i'm so lost- please help!

[wendywellesley]

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I signed up to voluteer at the ER as my only volunteer/clinical exerpience. But I feel like a piece of **** every time I go to the ER. All I can do is give out water and blankets. It's also pushing it staying there for more than 40 minutes. I tried shadowing a few residences but after I followed them around one time they completely ignored me the next time I saw them. I feel ridiculous approaching every attending saying the same thing, 'i'm applying to med school, can i shadow you?' I tried calling the volunteer office at this hospital to change my assignment but they can't do anything for me until next week and the women who answers the phone is so nasty!

I tried calling the local Planned Parenthood, but there is nothing I can do now.

I'm on winter break, I have all this time and I would really like to volunteer somewhere I can be useful but I can't find ANYTHING.

I desperatly need clinical experience but i feel so isolated and alone here. I have no idea what to do or who to contact or what would be the best option in my suburban area.

If any one can help me I would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks for reading!!!

 

[liverotcod]

1) Is there a free clinic somewhere in the area?

2) You could call local private practices and ask to shadow there. A different experience than the hospital.

3) EMT ride-along.

 

[medicomel]

Hey there,

try feeling like a piece of **** for four hours a week, every week, since June (and to continue indefinitely). the doctors are busy and pretty much ignore you, the techs and nurses size you up and ask you who the hell you are every time you come in. you feel useless as people buzz by you and have conversations around you.

but after a while, people start to recognize you and are more comfortable in showing you around and talking about your goals and aspirations. just last week, a resident took me aside to show me x-rays of a fractured patella. i was elated and i felt included. those small moments, combined with when you interact with patients to make sure that they are comfortable and that they don't feel completely alone, are the ones that make coming to the er worthwhile.

i say stick it out, maybe try for 2-hr stints, and bring some dunkin' donut holes/krispy kremes to the er. people gravitate towards food and it might initiate some conversation.

good luck!

 

[tinkerbelle]

what about one of the local suicide or rape hotlines? They always need phone counselors.

Are there any soup kitchens or women's shelters where you live?

P.S. I thought volunteering at hospitals was extrememly boring until I tried to start up conversations with the patients. Sometimes I would spend 2 hours listening to someone talk about their life, being homeless, or about being retired and not being able to pay the bills... And that made volunteering so much more worthwhile cause sometimes people really need to get stuff off of their chest 🙂

 

[flash]

First, you're not alone. I've done the ER volunteer at 3 different hospitals - cultures vary widely along with duties. Some stink, some ok, some pretty good. Keep your eyes and ears open, accept and try to enjoy that blankets, socks, and water are part of your duties. I hated one place, but I just did it for a few months to give it a chance. Not doing an 8hr shift helps alot - perhaps a few hours at a time would be better. Are there times where you will have more "to do" ? for me, it was dinner time, help handing things out.


Don't let the fact that dr.'s ignore you, they do that in busy ERs. Don't take it personally, has happened 100 times to me.

My favorite ER was in a small, non-teaching hospital. Fewer people, get to know everyone, only 3 docs (but depends if opportunities exist where you live).
How about a few hours at an extended-care facility/nursing home? More to do, more interaction, less fast paced so can shadow a bit.


Stick with it while you explore new places and opportunities. They are out there, you'll find them if u work at it.

 

[Sundarban1]

First, you're not alone. I've done the ER volunteer at 3 different hospitals - cultures vary widely along with duties. Some stink, some ok, some pretty good. Keep your eyes and ears open, accept and try to enjoy that blankets, socks, and water are part of your duties. I hated one place, but I just did it for a few months to give it a chance. Not doing an 8hr shift helps alot - perhaps a few hours at a time would be better. Are there times where you will have more "to do" ? for me, it was dinner time, help handing things out.


Don't let the fact that dr.'s ignore you, they do that in busy ERs. Don't take it personally, has happened 100 times to me.

My favorite ER was in a small, non-teaching hospital. Fewer people, get to know everyone, only 3 docs (but depends if opportunities exist where you live).
How about a few hours at an extended-care facility/nursing home? More to do, more interaction, less fast paced so can shadow a bit.


Stick with it while you explore new places and opportunities. They are out there, you'll find them if u work at it.

Childrens Emercency Department, too.

 

[Cerberus]

ER docs are a joke anyway (half joking). Why dont you call the guy in charge of trauma residents and see if you can do a call night with the trauma team.

 

[Damnit Jim!]

If you're looking into other types of volunteer opportunities you can search www.idealist.org. They have lots of other volunteer and nonprofit work where you can get more involved- things like art with a heart, dance and music companies, services for battered women, etc. Most ERs see a ton of volunteers, so the experience maybe inconsistent or they may not care. It might be a good idea to separate yourself from the other premeds by taking part in a volunteer experience that not a lot of premeds do or know about, but that you can get really involved in.

I was able to form a lot of connections through some of the listings on idealist.org and through these connections I was able to help start a new nonprofit. I think it has really helped my application because I'm in the <2.8 club, but I've gotten some really good interviews. Plus, it's for a cause that you actually believe in and you get to do fun stuff like setting up fundraisers with celebrities, etc.

 

[wendywellesley]

you guys are great.

ahhh... sdn, so easy to have a love/hate relationship with it.

these posts have been very helpful and I will persue these options.

Thanks again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kimber21]

I signed up to voluteer at the ER as my only volunteer/clinical exerpience. But I feel like a piece of **** every time I go to the ER. All I can do is give out water and blankets. It's also pushing it staying there for more than 40 minutes. I tried shadowing a few residences but after I followed them around one time they completely ignored me the next time I saw them. I feel ridiculous approaching every attending saying the same thing, 'i'm applying to med school, can i shadow you?' I tried calling the volunteer office at this hospital to change my assignment but they can't do anything for me until next week and the women who answers the phone is so nasty!

I tried calling the local Planned Parenthood, but there is nothing I can do now.

I'm on winter break, I have all this time and I would really like to volunteer somewhere I can be useful but I can't find ANYTHING.

I desperatly need clinical experience but i feel so isolated and alone here. I have no idea what to do or who to contact or what would be the best option in my suburban area.

If any one can help me I would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks for reading!!!

Often, esp with the larger hospitals, volunteers do very menial things like greeting people or getting water, etc etc. You can try a smaller clinic, maybe a free one or one that serves the underprivilaged. One of my friends volunteered with the free medical care vans that go around the city and offer services to people on the street.
Good luck!


Good luck!

 

[avinash]

I signed up to voluteer at the ER as my only volunteer/clinical exerpience. But I feel like a piece of **** every time I go to the ER. All I can do is give out water and blankets. It's also pushing it staying there for more than 40 minutes. I tried shadowing a few residences but after I followed them around one time they completely ignored me the next time I saw them. I feel ridiculous approaching every attending saying the same thing, 'i'm applying to med school, can i shadow you?' I tried calling the volunteer office at this hospital to change my assignment but they can't do anything for me until next week and the women who answers the phone is so nasty!

I tried calling the local Planned Parenthood, but there is nothing I can do now.

I'm on winter break, I have all this time and I would really like to volunteer somewhere I can be useful but I can't find ANYTHING.

I desperatly need clinical experience but i feel so isolated and alone here. I have no idea what to do or who to contact or what would be the best option in my suburban area.

If any one can help me I would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks for reading!!!

at my college town you have to wait 4 months to even start volunteering.......... 👎

 

[dr_pepper]

Have you checked out Students for Organ Donation (www.studentdonor.org)? They are a student-run organization that works to raise awareness about organ donation on college campuses (as you can see by my signature, I am a part of the organization). They now have chapters at a few dozen colleges, but have an open invitation to college students to start new chapters at their own school.

This is an opportunity to not only do some volunteer work in a public health field, but to play a leadership role as the founding president of a chapter.

Check out the 'Get Involved' page on the website if you are interested.

 

[DrHopeless]

Sorry to hear that, but yeah, my experience in ER is a little bit more cheerful than you, but like everyone said, just give it time. People will eventually know who you are and thing like that. Just stick in there, remember the food chain.

Volunteer < Long time volunteer < accepted pre-med student < med student < med student on rotation < resident < MD < Your boss haha.

You will get more respect as time go on. Just give it time.

 

[Doc Ivy]

To the OP,
I can totally relate to your experience. I did the hospital vounteering thing-- you have to-- but it certainly wasn't my favorite experience. You feel like you're getting in the way, and are just taking up space. Don't give up but definitely get into other activities where your contribution will be more meaningful. Some ideas:
1)EMT ride along, someone already mentioned it but I'll second the idea. I did this once and it was great, provided some great experiences to talk about in personal statements
2)Shadow a physician, I was interested in OB so I shadowed a perinatologist on a day when she was on call. Again I only did this a couple of times, you don't want to out stay your welcome, but seeing patients in clinic with a doc is an invaluable medical experience.
3) The Red Cross, they LOVE volunteers, my sister did this and she really felt like she had a purpose.
4) Rape Crisis Center, they also run solely with volunteer help. My other sister did this and she loved it. Lots of training hours involved but you really get to help people, and practice communication skills with people who are traumatized --things you'll need to know how to do as a physician. Teen crisis counsellor would be something similar.
5) Brain Injury Rehab Centers, I did this for 3 years and it was by far the best volunteer experience. The center really relied on volunteers, lots of students were there helping-- I did one on one sessions with people who had suffered strokes and head trauma etc. teaching them how to read and write, walk again etc.

The point is, some of the best stuff isn't directly medical, but allows you to connect with people and help. This is why most people want to get into medicine in the first place. And until you actually learn medicine, the humanistic stuff is where you should focus your volunteer efforts. That's why volunteering in a hospital is often unsatisfying-- because you really aren't capable of really helping in that capacity yet. Sorry for the long post, hope it helps 👍

 

[opinionkitten]

i had a similar experience at a VA hospital. my advice is this
1) tough through it for a while: it all looks the same on a med school app, 1/3 of my volunteer work sucked and was completely useless but as long as you dont tell anyone this is how you feel, youll be fine

2) get a new assignment: the culture of each different unit and wing of a hospital can be really different. find somewhere where theyll let you help out or at least be a welcome presence. i found that places where the nurses are really busy are best, theyll let you make beds and help with more stuff.

the volunteer coordinators know the score, someone has been just where you are now, told them they didnt get to do anything and felt like a pest, and got transferred. if the lady is a crab, just be persistent and get somewhere better. it all looks the same on the application anyhow, just tough through it till you can get a new assignment

 

[beanbean]

Why are you reluctant to ask the residents or attendings if you can shadow with them? An ER is a busy place and people will tend to think you are standing around waiting for someone else if you don't speak up. Shadowing in an ED takes patience on your part. For every 10 minutes seeing patients with a doc, you may spend another 10 watching the doc order labs or write charts. Once you get to know some people and learn the routine you will feel part of the team.

1) Get to know some of the nurses and techs. Ask if they can show you how to do blood draws, IVs, NG tubes, etc. Even if you can't actually do procedures it is still educational to learn.

2) Bring people food - always a way to make friends in the ED

3) Offer to go get people stuff - supplies, lab results, some coffee - for every minute I help someone else out and save them some time, that's free time they may then have to teach me something.

4) Make friends with patients - give them warm blankets! Talk with patients. You may only be a premed student, but you can chat with patients and learn a great deal about people and their illnesses.

 

[jules0328]

Hi guys,

Wendy, I know how you feel, I noticed you live on Avenue Q? Unless that is just your phrase for SDN. Anyway, if you live here in the metropolitan area of NY, there is a hospital that not many people know about. Its called Coler-Goldwater Specialty Hospital and Nursing Facility. It is located on Roosevelt Island and it is a city run hospital, part of the HHC (Health and Hospitals of NYC). If you are interested, they are always looking for volunteers, you would have to go through their volunteers dept. However, I could get you the information, I used to work there as a Clinical Exercise Physiologist. What an experience, I would go back there in an instant, I resigned to go back to school for my post bacc. Anyway, it is for the underpriveledged so you see a lot of patients there who have been homeless, etc. But its worth it, this hospital opens your eyes to many things and it will definitely challenge you. If you can survive this hospital, you can survive any ER.

Warning, this hospital is not for the pretentious, you will see a lot of depressing things, so if you are ready to committ to that then PM me. I highly recommend the experience. It will make you a better person.

 

[liverotcod]

Wendy, I know how you feel, I noticed you live on Avenue Q?

It's from the Tony award-winning musical Avenue Q, worth checking out:
http://www.avenueq.com

 

[clinick]

For real honest-to-goodness clinical experience, third-ride with a 911 ambulance. It's always really interesting. Unless you are a licensed EMT, you are not technically allowed to touch the patient - so you don't have to feel like an idiot b/c you can't do anything. All you have to do is call up an ambulance company around you.

 

[jules0328]

I am so uncultured when it comes to Broadway plays, now I feel dumb! Thanks for the lesson. LOL 🙂

 

[avinash]

For real honest-to-goodness clinical experience, third-ride with a 911 ambulance. It's always really interesting. Unless you are a licensed EMT, you are not technically allowed to touch the patient - so you don't have to feel like an idiot b/c you can't do anything. All you have to do is call up an ambulance company around you.

Thats what i was told to do, but are ambulance services open to poeple to shadow them?

 

[QofQuimica]

Those are all good suggestions; here are some more:

-Ask your family doctor to let you make rounds with him in the hospital and/or shadow him in his office.
-Volunteer for the Easter Seals Society (they work with physically and mentally handicapped people).
-Volunteer for a nursing home or hospice.
-Tutor children in your favorite/strongest school subject.
-If you speak another language fluently, volunteer to translate for patients in the ER.
-Get involved with a program that teaches children about health issues, such as drug education, sex education, AIDS education, or vaccination.

Basically you should do something that involves working with people and dealing with their problems. Hope you have more positive volunteering experiences in the future.

 

[QofQuimica]

Thats what i was told to do, but are ambulance services open to poeple to shadow them?

Yes, this is possible. I did it while I was in college and it was quite an experience. My very first day, nothing at all happened for the whole morning. We were just finishing lunch when we got our first call for an auto accident. The police had arrived there first and had closed down the street for us, so we were driving on the wrong side of the road. We were probably 500 meters or so from the accident when there was a little bump from the right side. Some guy had decided to make a u-turn and hit the ambulance! It was a minor accident, so we kept going. If that guy had been smart, he'd have kept going, too. Instead, he followed the ambulance to the hospital to complain about the damage to his car. The police gave him a ticket for not yielding the right of way to the ambulance for his troubles. 😀 When they asked him why he had turned smack into the ambulance (and keep in mind that we had our sirens on, the lights flashing, etc.!), he said it was because he just couldn't believe that we'd be on the wrong side of the road like that. Guess there's nothing like a little physics to make a believer out of you.

 

[medic170]

Thats what i was told to do, but are ambulance services open to poeple to shadow them?

Of course you can 3rd ride on an ambulance. Just contact your local service.

 

[beanbean]

Some ambulances will allow you to ride along, others will not. It depends on their insurance/liability concerns. The service I volunteer with will let people observe if they are CPR, Blood-bourne pathogens, and hazmat first responder certified. However, you can not give patient care unless state certified at an EMS level.

 

[medic170]

Some ambulances will allow you to ride along, others will not. It depends on their insurance/liability concerns. The service I volunteer with will let people observe if they are CPR, Blood-bourne pathogens, and hazmat first responder certified. However, you can not give patient care unless state certified at an EMS level.

True. You do have to have CPR for laypersons and watch the BBP video to ride along at my service.