Intensive volunteer experience

[Megalofyia]

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What is the general idea of what is considered intenstive volunteering? Or what is considered a long commitment to a volunteer activity?

There seems to be alot of variation in what people think are great ECs, or great commitment.

 

[jlee9531]

for me...2 years would mean a long committment to your volunteering position.

anything where you constantly work with the patients would be an excellent experience. to actually have the influence to make them feel better even if it isnt through medical means.

 

[ATPase]

I had an interviewer explain it to me like this: there are many people who will volunteer at a soup kitchen. Some may even run a soup kitchen. "But I'm looking for those people who start soup kitchens."

 

[Megalofyia]

I personally have 14 years at one place (I started when I was 14), 5 with another, and 3 with some stuff I do out of the country so I'm not asking for myself. I just want to see what other people consider intense and long term.

 

[ATPase]

By the way, my interviewer's soup kitchen comment was just an example. Obviously med schools aren't concerned with what particular activity you're doing, necessarily. It's all about the level of commitment and often leadership that you demonstrate in whatever activity you're doing, medical or nonmedically related.

 

[catch 23]

Originally posted by Megalofyia
I personally have 14 years at one place (I started when I was 14), 5 with another, and 3 with some stuff I do out of the country so I'm not asking for myself. I just want to see what other people consider intense and long term.

you've got some great EC's. I'm very impressed!

According to the higher-ups---how long you do something is only one component. The amount of time and depth you put into it is a better indicator of "intensity." For example, I have friends who have been volunteering with a church (food pantry for example) since they were youngins but only for once a week for about an hour. Even if you've been doing something like that for 10 years that's not very intense. It's not a big committment out of your life and you don't get very involved. I would consider AmeriCorps, where you spend a year working 50-60 hours per week, or PeaceCorps where you essentially give up two years of your life intense. It's the same difference as volunteering at an E.R. once a week (= 4 times a month) and working as a C.A. 20-30 hours a week--you're more involved. Just my two cents. I'm not saying the length of volunteering isn't important, just that one should consider the context of the volunteer work.

 

[docmemi]

Originally posted by Megalofyia
I personally have 14 years at one place (I started when I was 14), 5 with another, and 3 with some stuff I do out of the country so I'm not asking for myself. I just want to see what other people consider intense and long term.

is it not clear to you that 14, 5, and 3 years is long term. intense...well how many hours per week did you put in?? the intensity can be more important than how long term it is. as the previous posters mentioned, your level of involvement and contribution, leadership, and what you get out of it are most important.

i hope you are not posting sarcastically here.

 

[Megalofyia]

I 've read a few post were people say they've had 2 years exerienceand say that is intense. .. and what you say is correct. 2 years every day vs 2 years once a week are two different things. In the friends that I have and the social circles I hang out in no one would consider two years as intense. They would think that was about average or so maybe 4 years as intense.

If you still courious: for the volunteer experience I've done 14 years now I've done ove 9000 hours there and have been one of the people that ran the place.

For the place I worked at 5 years it was for a week in the summer and a weekend a month. Again I became on of the leaders.


The medical stuff in an other country I do a few times a year: once for a week and two to three weekends during the year.

 

[Bad Mojo]

I did yardwork once for some old people in town. I feel like such a heel...