[ILikeDrugs]

I have also found that more rural areas will let you do more....

Here in CA, we have to fill out paper work every time we hand a patient a cup of water, two papers if it has has in it also.