How many hours of volunteering is considered ideal?

[Rooks]

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Hi everyone,

I know that the rule of thumb is to have around 150 hours each for clinical and non-clinical. But if I were to get 1500 hours for clinical and 2000 hours for non-clinical, would that really bump my application to the next level?

I am asking because I have already accumulated many hours, and have plenty of free time and four years before I graduate with my bachelors. Would this make me stand out from other applicants and possibly get me an interview to top schools?

In this scenario all other factors remain stable--4.0 GPA and solid MCAT.

Thanka.

 

[PA_dud3]

LizzyM has a few levels of EC hour counts she sees at her very competitive school. They are thrown around quite a bit, as you said the 150 count is considered the middle ground. Past 1000 hrs for both categories sees some of the most exceptional levels for applicants.

 

[Dr panda]

Use the search button this question is one of the most popular on this forum

 

[Dr panda]

LizzyM has a few levels of EC hour counts she sees at her very competitive school. They are thrown around quite a bit, as you said the 150 count is considered the middle ground. Past 1000 hrs for both categories sees some of the most exceptional levels for applicants.

Can you as a moderator pin those message of LizzyM or other adcoms or add it to essential wisdom for premeds?

 

[PA_dud3]

Can you as a moderator pin those message of LizzyM or other adcoms or add it to essential wisdom for premeds?

I will see what I can do!

 

[PA_dud3]

For reference/posterity here is the post I was basing my info off of.

(suboptimal, decent, exceptional)
1. clinical hours (work or volunteer): 99, 150, 1,000+ (employment)
2. non-clinical volunteering hours: 99, 150, 1,000+ (full-time gap year)
3. shadowing hours: 8, 40, 80

Credit goes to the wise @LizzyM

 

[LizzyM]

Starting early is good. That said, devoting 16-17 hours/wk for 4 years including summers, seems excessive for volunteerism. It is important to have exceptional GPA and MCAT. It is nice to also have time for research, teaching/tutoring, teamwork and leadership, and employment of some kind. Pouring so much of your time into volunteering might put your application out of balance. Keep in mind that my estimate of exceptional clinical hours includes paid employment and non-clinical volunteering at the exceptional level would be full-time gap year service (City Year, etc)

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

Hi everyone,

I know that the rule of thumb is to have around 150 hours each for clinical and non-clinical. But if I were to get 1500 hours for clinical and 2000 hours for non-clinical, would that really bump my application to the next level?

I am asking because I have already accumulated many hours, and have plenty of free time and four years before I graduate with my bachelors. Would this make me stand out from other applicants and possibly get me an interview to top schools?

In this scenario all other factors remain stable--4.0 GPA and solid MCAT.

Thanka.

Aren't you in college already? you said you have four years to graduate. HS hours don't count but hours after graduation count.

 

[Goro]

Hi everyone,

I know that the rule of thumb is to have around 150 hours each for clinical and non-clinical. But if I were to get 1500 hours for clinical and 2000 hours for non-clinical, would that really bump my application to the next level?

I am asking because I have already accumulated many hours, and have plenty of free time and four years before I graduate with my bachelors. Would this make me stand out from other applicants and possibly get me an interview to top schools?

In this scenario all other factors remain stable--4.0 GPA and solid MCAT.

Thanka.

Anything > 500 would be exceptional. It's wise not to obsess about individual metrics.

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

The ideal amount of hours is 528 hours in all categories. Supplement that with a 528 MCAT and you're golden /s

But for real, just do what you enjoy doing. Be sure you get good takeaways that you can talk/write about. A few hundred hours [clinical, nonclinical, leadership, teamwork] should be sufficient.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

The ideal amount of hours is 528 hours in all categories. Supplement that with a 528 MCAT and you're golden /s

But for real, just do what you enjoy doing. Be sure you get good takeaways that you can talk/write about. A few hundred hours [clinical, nonclinical, leadership, teamwork] should be sufficient.

But can't have 5.28 GPA 😉

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

But can't have 5.28 GPA 😉

You're not trying hard enough!!

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

You're not trying hard enough!!

Can get it from a foreign school 🙂

 

[Hi_I'mPaul]

Can get it from a foreign school 🙂

Now you're thinking out of the box, I like it.