How many places should I be volunteering at?

[Yazo]

Hi everyone, happy summer!

I'm currently volunteering at a local hospital (just began this week) and I'm trying to acquire about 50 hrs of volunteering time before I ask to shadow some doctors.

Besides this, should I be volunteering at any other locations?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[PatchAdams25]

what does your hospital volunteering consist of?? Maybe do something outside of this that is of service to people less fortunate than yourself

 

[deleted731525]

6.3457

 

[Turkishking]

Hi everyone, happy summer!

I'm currently volunteering at a local hospital (just began this week) and I'm trying to acquire about 50 hrs of volunteering time before I ask to shadow some doctors.

Besides this, should I be volunteering at any other locations?

Go to the hospital, and pick up a non-clinical activity. Maybe volunteer at the soup kitchen 2 days a week? Do not add many activities that are useless.

 

[piii]

If you aren't volunteering at at least 8 places simultaneously, you probably just suited to be a low teir DO or Caribbean candidate.

 

[Catalystik]

I'm currently volunteering at a local hospital (just began this week) and I'm trying to acquire about 50 hrs of volunteering time before I ask to shadow some doctors.

Besides this, should I be volunteering at any other locations?

Consider giving time to a cause off campus that you care about: Humane Society, Habitat for Humanity, crisis hotline, soup kitchen, food pantry, homeless shelter. women’s shelter, after-school tutoring for middle school students, teaching ESL to adults, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Meals on Wheels. Longevity in an activity is desirable.

 

[Yazo]

what does your hospital volunteering consist of?? Maybe do something outside of this that is of service to people less fortunate than yourself

Right now I transport patients to different departments or help discharge them. Towards the end of the summer I'm going to start working in the ED, though.

I've been thinking of doing non clinical volunteering such as in a soup kitchen. Do you think that would be sufficient for the med school app?

 

[Yazo]

Go to the hospital, and pick up a non-clinical activity. Maybe volunteer at the soup kitchen 2 days a week? Do not add many activities that are useless.

Thanks for the help. I've been thinking of a local soup kitchen, as well. Besides these 2 activities, is there anything else that med schools like to see?

 

[anonymoose1640]

Volunteer at places or with causes that are meaningful to you! Don't just do something to check off a box and rack up hours. If you like children then volunteer as a little league coach or read to kids or something like that. If you like working with elderly people then volunteer at a nursing home. If you like serving the underserved then work in a soup kitchen, a homeless shelter, or a batter women's shelter. The possibilities are endless. But do something meaningful (to you) with your time.

 

[Yazo]

Consider giving time to a cause off campus that you care about: Humane Society, Habitat for Humanity, crisis hotline, soup kitchen, food pantry, homeless shelter. women’s shelter, after-school tutoring for middle school students, teaching ESL to adults, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Meals on Wheels. Longevity in an activity is desirable.

Thanks for the advice. I'm probably going to contact a local soup kitchen. Is there anything else I should do besides these two and shadowing?

 

[Catalystik]

Thanks for the advice. I'm probably going to contact a local soup kitchen. Is there anything else I should do besides these two and shadowing?

Research, (peer) leadership, teaching (TA, tutor, coach, mentor) are all elective, but help strengthen an application.

 

[doctorleospaceman]

Volunteer at places or with causes that are meaningful to you! Don't just do something to check off a box and rack up hours. If you like children then volunteer as a little league coach or read to kids or something like that. If you like working with elderly people then volunteer at a nursing home. If you like serving the underserved then work in a soup kitchen, a homeless shelter, or a batter women's shelter. The possibilities are endless. But do something meaningful (to you) with your time

This. Random "check box" volunteering will be a visible weakness in an application. A couple of longterm commitments to issues you're passionate about will outweigh numerous meaningless volunteer work every time.

 

[studentdocftw]