in need of some advice

[tiak]

h guys. i am a first time user. i am a grad. student now in a MA program and am planning to apply to medical school in the next cycle(i applied lsat year and didn't get in). i was hoping to get some volunteer work done but have run into some problems. first, any work at a hospital or free clinic has some sort of time requirement that i just can't fulfill with my being in classes and lab. secondly, the one place that i thought of was the american red cross. however, during my interview i was told that the only thing that i could do, due to time problems, was tutoring homeless children who live in shelters for a few hours a week. do you think that medical schools would think of this as relevant volunteer work since it is not set in a "medical enviornment?" if anyone has some insight on what i should do, i would be grateful!
thanks and good luck to all of you who are applying this year!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[lisa13579]

I think the tutoring sounds like a great opportunity! In my opinion, schools want to see that you are service-oriented and want to help people. I think they would value ANY volunteering that you do, and something like this (tutoring homeless children) is something that not everyone will have done (whereas volunteering in a hospital is something most applicants will have on their application), so it might help you stand out a bit. Maybe you can get some exposure to medicine with other experiences, such as shadowing a physician, that don't require such a big time committment. You should have SOME experiences that show you've explored the healthcare field and know what you are getting into.

 

[Megalofyia]

Do what ever volunteer work YOU want to do. Don't just do it to look good on an application.

If you think that you would really enjoy tutoring homeless kids then that is what you should do. If you think you would just be dragging your feet and thinking of the number of hours your getting then don't don't bother.

 

[swankydude]

Most hospitals have volunteering opportunities round the clock. You don't necessarily have to be a care unit, ask the volunteer coordinator if you can volunteer in waiting room of the emergency center assisting patients with filling out paper work, traffic control, running specimens to lab, office busy work, etc.

The Red Cross is good, but many schools require patient interaction.

Look a little harder and you will bound to find something.

Good Luck