Is it ok to stop volunteering

[Hawkenthesky]

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I volunteer at a hospital ~4 hours a week (from around 6-10pm once a week) and I really do enjoy it, I love interacting with patients and family members and get along really well with the nurses in my unit. But I work full time (graduated college a few years ago), often work late, have a long commute, and am now traveling a bunch for interviews. With all of this, I feel like my time is really stretched thin during the week and volunteering is becoming a major hassle.

I have about 100 hours at this point (I've been volunteering for a little over 6 months), but on my AMCAS I indicated that I would be continuing until about 150 hours (9ish months). Is it bad if I stop volunteering now, or at least take a break until January? Would that mean I'm lying on my AMCAS? I honestly did intend to go for 150 hours but it's really hard with working full time and being so busy these next few months.

 

[Boola Boy]

Keep going until you get an accetpance

 

[yellowballoon]

I volunteer at a hospital ~4 hours a week (from around 6-10pm once a week) and I really do enjoy it, I love interacting with patients and family members and get along really well with the nurses in my unit. But I work full time (graduated college a few years ago), often work late, have a long commute, and am now traveling a bunch for interviews. With all of this, I feel like my time is really stretched thin during the week and volunteering is becoming a major hassle.

I have about 100 hours at this point (I've been volunteering for a little over 6 months), but on my AMCAS I indicated that I would be continuing until about 150 hours (9ish months). Is it bad if I stop volunteering now, or at least take a break until January? Would that mean I'm lying on my AMCAS? I honestly did intend to go for 150 hours but it's really hard with working full time and being so busy these next few months.

If you're starting to burn out, then take a short leave of absence if your volunteer program allows you. Then return to volunteering once your life calms down a bit.

 

[Hawkenthesky]

If you're starting to burn out, then take a short leave of absence if your volunteer program allows you. Then return to volunteering once your life calms down a bit.

I wouldn’t really call it burnout, since it’s not stressing me out, but I’m just physically short on time to do things like grocery shop and do laundry or meet up with friends/family during the week and having one more evening free would be v helpful. I feel like adcoms would understand (and honestly I have not been asked about my volunteer experiences once during interviews so far), but I’m not sure...Overall I have 130 hours of volunteering at this point, so would it be fine to stop? Or since I indicated I would do more, am I kind of obligated to?

 

[stayathomemom]

I'd at least keep going until 150, as that was what you said you'd do, and I'm big on integrity. However, @Boola Boy has a good point. If you don't get any acceptances this round, you'll need to show some improvement when you reapply, and while working is obviously important, neglecting the health of your application is also important and should be a priority as well. A temporary leave of absence from your volunteer role might be a good mental health boost, but you'll still have to put in the work.

 

[freedoctor17]

I literally had to stop mine because I've never been in town for my shift. I've only gotten to about 120 out of the 150 I said I'd get. Currently all my interviews will be over with by November though so I'll probably be able to continue again after that. Hopefully they'll let me come back still though since they're always filling positions very quickly where I'm at.

 

[candbgirl]

And if you don’t get in this cycle you won’t be able to show significant improvement in this area on your application when you reapply. And schools expect significant improvement on a reapplication. So it’s up to you - do what you want to do but understand the risks!

 

[Catalystik]

I volunteer at a hospital ~4 hours a week (from around 6-10pm once a week) and I really do enjoy it, I love interacting with patients and family members and get along really well with the nurses in my unit. But I work full time (graduated college a few years ago), often work late, have a long commute, and am now traveling a bunch for interviews. With all of this, I feel like my time is really stretched thin during the week and volunteering is becoming a major hassle.

I have about 100 hours at this point (I've been volunteering for a little over 6 months), but on my AMCAS I indicated that I would be continuing until about 150 hours (9ish months). Is it bad if I stop volunteering now, or at least take a break until January? Would that mean I'm lying on my AMCAS? I honestly did intend to go for 150 hours but it's really hard with working full time and being so busy these next few months.

Talk to your volunteer coordinator about a hiatus. Take a break until January. Resume the activity (or similar) then, with the intent to complete the 150 hours.

 

[676188]

Talk to your volunteer coordinator about a hiatus. Take a break until January. Resume the activity (or similar) then, with the intent to complete the 150 hours.

Not trying to hijack the thread, but at what hour ‘requirement’ is it deemed ok to move on to another area of volunteering? I have 200+ hours with hospice, but I’d like to shift that weekly commitment to volunteering at the homeless shelter, helping people get medical coverage and services.

 

[Planes2Doc]

Try to do this until you have an acceptance in hand, then you can drop it. Otherwise, I would do what others have mentioned in this thread and take some time off without actually quitting.

 

[Planes2Doc]

Not trying to hijack the thread, but at what hour ‘requirement’ is it deemed ok to move on to another area of volunteering? I have 200+ hours with hospice, but I’d like to shift that weekly commitment to volunteering at the homeless shelter, helping people get medical coverage and services.

You can shift at any point as long as you're volunteering. That will only make you look better. The hour cut off is more of a gauge of when to stop volunteering all-together, although I recommend doing it until you have an acceptance in hand.

 

[676188]

You can shift at any point as long as you're volunteering. That will only make you look better. The hour cut off is more of a gauge of when to stop volunteering all-together, although I recommend doing it until you have an acceptance in hand.

I genuinely enjoy volunteering so I wouldn’t stop. I just feel that my time at hospice is coming to an end, and I should move on to a different area. If I’m accepted this cycle, great! If not, and I shift now, I’ll have 200+ hospice hours and 100+ hours with the homeless shelter by the time I reapply, so I’m thinking this is a good time to make the switch if I’m going to. I also have a regular non-clinical volunteering gig I’m not giving up, but I don’t have time to add a third.