It all depends on how you view it. While I was an undergrad, I was part of my school's Honors Program. I had to take Honors classes and complete my Biology and Accounting degrees in 8 semesters (that was how long my scholarship would last). When I graduated in May, I had completed 209 credit hours, meaning I took an average of 26 hours every semester. In addition, I worked 20 hours every week, with the bulk of my hours during the weekends. In my busiest semester, I had a day when I would take classes and labs from 8am to 5pm, eat dinner between 5 and 6, and take a night class from 6 to 9.
I told the schools that since I was this busy, it was hard to give my time, and so I did the next best thing and gave my money instead. But motivations matter. I would not suggest that a person support charity just so they can look good during pharmacy school interviews. I did it because I believed in what these organizations did for people. Giving your money may not equal volunteering, but what you do with your money says just as much about you as what you do with your time. And sometimes it may be the only option that's available to you. When I read on Yahoo! news that residents of Burma had to walk hours and cross the border into Thailand in order to receive medical treatment at a border clinic, I could not just up and go to Thailand, even though I cared. So I looked up the border clinic mentioned in the news article and sent them a check.
Many schools try to recruit people who care for their fellow human beings. Whether you give of your time or your money, what matters is the underlying motivation, and it is that you care.
