Nontrad Shadowing vs Volunteering

[gleeful]

Hello. Nontrad taking one lab course a semester at night while working 50-60 hours a week in a corporate position. I wanted to know if significant volunteer experience is a must for nontrad applicants or if I could shadow as a viable alternative.

It's very difficult for me to gain significant volunteer experience, in a hospital or otherwise. My work takes a lot of time, and I am commuting each way to class about 40 minutes three times a week. The hospitals want volunteers during working hours in the week. I have asked, and there are currently no weekend opportunities available.

It's fairly convenient for me to shadow, though. I get four weeks of vacation a year. I could take 1-2 of them and shadow some physicians. Would this work? Or do I really need to scrape the bottom of the barrel to try to find some sort of miracle volunteer opp that would fit my schedule?

Thank you.

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[theKingLT]

Hello. Nontrad taking one lab course a semester at night while working 50-60 hours a week in a corporate position. I wanted to know if significant volunteer experience is a must for nontrad applicants or if I could shadow as a viable alternative.

It's very difficult for me to gain significant volunteer experience, in a hospital or otherwise. My work takes a lot of time, and I am commuting each way to class about 40 minutes three times a week. The hospitals want volunteers during working hours in the week. I have asked, and there are currently no weekend opportunities available.

It's fairly convenient for me to shadow, though. I get four weeks of vacation a year. I could take 1-2 of them and shadow some physicians. Would this work? Or do I really need to scrape the bottom of the barrel to try to find some sort of miracle volunteer opp that would fit my schedule?

Thank you.

The key is to not limit yourself to hospitals. Many free-clinics or similar outreach programs operate on weekends. Non-clinical volunteering as well. No matter what though, shadowing is a must, so i think taking your vacation time for that is a good idea.

 

[precisiongraphic]

Agree with the free clinic idea. Other ideas would be hospice or planned parenthood.

You could also see if your local children's hospital runs a summer camp and volunteer for a week there to get lots of hours. The ones in our area are a cancer camp and a general sick kids camp. Take a week off work. I've volunteered in these camps and you get a week out doors, in the sunshine and get to help with craft projects or hikes. Not hazardous duty at all.

 

[gleeful]

The key is to not limit yourself to hospitals. Many free-clinics or similar outreach programs operate on weekends. Non-clinical volunteering as well. No matter what though, shadowing is a must, so i think taking your vacation time for that is a good idea.

Thanks for your response. I should have been more clear-I have searched extensively for meaningful volunteer opportunities in my area. I have been unable to locate even one clinical opportunity for the weekend. I have personally reached out to: 12 hospitals, 10 urgent care locations, 2 VAs, and 8 non-profit organizations. A lot of them don't take volunteers and the ones that do want gift shop volunteers during the week.

As for non-clinical opportunities, what do you suggest? I was really hoping to not have to volunteer in addition to shadowing-I am stretched pretty darn thin. It's even a challenge for me to volunteer on the weekend as I have to put in hours for my job on Saturdays since I have to leave at 5:00 during the week to go to class. Work 60 hours a week, class 8 hours a week, finding time to study for that class, commuting to and from class 4 hours a week. It's incredibly challenging logistically. I have found that the challenges of being a nontrad lay in the logistics-not in just being willing to put in the time and effort. Sometimes it's literally just impossible to find options to meet requirements. For example, the class I am taking now I had to put off two semesters because no local university offered it at night until now. It's rough haha. Thanks!

 

[precisiongraphic]

Thanks for your response. I should have been more clear-I have searched extensively for meaningful volunteer opportunities in my area. I have been unable to locate even one clinical opportunity for the weekend. I have personally reached out to: 12 hospitals, 10 urgent care locations, 2 VAs, and 8 non-profit organizations. A lot of them don't take volunteers and the ones that do want gift shop volunteers during the week.

After you finish your prereqs you will need to study for and take the MCAT. Perhaps the shadowing and volunteering will have to wait until then. Take 6-9 months after the MCAT before the application session opens and do the volunteering then.

Otherwise, using your vacation time might be the only way.

 

[theKingLT]

Thanks for your response. I should have been more clear-I have searched extensively for meaningful volunteer opportunities in my area. I have been unable to locate even one clinical opportunity for the weekend. I have personally reached out to: 12 hospitals, 10 urgent care locations, 2 VAs, and 8 non-profit organizations. A lot of them don't take volunteers and the ones that do want gift shop volunteers during the week.

As for non-clinical opportunities, what do you suggest? I was really hoping to not have to volunteer in addition to shadowing-I am stretched pretty darn thin. It's even a challenge for me to volunteer on the weekend as I have to put in hours for my job on Saturdays since I have to leave at 5:00 during the week to go to class. Work 60 hours a week, class 8 hours a week, finding time to study for that class, commuting to and from class 4 hours a week. It's incredibly challenging logistically. I have found that the challenges of being a nontrad lay in the logistics-not in just being willing to put in the time and effort. Sometimes it's literally just impossible to find options to meet requirements. For example, the class I am taking now I had to put off two semesters because no local university offered it at night until now. It's rough haha. Thanks!

Hmmm... A complete lack of volunteering makes it extremely difficult to get into medical school, especially with no hands on clinical experience on top of that. However, it may be best for you to focus on just school for now, get a good gpa and eventually mcat, and then at some point figure out a way to reduce your work hours so you can build your EC's. It's a marathon getting every part of your app built and it's okay to do them separately, but If you have the time for it now, an hour or 2 every weekend of non-clinical volunteering could really help. As an idea, Nursing homes are usually pretty flexible on hours but make sure whatever you choose you enjoy it!

 

[gleeful]

Ok thanks for the responses everyone. What I am taking from this thread is that volunteering is an absolute must even if I have significant shadowing experience. Dang it haha

 

[Duotone]

Ok thanks for the responses everyone. What I am taking from this thread is that volunteering is an absolute must even if I have significant shadowing experience. Dang it haha

Volunteering must not be restricted to the confines of the medical field. If you have other volunteering experience, you can include that in your resume. Volunteering enables you to prove that you can give your time to a cause without demanding any material reward from it. The experience you gain from it often makes for an interesting discussion during your interview.

 

[gp2]

One suggestion I have is to look for a volunteer situation that is maybe limited to once a month or less. Begin that early and than accumulate the hours over a longer period of time. If you spend 2-3 hrs a month or so it can show a long term commitment and can fit easier into a schedule.

 

[DokterMom]

The purpose of shadowing is to show you understand what being a physician is like. So 50 hours should be sufficient, provided you shadow physicians in several different specialties.

The purpose of volunteering is to demonstrate that you're a good person who cares about community and humanity. Clinical volunteering gets you exposure to the medical field WHILE demonstrating altruism -- so a two-fer. But non-medical volunteering (Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers, etc.) can demonstrate the goodness of your heart in a much more time-flexible way.

If medical volunteering is difficult, go non-medical.

 

[theITcrowd]

Thanks for your response. I should have been more clear-I have searched extensively for meaningful volunteer opportunities in my area. I have been unable to locate even one clinical opportunity for the weekend. I have personally reached out to: 12 hospitals, 10 urgent care locations, 2 VAs, and 8 non-profit organizations. A lot of them don't take volunteers and the ones that do want gift shop volunteers during the week.

Have you asked specifically about volunteering in the ED? Most if not all of them can use volunteers during night hours (as in ending around 11pm at the latest), which might not be ideal but can be very interesting and insightful.

 

[gleeful]

The purpose of shadowing is to show you understand what being a physician is like. So 50 hours should be sufficient, provided you shadow physicians in several different specialties.

The purpose of volunteering is to demonstrate that you're a good person who cares about community and humanity. Clinical volunteering gets you exposure to the medical field WHILE demonstrating altruism -- so a two-fer. But non-medical volunteering (Habitat for Humanity, Big Brothers, etc.) can demonstrate the goodness of your heart in a much more time-flexible way.

If medical volunteering is difficult, go non-medical.

Thanks for your response. How much volunteer experience does one need? In college, I did Habitat for Humanity and took an international trip to build houses. That was about a decade ago, however. In my current position, we have work events that are volunteer. We stuff toys around the holidays, cook breakfast for veterans, etc. Would those not really count since they are work-related? Also, would non-volunteer extra-curricular activities count such as playing in an adult sports league? Thanks.

 

[gleeful]

One suggestion I have is to look for a volunteer situation that is maybe limited to once a month or less. Begin that early and than accumulate the hours over a longer period of time. If you spend 2-3 hrs a month or so it can show a long term commitment and can fit easier into a schedule.

Any suggestions? That sounds great, but I just haven't been able to find an opportunity like that in my area. Thanks.

 

[gleeful]

Volunteering must not be restricted to the confines of the medical field. If you have other volunteering experience, you can include that in your resume. Volunteering enables you to prove that you can give your time to a cause without demanding any material reward from it. The experience you gain from it often makes for an interesting discussion during your interview.

I have gained an incredible amount of interesting discussion topics leading a team of 12 people in the work environment. I was really hoping that would serve as enough. It's not that I don't want to volunteer-it's just incredibly difficult to find the time/find an option that works. I am compensated very well for my position (I will end up losing money over the course of my career if I go to medical school and don't end up in the top 10% of all physician incomes), so I actually donate a fair amount of money to community causes. If only I could use that instead of actually volunteering...oh well.

 

[petomed]

Have you asked specifically about volunteering in the ED? Most if not all of them can use volunteers during night hours (as in ending around 11pm at the latest), which might not be ideal but can be very interesting and insightful.

My 9-5 limits me to a local emergency department and it's worked out really well. Being consistent and reliable has led to developing great rapport with everyone. I'm subsequently able to schedule a shift at any hour on any day. Patient contact is as involved as you want it to be, from taking vitals to bedding to creeping in the corner of trauma rooms. Volunteering in the ED even led me to obtaining CPR/FirstAid/AED certification.

 

[gp2]

Any suggestions? That sounds great, but I just haven't been able to find an opportunity like that in my area. Thanks.

I had the same problems finding somewhere. I ended up joining volunteermatch.org and they send monthly volunteer opportunities. That might help since you don't have to do as much searching--I think you just select which types of volunteering you're interested in. I was able to find one of my current volunteer opportunities through there. Also places like the Red Cross or Salvation Army seem like classic places to volunteer too and are usually more seasonal.

 

[DokterMom]

Thanks for your response. How much volunteer experience does one need? In college, I did Habitat for Humanity and took an international trip to build houses. That was about a decade ago, however. In my current position, we have work events that are volunteer. We stuff toys around the holidays, cook breakfast for veterans, etc. Would those not really count since they are work-related? Also, would non-volunteer extra-curricular activities count such as playing in an adult sports league? Thanks.

There's no set amount that you need to 'check the box'. And also, since you are a full-fledged adult working 50-60 hours/wk in a professional job plus taking classes, you will get some slack. Just do what you can --

As has been said, a long-term commitment to something looks good. So if there's an activity you started a long time ago that you care about, get active in that again so you can show 'duration'. Just because your company is involved doesn't invalidate a volunteer opportunity, so do include those. Would you have the opportunity to spearhead a company effort on company time? That would look great --

 

[Dullhead]

Ok thanks for the responses everyone. What I am taking from this thread is that volunteering is an absolute must even if I have significant shadowing experience. Dang it haha

It is for the MD side, at least. I had at least two people on these forums tell me that they were specifically asked why they did not have any non-clinical hours. One said he became a reapplicant and was successful on the second cycle because he had added about 100 hours Meals on Wheels. Now these are anonymous folks but I have no reason not to believe them.