Is volunteering at a hospital of any use?

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jackal head

jackal head

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For an interview?

I'm thinking that I could say that it provided me with some patient care experience which is important, especually for a clinical pharmacist.

Plus, it shows that I like to give back to the community.

I can't really do much as a volunteer cause of liability issues.

I've shadowing a pharmacist once a couple of years ago and there's not much I really got out of it.

Also, the "interview" is written. So all I really need is some material to talk about.
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If your written "interview" is right now its a bit late to volunteer. Going through the orientation, background check, and verification of immunizations could take weeks.

Its always good to volunteer so you can show that care about the community. You might also have some good experiences while volunteering that you can talk about.
 
I found my hospital volunteering to be absolutely invaluable when it came to my interviews. Granted, I did not have any fully written interviews (just written portions of interviews) but still... if there's any question(s) on there regarding what a pharmacist does, or what differentiates a hospital pharmacist from a retail one, then you're golden. Additionally, even if a question isn't ON there about it, you could still spin an answer to include your experience.

But, as the poster above me mentioned, if your interview is relatively soon... you're probably out of luck.
 
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Im gonna go ahead and post this question here since its related to OPs post

I plan on applying in about 3 semesters (including this one).

I have:

no pharmacy experience
very little volunteering/community service
very little extracurriculars

Im thinking about joining one or two organizations at school, and then maybe volunteering 4 hours a week.

Perhaps one week I could volunteer at a hospital, and the next week I could do normal community service.

I'm taking a lot of time-consuming classes this semester, so I think Im going to wait on getting a job in a pharmacy until the summer.

Does this sound like a good plan?
 
Biggest problem with that plan is., from my experience, hospitals hate "once in a while" volunteers. You'll need to make absolutely sure that they'll be OK with that b/c if they're giving you one of very limited volunteer spaces they'd probably want you there consistently.
 
dudecoolname said:
Im gonna go ahead and post this question here since its related to OPs post

I plan on applying in about 3 semesters (including this one).

I have:

no pharmacy experience
very little volunteering/community service
very little extracurriculars

Im thinking about joining one or two organizations at school, and then maybe volunteering 4 hours a week.

Perhaps one week I could volunteer at a hospital, and the next week I could do normal community service.

I'm taking a lot of time-consuming classes this semester, so I think Im going to wait on getting a job in a pharmacy until the summer.

Does this sound like a good plan?
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I too don't have pharmacy experience and I don't even have volunteer experience. I am only in one club which is not even health care related (more of engineering). I would rather put my time into research as I am now and keep on learning valuable information. And you can always talk about research in an interview.
 
Passion4Sci said:
Biggest problem with that plan is., from my experience, hospitals hate "once in a while" volunteers. You'll need to make absolutely sure that they'll be OK with that b/c if they're giving you one of very limited volunteer spaces they'd probably want you there consistently.
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hmm ok, well maybe ill just do the community service 4-6 hours a week instead

Is it acceptable to only have 6-8 months of pharmacy experience under your belt?
 
dudecoolname said:
hmm ok, well maybe ill just do the community service 4-6 hours a week instead

Is it acceptable to only have 6-8 months of pharmacy experience under your belt?
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Yes. I was certified a year ago and AdCom did not mind that I didn't have that much experience. I made up for it with ECs and volunteer experience though.
 
Working in an in-patient pharmacy setting will really help. Compared to retail, there is much more going on to shadow/observe.

From my 6months volunteering in such setting, I have learned many new drugs/routes of adminstration/and roles within the pharmacy field.

Try to volunteer. It will help!
 
When I applied for pharmacy school, I had no volunteering or community service experience, and I had never set foot in a pharmacy. But I got into every school at which I interviewed (Disclaimer: I had a 4.0 GPA, and 98 PCAT).

The thing with pharmacy school admissions is, you the applicant do not definitively know what the adcom is looking for. Some applicants will have pharmacy work experience. Some will not. Some will have volunteered; some will not. Some will have shadowed a pharmacist; some will not. But all of these kinds of students receive a fat envelope at the end of the day. Volunteering may make you a more desirable applicant, but you could still be rejected even though you've volunteered. You don't know. And if you're looking to volunteer not because you really want to help those less fortunate or support a cause you believe in, but simply because you want a check mark for your application, don't bother. The experience will do nothing for you, and the positive change in/on your life that the adcom will be looking for will not be there.
 
medicalCPA said:
And if you're looking to volunteer not because you really want to help those less fortunate or support a cause you believe in, but simply because you want a check mark for your application, don't bother. The experience will do nothing for you, and the positive change in/on your life that the adcom will be looking for will not be there.
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The main benefit from volunteering isn't so much that it improves your application, but if you lack experience it should help you decide if a career in pharmacy is something you want to pursue. It can also help you score a tech job if you make a good impression. Volunteering to help others is great, but I don't agree that volunteering for your own benefit is useless either.
 
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R2pharmD2 said:
The main benefit from volunteering isn't so much that it improves your application, but if you lack experience it should help you decide if a career in pharmacy is something you want to pursue. It can also help you score a tech job if you make a good impression. Volunteering to help others is great, but I don't agree that volunteering for your own benefit is useless either.
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I will concede this, but the OP specifically asked if volunteering would be any use "for an interview." Seems like making himself competitive for admission is the sole reason he's considering volunteering.
 
Shadowing a pharmacist, especially a clinical in a hospital, can be a very valuable experience. You have an opportunity to begin understanding how to approach the discipline and how to study for your future. Its especially beneficial if you ask questions about why therapeutic decisions are made etc. When you ask a question, if you don't understand the answer, go home and try and read up on the answer and return with more questions.

Then, when you reach the interview, you will be able to explain what you have learned from your experience and the manner in which you found it valuable.
 
delano2000 said:
LOL, I wish!! I did not have a 4.0, not sure why people think I did. It was close to 3.8 though.

Dude we should get some coffee or something whenever I move out that way. Need to get the 411 on the school and the professors.
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Passion4Sci said:
Coffee?? You don't strike me as quite the coffee type ;)
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Don't bother, delano. He will only meet you for the crappy Starbucks coffee anyway :smuggrin:
 
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