Non-clinic volunteer experience

[Mars41]

*non-clinical

I came to my involvement with community outreach through my love for the sport of surfing. I have spent thousands of hours volunteering for my community through organizing toy drives, taking pro surfers to visit children's hospitals, helping to develop programs for the Florida school of the deaf and blind, Special Olympics, and the Wounded Warriors project. I organized countless beach cleanups and I was the district director of a non-profit with 300 members in my district and 7000 members nationwide.

I LOVED volunteering and lived my life for it. But I did all this as a SURFER. Nothing special I know. Will this be looked down upon on my med school applications? It's hard to explain that my best way to help people during that time was because of my surfing skills but it's the truth.

Also how do I document actual hours spent? It was a lifestyle. I wasn't walking around with a pen saying "oh!!! I just earned another hour for a good deed."? Any advice for med applications???

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[AlteredScale]

I had a similar experience as a musician in the post-hardcore scene. I found a passion to serve community through it.

I think your story is unique and will really help show that you have a desire for something. As long as you can spin it into something that shows it led you into medicine then it is a GREAT thing to have!

 

[DrPibble]

I had a similar experience as a musician in the post-hardcore scene. I found a passion to serve community through it.

I think your story is unique and will really help show that you have a desire for something. As long as you can spin it into something that shows it led you into medicine then it is a GREAT thing to have!

Agreed! I have a similar story and united my passion of working with animals with my passion of helping humans, and made sure to reflect on the experiences and how they've helped prepare me for becoming a doctor. It will make you unique and interesting! No one will look down upon it!

 

[abolt18]

Exact hours are unimportant. Just try to get a good estimate of how many actual hours you spent engaged in those activities per week.

 

[chizledfrmstone]

Exact hours are unimportant. Just try to get a good estimate of how many actual hours you spent engaged in those activities per week.

Looking back I feel so naive that I tried to get the exact hour.

Later on I found out some people were rounding up... to the nearest 3,000.

 

[AlteredScale]

Looking back I feel so naive that I tried to get the exact hour.

Later on I found out some people were rounding up... to the nearest 3,000.

Damn, if only I knew about this rounding system I'd be set.

 

[el_duderino]

I think that adcoms will actually see that as a big big plus. Giving to your community because you care about it is way better than doing it to make yourself look like a better student/applicant.