Is clinical volunteering important when you have other clinical experiences?

[doctorisopropyl]

Hi all!

I have been stressing about my volunteering hours. I am looking for some opinions. I volunteer with three different organizations: Project Sunshine (club that goes to local Children's Hospital Oncology Unit), a university club that goes to a local lower-income area elementary school, and a foster care buddy club. By application time next year I should have 200 hours between the three of them.

I don't have really any clinical volunteering, but I am doing service that I genuinely love and am passionate about. However, I have great shadowing and work as a PCA (like a CNA) in a Level 1 Trauma Teaching hospital, and I have had GREAT experiences working with patients. I will have around 500-1000 hours working this job. Even though I am getting paid, being a PCA is a very humbling job and I often have to sit with suicidal patients or help bathe patients who are very embarrassed. I have become very good at working with people and making them comfortable even when they are in a very dehumanizing situation.

Do you think its okay to lack with clinical volunteering when I have these other experiences?

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[Catalystik]

Hi all!

I have been stressing about my volunteering hours. I am looking for some opinions. I volunteer with three different organizations: Project Sunshine (club that goes to local Children's Hospital Oncology Unit), a university club that goes to a local lower-income area elementary school, and a foster care buddy club. By application time next year I should have 200 hours between the three of them.

I don't have really any clinical volunteering, but I am doing service that I genuinely love and am passionate about. However, I have great shadowing and work as a PCA (like a CNA) in a Level 1 Trauma Teaching hospital, and I have had GREAT experiences working with patients. I will have around 500-1000 hours working this job. Even though I am getting paid, being a PCA is a very humbling job and I often have to sit with suicidal patients or help bathe patients who are very embarrassed. I have become very good at working with people and making them comfortable even when they are in a very dehumanizing situation.

Do you think its okay to lack with clinical volunteering when I have these other experiences?

Yes. It's okay to lack clinical volunteering when you have clinical experience through the workplace.

What do you do in the pediatric oncology unit?

 

[doctorisopropyl]

Yes. It's okay to lack clinical volunteering when you have clinical experience through the workplace.

What do you do in the pediatric oncology unit?

Mostly bring the families crafts, cards, and throw parties for the patients. It is more about alleviating tensions for parents, and making the patients feel like normal kids and have fun!

 

[Catalystik]

Mostly bring the families crafts, cards, and throw parties for the patients. It is more about alleviating tensions for parents, and making the patients feel like normal kids and have fun!

If you have a decent amount if interactions with the sick kids, most Adcomms would consider it "clinical" volunteering.

 

[LizzyM]

I think you have a good mix of service to those in need and clinical experience.

 

[Goro]

Yes. It's okay to lack clinical volunteering when you have clinical experience through the workplace.

What do you do in the pediatric oncology unit?

This!!!