Are there volunteering opportunities for high school students through this Student Doctor Network organization? Could anyone provide any insights? It would be appreciated!
Looking for Volunteering Opportunities
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futuredoc2030s
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I'm new to SDN and also looking for volunteer opportunities in clinic. However, most of the positions like MA, EMT etc. look to be paid positions in hospitals.
I'm new to SDN and also looking for volunteer opportunities in clinic. However, most of the positions like MA, EMT etc. look to be paid positions in hospitals.
Thank you for your reply! I was wondering if https://www.volunteermatch.org is a good website for finding volunteer opportunities. I think it is best to contact local hospitals to find out if there are any volunteering opportunities for high school students. I was just curious if Student Doctor Network itself has connections/opportunities. Are there any clubs connected to SDN that I can participate in to enhance my résumé? My school lacks clubs of my interest (medical), so any insights would be appreciated!
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Inquire in your local houses of worship
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I do not know of any volunteer opportunities available to HS students through Student Doctor Net. Most volunteer organizations are local so you might have success going through local organizations in your community. @Goro suggested local houses of worship. They often operate or have connections to soup kitchens, food pantries, and similar services for the poor. You can also google "volunteer opportunities for teens in [insert your town/city/county name here]".
Hospital volunteering might be available in your local hospital and might involve welcoming people at an information desk, going door to door to ask if patients need anything, tidying up and restocking the ICU or surgical waiting room, and ferrying discharged patients from their rooms to the carport.
While it might be exciting to get into a hospital setting as a volunteer, it might be more formative to get into a setting out of your comfort zone in a social service setting that serves the needy. Spending time as part of a team working together to serve others is a good way to learn about yourself and the world outside of your bubble.
Clubs in HS or college mean almost nothing on a resume. Aside from providing information to pre-meds and organizing speakers, etc, they really aren't going to be a huge help.
Hospital volunteering might be available in your local hospital and might involve welcoming people at an information desk, going door to door to ask if patients need anything, tidying up and restocking the ICU or surgical waiting room, and ferrying discharged patients from their rooms to the carport.
While it might be exciting to get into a hospital setting as a volunteer, it might be more formative to get into a setting out of your comfort zone in a social service setting that serves the needy. Spending time as part of a team working together to serve others is a good way to learn about yourself and the world outside of your bubble.
Clubs in HS or college mean almost nothing on a resume. Aside from providing information to pre-meds and organizing speakers, etc, they really aren't going to be a huge help.
Thank you so much for your response! Also, what is your stance on passion project(s)? An online college advisor told me that I won't stand out to top universities/colleges because I don't have a passion project. But, I also found an article that speaks against passion project(s) because most of the time, the student wants to show-off instead of having good intentions.
Once again, thank you so much! 🙂
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Activity Finder - Find Extracurriculars for Med School Application | Activity Finder
Activity Finder helps you find common premedical extracurricular activities: medical and clinical jobs, research opportunities, shadowing, and community service.
Note that this is not vetted for high school students.
Get to work. Read
Community College and Vocational Certifications for Prehealth Applicants - SDN
The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.
www.studentdoctor.net
Many partnerships or connections we have predominantly focus on undergrad or later. I find there are a lot of volunteering opportunities for high school students if you look at your local hospitals. We have posted about pharmacy schools hosting similar opportunities (read in articles). Check your volunteer services office at those hospitals or clinics.
College admissions is a very challenging prospect. Unless you are going for an early admission program in medicine, you can do whatever you want to do that demonstrates your maturity, responsibility/ethics, or community impact.
Read
Applying Earlier? Health Professions Admissions through Early Assurance - SDN
The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.
www.studentdoctor.net
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One more. I will mention What Is HOSA? – HOSA as a national organization that does include high school students. I'm unsure what they specifically organize for volunteering, but you should look into them.
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Oh, please! Advisors are often so full of 💩
Also, are we talking about medical school admissions or undergrad admissions. Why is a "top university or college" so important to you? What do you want to get out of college? Is it a stepping stone to medical school? Something else?
Aside from earning good grades in HS, what do you enjoy? how have you used your free time? what have you done outside of classroom assignments? Does your school have mandatory service hour requirements? if yes, how have you fulfilled those?
AJS59
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Obligatory add: Volunteering in high school and altruism in healthcare is good, but if you think that this is about strengthening an application for Med School when you're not even applying to undergrad yet, I'd say chill off a bit. Do it if you're passionate about it but none of what you do now will appear on AMCAS. Do what you love and are passionate about.
I am a high school junior who is preparing for undergrad admissions. I want to get accepted into a good university/college that will prepare me to pursue a career in the medical field. I came across a free 1:1 talk with an online college advisor, so I scheduled an appointment to see what she had to say. I am interested in top universities/colleges in New York.
In my free time, I write letters and draw artworks for children at a hospital. I also tutor students on Algebra II at SchoolHouse.World. I plan to tutor students on SAT during the summer. My school does have mandatory service hour requirements, but I am not sure about the exact number. I wouldn't say I have fulfilled the requirements, but it's an ongoing process. 🙂
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AJS59
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Certainly admirable, but just be aware that if your goal is medical school (or really w/ respect to undergrad in general) your goal, when you apply, should be focused on minimizing loan debt while maximizing the "fun" parts of your college experience. So if you don't particularly vibe with Cornell or Columbia or if the sticker price would require a massive loan, it may be worth considering other options.
Undergrad prestige in med school admissions isn't a whole lot (it helps, but only on the margins) and honestly this is true of other graduate/professional schools (maybe excepting law school) and careers in general (excepting the high finance and consulting types of the world).
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