My Volunteering experience! What do you think?

[caliche231]

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Hello everyone!

I have been volunteering at a doctors office since late February and so far I have completed over 300 hours. First of all, I welcome patients into the office, and I introduce myself saying that I am a pre-med student and I'll be assisting them. Most of the time, the doctor's assistant is the one who introduces me to the patients. I then go and obtain their vitals, if they are coming to see any lab results I have to make sure everything is in the computer before they go to the room to see the doctor (All the charts are in the computer), After I take their vitals I take patients to their room, I've also learned how to do EKG's, and other small tests like urine, breath, and prepared cultures. When the doctor finish with the patient, I give a pre-printed prescription to the doctor for her to sign and I give to each patient any lab form and directions if the doctor requested it. I haven't been inside the room with the doctor and the patient that many times. Just a couple. I also had the chance to assist her at two small surgeries. I talked to her yesterday when we were done for the day and she told me she will take me with her to do rounds at the hospital.

What do you guys think about all this? Do you think is a good extracurricular opportunity?
I still have 2 years before I start medschool application and I also plan on volunteering at other places.

Any suggestion are welcomed!!

 

[Food]

Hello everyone!

I have been volunteering at a doctors office since late February and so far I have completed over 300 hours. First of all, I welcome patients into the office, and I introduce myself saying that I am a pre-med student and I'll be assisting them. Most of the time, the doctor's assistant is the one who introduces me to the patients. I then go and obtain their vitals, if they are coming to see any lab results I have to make sure everything is in the computer before they go to the room to see the doctor (All the charts are in the computer), After I take their vitals I take patients to their room, I've also learned how to do EKG's, and other small tests like urine, breath, and prepared cultures. When the doctor finish with the patient, I give a pre-printed prescription to the doctor for her to sign and I give to each patient any lab form and directions if the doctor requested it. I haven't been inside the room with the doctor and the patient that many times. Just a couple. I also had the chance to assist her at two small surgeries. I talked to her yesterday when we were done for the day and she told me she will take me with her to do rounds at the hospital.

What do you guys think about all this? Do you think is a good extracurricular opportunity?
I still have 2 years before I start medschool application and I also plan on volunteering at other places.

Any suggestion are welcomed!!

Yeah, you're screwed. The adcoms will just think you're not getting enough patient interaction because you don't observe the patient when they are in the room. This activity is very slightly, well actually, not beneficial at all to your application. You won't get accepted, because they'll wonder why you were learning to read EKGs when you could've studied for MCAT =/. 👍

 

[apumic]

Sounds like a great opportunity for clinical volunteering!

 

[ReptarBar]

you should be getting paid for that. good experience, but damn youre being used HARD.

 

[musafirah]

good but i think it sounds so caliche 😉

but yeah if you're not getting paid for all you must really love doing it...thats always a good thing

 

[causalinference]

you should be getting paid for that. good experience, but damn youre being used HARD.

Being able to include that kind of experience on his application is payment enough. Adcoms don't take clinical experiences like that lightly. They can mean the difference between being waitlisted and accepted.

 

[caliche231]

I don't expect to get paid for all this! That's why it's called volunteering!! and I really like it! Every time I interact with a patient, they ask me about what I'm gonna study and they encourage a lot to keep going!

Not that I do all that I mentioned above by myself every single day with all the 20 patients that we see each day! The doctor's assistant was the one who taught me how to do all that and when I am at the office, I help out but most of the time I am watching and listening to the assistant. I know! I should be listening to the doctor instead.

Thanks everyone for your feedback!

 

[TopSecret]

Hello everyone!

I have been volunteering at a doctors office since late February and so far I have completed over 300 hours. First of all, I welcome patients into the office, and I introduce myself saying that I am a pre-med student and I'll be assisting them. Most of the time, the doctor's assistant is the one who introduces me to the patients. I then go and obtain their vitals, if they are coming to see any lab results I have to make sure everything is in the computer before they go to the room to see the doctor (All the charts are in the computer), After I take their vitals I take patients to their room, I've also learned how to do EKG's, and other small tests like urine, breath, and prepared cultures. When the doctor finish with the patient, I give a pre-printed prescription to the doctor for her to sign and I give to each patient any lab form and directions if the doctor requested it. I haven't been inside the room with the doctor and the patient that many times. Just a couple. I also had the chance to assist her at two small surgeries. I talked to her yesterday when we were done for the day and she told me she will take me with her to do rounds at the hospital.

What do you guys think about all this? Do you think is a good extracurricular opportunity?
I still have 2 years before I start medschool application and I also plan on volunteering at other places.

Any suggestion are welcomed!!

It sounds like you've got a good gig.

 

[AnimusRelic]

My volunteer experience has been very, very similar to yours. I've only done about 80+ hours but I can only assume its a valuable experience to have had. Likewise, I am going to continue volunteering/shadowing etc. in the coming months, but I feel like this has been pretty helpful in confirming my desire to be a doctor, etc. While I do my fair share of filing and grunt work, I am lucky enough to be doing EKGs, Urine tests, audio/vision tests, taking height/weight, and rapid strep tests - either alone or with a doctor's assistant.

Although maybe I'm biased, I feel like not many pre-meds get to be so involved. Also, I feel like that it is beneficial because both of our experiences are not only clinical - but they are also volunteer. Two birds with one stone 😉. I didn't expect to get paid either, but a lot of the employees and even some of the patients say I should be =P. It doesn't bother me though, I am just appreciative of getting such a great experience.

Keep doing what you're doing. Sounds great =D

 

[caliche231]

Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Poliscidoc]

Glad your volunteer experience is awesome.. Just to show you how lucky you are.. Yesterday while I was in the OR, the OR doc asked me to do him a favor.. My eyes lite up and I said yes...

Long story short- I got to wait out front for 3 hours for his new Mercedes to be delivered......

 

[Compass]

Have you smelled any patients recently?

 

[Poliscidoc]

If your talking to me... No.. If not, sorry

 

[caliche231]

Glad your volunteer experience is awesome.. Just to show you how lucky you are.. Yesterday while I was in the OR, the OR doc asked me to do him a favor.. My eyes lite up and I said yes...

Long story short- I got to wait out front for 3 hours for his new Mercedes to be delivered......

That sucks!

 

[Poliscidoc]

That sucks!

I know, def. getting a new gig.. But the thing I am wondering is where are you working to get this experience and also do you have any kind of medical training.. I.E.- CNA... BC I would def. like to have an experience like yours

 

[caliche231]

I know, def. getting a new gig.. But the thing I am wondering is where are you working to get this experience and also do you have any kind of medical training.. I.E.- CNA... BC I would def. like to have an experience like yours

No former training at all! I'm doing this with my primary care physician! I told her that I would like to volunteer at her office and she said yes! she allows me to interact with all her patients, except when she is inside, door closed with her patients. I figure that I'm really lucky to be not just observing and listening, but also helping out with the charts and other stuff that i mentioned earlier. I've heard other premeds saying they don't really get to interact with patients (smell patients), and what they do is only help out with paperwork and filling.

My advice to you is to talk to your primary doctor, if you have one! If not, get the yellow pages and call other doctor's office, say that your a premed student, and offer yourself as a volunteer! Don't be discouraged if they say no and keep calling!

 

[greatnt249]

No former training at all! I'm doing this with my primary care physician! I told her that I would like to volunteer at her office and she said yes! she allows me to interact with all her patients, except when she is inside, door closed with her patients. I figure that I'm really lucky to be not just observing and listening, but also helping out with the charts and other stuff that i mentioned earlier. I've heard other premeds saying they don't really get to interact with patients (smell patients), and what they do is only help out with paperwork and filling.

My advice to you is to talk to your primary doctor, if you have one! If not, get the yellow pages and call other doctor's office, say that your a premed student, and offer yourself as a volunteer! Don't be discouraged if they say no and keep calling!

Is there a particular reason you're "shouting" everything?

 

[caliche231]

Is there a particular reason you're "shouting" everything?

I'm just sharing my experience...