More Volunteering, Lighter Courseload?

[mewblackberry]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Next quarter I'll be volunteering at 3 different places: an aquarium (exhibition guide), a cancer research center (office assistant), and a nursing home (bedside visitor), for 2-3 hours/week each in addition to my part-time job. I think it's a good mix as the aquarium will help in leadership (I think?), the cancer center gives me insight into other areas of health, and the nursing home offers clinical experience.

Long story short, I'm a little worried about time management, so I'm thinking of taking fewer classes. I'll be taking O-chem, genetics, and physics. Will schools look down on my 'light' courseload or do they prefer more ECs as long as I keep my overall grades up?

 

[Immutef]

Next quarter I'll be volunteering at 3 different places: an aquarium (exhibition guide), a cancer research center (office assistant), and a nursing home (bedside visitor), for 2-3 hours/week each in addition to my part-time job. I think it's a good mix as the aquarium will help in leadership (I think?), the cancer center gives me insight into other areas of health, and the nursing home offers clinical experience.

Long story short, I'm a little worried about time management, so I'm thinking of taking fewer classes. I'll be taking O-chem, genetics, and physics. Will schools look down on my 'light' courseload or do they prefer more ECs as long as I keep my overall grades up?

do you plan on seeing these activities through, or is it a one
semester thing that shows little to no long term commitment?

how does being an office assistant give you insight into other areas of health?

how does being a bedside visitor give you clinical experience?

 

[mewblackberry]

do you plan on seeing these activities through, or is it a one
semester thing that shows little to no long term commitment?

how does being an office assistant give you insight into other areas of health?

how does being a bedside visitor give you clinical experience?

- They will be ongoing.
- I work under an investigator who is heavily involved in promoting cancer awareness to minorities. I may be able to research under her later on.
- I thought interacting with patients constitutes as clinical experience?

 

[Sesom]

I think that you should stay at or above 12 credits. Just make sure that you are doing EC that help you grow as a person. If your not getting anything out of the experience then it doesn't matter if it was epic or mundane.

 

[Sesom]

- They will be ongoing.
- I work under an investigator who is heavily involved in promoting cancer awareness to minorities. I may be able to research under her later on.
- I thought interacting with patients constitutes as clinical experience?

I would absolutely say that is patient exposure. Making a patient feel comfortable and ensuring they have the best possible stay is very good patient exposure.

 

[ungu]

As long as you stay a full-time student, go for it! If it makes you a part-time student (fewer than 12 credits at most colleges), then I think that will raise some red flags with the admissions committees. They might ask about it, and your reasoning of wanting time for volunteering may make them wonder if you can juggle activities.