How should I keep track of volunteering and shadowing? Would it be better on paper for signatures or just keep a online document? Also how do you submit when applying? (first year undergrad)
Keeping track of hours
- Thread starter hkdude97
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Depending on the depth of your experience, I'd say that keeping track of hours isn't necessary. But for anything you've participated in for less than 6 months, it may be easier to track.
Having years of clinical experience/volunteering/research and arbitrarily putting X number of hours and explaining it on your application would be okay I think.
Having years of clinical experience/volunteering/research and arbitrarily putting X number of hours and explaining it on your application would be okay I think.
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Unless things change in the next two years, you 'll be asked for a start date and end date (month/year) and the total number of hours (used to be number of hours per week). You can enter several start-stop dates for activities that were, for example, summers only, or school year only.
You will also be asked for name, phone number and maybe email address of a person at the organization who can confirm your involvement so keep a record of that.
An estimate is fine. If you know you put in 4 hours one Saturday per month from Sept through May every year, 4 x 9 x 3 and you're done.
You will also be asked for name, phone number and maybe email address of a person at the organization who can confirm your involvement so keep a record of that.
An estimate is fine. If you know you put in 4 hours one Saturday per month from Sept through May every year, 4 x 9 x 3 and you're done.
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For the volunteering, they keep track of your hours most of the time. You can request your hours when you're done volunteering at the end of the summer or year. Well thats what the hospital does for me. You save those until you apply, and you see how much volunteering you have done. Shadowing, you use excel, and just input each session.
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Keep your own records anyway you like (in case they get lost or you forget). You will not be asked to submit a document, as the required Contact information LizzyM refers to will legitimize your information if it's felt to be needed.
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I use a Google sheet to track mine. Columns are: date, activity, hours, and notes (what I learned, specific surgeries I watched, tasks I completed, etc)
I have a separate spreadsheet for both shadowing and volunteering. For shadowing, I color code based on the physician (highlight all dates blue for orthopedics and yellow for pediatrics, for example). I just like having a visual representation and I really like notes to jog my memory later when reflecting upon those experiences.
I am the spreadsheet queen though so it might be too much for most people to want to do, but I really enjoy it!
I have a separate spreadsheet for both shadowing and volunteering. For shadowing, I color code based on the physician (highlight all dates blue for orthopedics and yellow for pediatrics, for example). I just like having a visual representation and I really like notes to jog my memory later when reflecting upon those experiences.
I am the spreadsheet queen though so it might be too much for most people to want to do, but I really enjoy it!
