Importance of volunteering tasks? Clinical or not...

[fortheloveoflife]

Hello! I was wondering how important it would be to my medical school application whether or not I volunteered in the clinical field for a majority of my hours. I'll be soon starting the second year of my undergrad education and so far I have shadowed and recently obtained a lab internship position. I have hours volunteering in a senior citizen home and an interest in volunteering at an animal shelter. However, I am not sure if that would be valuable for my med school app and I am looking into hospital volunteer opportunities to balance it out. Am i wasting my time at the senior citizen home and at the shelter? I truly enjoy working there and that's why I really want to keep going, but if it isn't going to help me, then I could focus on volunteering only in the clinical field for now and go back to those places after undergrad or whenever I find spare time.
Also, I will volunteer as much as I can, but what is a safe number of hours to aim for? 100? 200? Of course, I'm aware there's no guarantee if my application is weak in any other aspect, but still...
I'm thankful for any advice.

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[Goro]

You should have >150 hr's each of clinical and non-clinical experiences

 

[Catalystik]

I have hours volunteering in a senior citizen home and an interest in volunteering at an animal shelter. However, I am not sure if that would be valuable for my med school app and I am looking into hospital volunteer opportunities to balance it out.
1) Am i wasting my time at the senior citizen home and at the shelter? I truly enjoy working there and that's why I really want to keep going, but
2) if it isn't going to help me, then I could focus on volunteering only in the clinical field for now

1) No, you would not be wasting your time at those two sites. Both would enhance your application.

2) You need clinical and non-clinical volunteering.

 

[fortheloveoflife]

You should have >150 hr's each of clinical and non-clinical experiences

Alright! Thank you!

 

[fortheloveoflife]

1) No, you would not be wasting your time at those two sites. Both would enhance your application.

2) You need clinical and non-clinical volunteering.

Great to know! Thank you so much!

 

[fortheloveoflife]

Just to add: 150 hours for each is the Rule of Thumb (ROT) . Your hours/experience may vary but it is a reasonable target for a solid candidate

got it! thank you!