Is non-clinical volunteering necessary if I various clinical volunteering experiences?

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Will many clinical volunteering experiences outweigh my not so much non-clinical volunteering?


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Dr.TonySoprano

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I have done clinical volunteering at the medical school through two different activities: one as a volunteer in the chemotherapy unit and one helping in a year long clinical study for HIV patients.

I've been reading these forums and I also took a look at an example of an AMCAS application and they have clinical and non-clinical volunteering listed separately.

Here's the question:
If I add another clinical volunteering activity, would this be okay or should I do something non-clinical to have an activity listed as non-clinical? The only non-clinical volunteering I can think of, besides the occasional Habitat for Humanity and other clean-ups, is Relay for Life Planning Committee member.

I can choose between this clinical activity in mind (Streetlight: similar to this http://streetlight.ufhealth.org/about-the-program/what-is-palliative-care/) or Habitat for Humanity or something related.

Any opinions are appreciated.

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Members don't see this ad :)
Do you see unmet needs in your community? Are there people without shelter, without food, little kids without homework help? Do you feel moved to help? If yes, go do something about it. If not, don't bother.

Don't do something because you think that you need to do it to get in. If your heart isn't in it, it won't help.
 
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clinical and non-clinical activities serve two different purposes. So no, you cannot get so much clinical experience that your lack of non-clinical experience will be irrelevant. Also, irrelevant sidenote...after working in HIV care for a year, I get annoyed when people name drop "working with HIV patients", especially when they have no experience at all in it. Seems almost like a buzz phrase now. You've seen all the gory details involved in it and then get this picture of a young pre-med nervously saying hi to a patient and running out and then writing an essay about how much he/she learned. I know I'm being cynical and unfair but I wonder if people feel that way when reading about how every pre-med loves helping the underserved.
 
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clinical and non-clinical activities serve two different purposes. So no, you cannot get so much clinical experience that your lack of non-clinical experience will be irrelevant. Also, irrelevant sidenote...after working in HIV care for a year, I get annoyed when people name drop "working with HIV patients", especially when they have no experience at all in it. Seems almost like a buzz phrase now. You've seen all the gory details involved in it and then get this picture of a young pre-med nervously saying hi to a patient and running out and then writing an essay about how much he/she learned. I know I'm being cynical and unfair but I wonder if people feel that way when reading about how every pre-med loves helping the underserved.

Ok...that was a brief description. I volunteered my time as a personal trainer for a community program aimed at improving cardiovascular health and nutrition wellness for HIV positive patients. That's why I did.
 
We look for people to do non-clinical ECs as a way of seeing your altruism. There are a gazillion pre-meds who are very smart and would ace medical school, but who simply lack people people skills. They're vastly more at home in a lab than in a conversation or Gawd forbid, actually helping their fellow human beings. We want people with people skills.

I have done clinical volunteering at the medical school through two different activities: one as a volunteer in the chemotherapy unit and one helping in a year long clinical study for HIV patients.

I've been reading these forums and I also took a look at an example of an AMCAS application and they have clinical and non-clinical volunteering listed separately.

Here's the question:
If I add another clinical volunteering activity, would this be okay or should I do something non-clinical to have an activity listed as non-clinical? The only non-clinical volunteering I can think of, besides the occasional Habitat for Humanity and other clean-ups, is Relay for Life Planning Committee member.

I can choose between this clinical activity in mind (Streetlight: similar to this http://streetlight.ufhealth.org/about-the-program/what-is-palliative-care/) or Habitat for Humanity or something related.

Any opinions are appreciated.
 
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We look for people to do non-clinical ECs as a way of seeing your altruism. There are a gazillion pre-meds who are very smart and would ace medical school, but who simply lack people people skills. They're vastly more at home in a lab than in a conversation or Gawd forbid, actually helping their fellow human beings. We want people with people skills.

Thanks Goro!! I really hope you'll see my thread next year about "What are my chances?"
 
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Quick question. I definitely did not want to start a thread to ask this:

Is there a way to permanently delete a thread on SDN?
 
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