Non Clinical Experience?

[Speedmeister]

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Hello everyone!

I need to get some non clinical experience in my resume. However, I find the things that most people recommend, such as volunteering at a homeless shelter or teaching kids how to read isn't exactly what I'm interested in doing. Don't get me wrong, I love to help. But I would rather do something that I find intriguing and can teach me a few things.

I am aiming at becoming an ER doc. So I would love to work somewhere that is fast paced and keeps me on the edge so that I can work on handling stressful situations better. I was thinking the perfect thing for me would be to become a volunteer firefighter.

My question is, is it possible to go to school full time while maintaining a heavy course load and work as a volunteer firefighter? If not then are there any other non medically related things I can do that will fit my criteria?

Thank you!

 

[ciestar]

Hello everyone!

I need to get some non clinical experience in my resume. However, I find the things that most people recommend, such as volunteering at a homeless shelter or teaching kids how to read isn't exactly what I'm interested in doing. Don't get me wrong, I love to help. But I would rather do something that I find intriguing and can teach me a few things.

I am aiming at becoming an ER doc. So I would love to work somewhere that is fast paced and keeps me on the edge so that I can work on handling stressful situations better. I was thinking the perfect thing for me would be to become a volunteer firefighter.

My question is, is it possible to go to school full time while maintaining a heavy course load and work as a volunteer firefighter? If not then are there any other non medically related things I can do that will fit my criteria?

Thank you!

Do you have any idea why those are most recommended? It's called altruism and helping the less fortunate is a huge portion of many school's missions. Sometimes you have to do stuff that doesn't benefit only you. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities that would allow something fast paced...but I don't think most adcoms would see a volunteer firefighter on the same level as someone who tutors kids in a homeless shelter.

As for your last question, I have no idea. I think that would totally depend on where you're located and how much the fire department gets called in to do anything. For example, the town I am from we ONLY have volunteers, nothing else. They aren't utilized enough to actually justify employing a staff.

 

[Speedmeister]

Oh, I did not know this. I thought it was just to make you a more well rounded individual. In this case I will serve my community from these aspects as well. Thank you!

 

[LizzyM]

Being a volunteer firefighter requires some training and skill building. As mentioned, there are communities that have only volunteers and they provide the training and equipment. That said, it is resource intensive to train a volunteer so it would be hoped/expected that you would serve the community for years if trained. Does that seem possible?

If you are interested in Emergency Medicine, I suggest that you find a community service that puts you in close contact with the mentally ill or people struggling with substance abuse. They are over represented in emergency departments and becoming comfortable with those folks and learning to think on your feet when serving them would be helpful. Homeless populations would be a good group to focus on. A VA hospital would also have a population that you might learn something from working with.

 

[Goro]

Service need not be "unique". If you can alleviate suffering in your community through service to the poor, homeless, illiterate, fatherless, etc, you are meeting an otherwise unmet need and learning more about the lives of the people (or types of people) who will someday be your patients. Check out your local houses of worship for volunteer opportunities.

The key thing is service to others less fortunate than you. And get off campus and out of your comfort zone!

Examples include: Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House, Humane Society, crisis hotlines, soup kitchen, food pantry, homeless or women’s shelter, after-school tutoring for students or coaching a sport in a poor school district, teaching ESL to adults at a community center, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, or Meals on Wheels.

Answer to bolded below is "yes".

Hello everyone!

I need to get some non clinical experience in my resume. However, I find the things that most people recommend, such as volunteering at a homeless shelter or teaching kids how to read isn't exactly what I'm interested in doing. Don't get me wrong, I love to help. But I would rather do something that I find intriguing and can teach me a few things.

I am aiming at becoming an ER doc. So I would love to work somewhere that is fast paced and keeps me on the edge so that I can work on handling stressful situations better. I was thinking the perfect thing for me would be to become a volunteer firefighter.

My question is, is it possible to go to school full time while maintaining a heavy course load and work as a volunteer firefighter? If not then are there any other non medically related things I can do that will fit my criteria?

Thank you!

 

[ciestar]

Oh, I did not know this. I thought it was just to make you a more well rounded individual. In this case I will serve my community from these aspects as well. Thank you!

Well it definitely does help! If you wanna be a volunteer firefighter because you genuinely want to do that, then go for it! Follow your passions. However, if it was just for application purposes, I wouldn't. As said above, it takes a lot of time and training.

 

[SurfingDoctor]

Granted, this was many, many years ago... but I helped transport rescue animals around for adoption. You want it to be fulfilling and fun, but not overbearing in time consumption.

 

[Incomparable]

Granted, this was many, many years ago... but I helped transport rescue animals around for adoption. You want it to be fulfilling and fun, but not overbearing in time consumption.

That is awesome. Seems like a sweet gig for someone who loves animals. I know you said this was years ago but may I ask which organization you did this with?

 

[SurfingDoctor]

That is awesome. Seems like a sweet gig for someone who loves animals. I know you said this was years ago but may I ask which organization you did this with?

Just the local one at my undergrad university.

 

[ciestar]

That is awesome. Seems like a sweet gig for someone who loves animals. I know you said this was years ago but may I ask which organization you did this with?

Just google dog/cat rescues in "town" and you'll be surprised by how many there are.

EDIT: grammar

 

[21Rush12]

Having done volunteer firefighting/EMS for several years, it definitely isn't a road to go down unless you're committed to doing the service over a long period. Many other activities are higher yield for the time and sacrifice required.

@ciestar I am interested to know why you think adcoms would not see this experience as "on the same level" as someone who worked with the homeless, if you would elaborate?


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[ciestar]

Having done volunteer firefighting/EMS for several years, it definitely isn't a road to go down unless you're committed to doing the service over a long period. Many other activities are higher yield for the time and sacrifice required.

@ciestar I am interested to know why you think adcoms would not see this experience as "on the same level" as someone who worked with the homeless, if you would elaborate?


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Easy. By what I've read on here. Look at what two adcoms (@LizzyM and @Goro ) posted above about it.

 

[LizzyM]

It is rare that firefighters are saving lives... usually they are risking their lives to save money for the insurance company. And I say that as the proud daughter of a 50+ year member of a volunteer fire company.

Help people who need help. There will be plenty of time to learn to think on your feet.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

It is rare that firefighters are saving lives... usually they are risking their lives to save money for the insurance company. And I say that as the proud daughter of a 50+ year member of a volunteer fire company.

Help people who need help. There will be plenty of time to learn to think on your feet.

Depends on the department. The FD in San Diego sends almost every fire fighter to paramedic school. They are most certainly saving lives. My brother-in-law is a FF in Albuquerque, and they sent him to paramedic school as well. I definitely know FFs who have pulled people out of fires, burning cars, etc.

As with anything, it just depends on your experience, I think.

 

[LizzyM]

Depends on the department. The FD in San Diego sends almost every fire fighter to paramedic school. They are most certainly saving lives. My brother-in-law is a FF in Albuquerque, and they sent him to paramedic school as well. I definitely know FFs who have pulled people out of fires, burning cars, etc.

As with anything, it just depends on your experience, I think.

Volunteer firefighters are not going to paramedic school. Once the building is empty, they are taught to put it down but not at risk to their own lives.

Being cross trained as a paramedic is a different kettle of fish. And yes, there are the opportunities to pull people from burning buildings, burning cars, etc but they are few and far between for a volunteer.

Paid fire departments are far different than volunteer companies. When you mention San Diego and Albuqurque, I would guess that you are referring to professional firefighters, not volunteers.

 

[21Rush12]

@LizzyM I can see where you're coming from as far as literal fire fighting is concerned, since fire departments from their roots were a protective measure taken by insurers. Now though, there is so much more to firefighting than showing up with water. EMS calls make up around half of call volume these days (in my rural NY area, at least), and the rest are largely car accidents and weather related. During severe weather like ice storms or blizzards, we set up warming shelters and went door to door helping the elderly and disabled get to shelter. It's also common in my area for fire departments to hold community events, safety training, and support other volunteer organizations like food pantries.

In other words, although the big flashy stuff is very rare, it has been my experience that volunteer firefighting offers an incredible opportunity for community involvement and service to those most in need, temporary or otherwise.

Is it possible that this difference in experience is related to setting, rural vs suburban? I know you have seen zillions of applicants with this background, are their experiences all given the same weight? I'm really curious from your perspective what qualifies service.


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[LizzyM]

@LizzyM I can see where you're coming from as far as literal fire fighting is concerned, since fire departments from their roots were a protective measure taken by insurers. Now though, there is so much more to firefighting than showing up with water. EMS calls make up around half of call volume these days (in my rural NY area, at least), and the rest are largely car accidents and weather related. During severe weather like ice storms or blizzards, we set up warming shelters and went door to door helping the elderly and disabled get to shelter. It's also common in my area for fire departments to hold community events, safety training, and support other volunteer organizations like food pantries.

In other words, although the big flashy stuff is very rare, it has been my experience that volunteer firefighting offers an incredible opportunity for community involvement and service to those most in need, temporary or otherwise.

Is it possible that this difference in experience is related to setting, rural vs suburban? I know you have seen zillions of applicants with this background, are their experiences all given the same weight? I'm really curious from your perspective what qualifies service.


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The person asking the question wants firefighting for the excitement and fast pace. He's not looking for setting up warming centers and running a food pantry or being a taxi service for shut-ins. I'd call what you are doing in your area community service volunteer with a portion of the service being fire fighting and specifying, perhaps, how many grass fires, structure fires, vehicle fires responded to per year, on average, by the applicant (not by the company). That said, I maintain that the person looking to learn how to respond in a high intensity environment find a volunteer gig helping the mentally ill or addicted. They will keep him on his toes.

 

[21Rush12]

@LizzyM I absolutely agree. Not only is the excitement rare, but the amount of training to be of any meaningful help is extensive. I would definitely not recommend it as a way to beef up an application. I was just interested to hear the perspective of someone on the other side of secondaries. [emoji5]


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[Doctor-S]

... I helped transport rescue animals around for adoption. You want it to be fulfilling and fun, but not overbearing in time consumption.

Well done @SurfingDoctor! To this very day, I donate about 8-10 hours/month of my time to a local animal rescue/wildlife rescue group. Helping another "living being" (animal or human) receive food, shelter, proper medical/veterinary care has always been a deep passion of mine. It has never been a simple check-the-box on a stack of application papers.

 

[SurfingDoctor]

Well done @SurfingDoctor! To this very day, I donate about 8-10 hours/month of my time to a local animal rescue/wildlife rescue group. Helping another "living being" (animal or human) receive food, shelter, proper medical/veterinary care has always been a deep passion of mine. It has never been a simple check-the-box on a stack of application papers.

I don't really get to volunteer much anymore outside my university... unless you count playing with my 3 kids as volunteering 😛... but I had fun doing it. I got to see all different parts of town that I wouldn't have otherwise, meet some new people and got to hang out with a bunch of dogs...

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Volunteer firefighters are not going to paramedic school. Once the building is empty, they are taught to put it down but not at risk to their own lives.

Being cross trained as a paramedic is a different kettle of fish. And yes, there are the opportunities to pull people from burning buildings, burning cars, etc but they are few and far between for a volunteer.

Paid fire departments are far different than volunteer companies. When you mention San Diego and Albuqurque, I would guess that you are referring to professional firefighters, not volunteers.

Yeah, that's why I differentiated. I just wanted to make sure people weren't lumping all FF experience in with volys.

 

[westsidestoryz]

Hello everyone!

I need to get some non clinical experience in my resume. However, I find the things that most people recommend, such as volunteering at a homeless shelter or teaching kids how to read isn't exactly what I'm interested in doing. Don't get me wrong, I love to help. But I would rather do something that I find intriguing and can teach me a few things.

I am aiming at becoming an ER doc. So I would love to work somewhere that is fast paced and keeps me on the edge so that I can work on handling stressful situations better. I was thinking the perfect thing for me would be to become a volunteer firefighter.

My question is, is it possible to go to school full time while maintaining a heavy course load and work as a volunteer firefighter? If not then are there any other non medically related things I can do that will fit my criteria?

Thank you!

Look into mentoring programs at the lesser communities. I am in program where I mentor a student who comes from a harsh environment and such (Some are gang members, pretty interesting). It gives you leadership experience and a different perspective about the "other side".