Paid Tutoring vs Volunteer Tutoring

[Rooks]

Is there a meaningful difference between the two? They would both for a college-level course. I already have plenty of non-clinical volunteering and long-term employment. Money isn't a concern.
Thanks.

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[Catalystik]

Paid Tutoring vs Volunteer Tutoring​

Is there a meaningful difference between the two? They would both for a college-level course. I already have plenty of non-clinical volunteering and long-term employment. Money isn't a concern.
Thanks.

If you already have plenty of other nonclinical volunteering, it doesn't matter.

If your previous nonclinical volunteering is all on campus, I'd suggest using the time to volunteer in the general community instead (eg, maybe tutoring kids in an after school program or ESL education at the community center). Some med schools differentiate between the populations served and prefer the latter.

 

[Rooks]

If you already have plenty of other nonclinical volunteering, it doesn't matter.

If your previous nonclinical volunteering is all on campus, I'd suggest using the time to volunteer in the general community instead (eg, maybe tutoring kids in an after school program or ESL education at the community center). Some med schools differentiate between the populations served and prefer the latter.

Okay, thanks for the response. I have 500 hours at a crisis text line and 450 hours doing hospice volunteering. I'm mostly pursuing it because my professor wants me to be an embedded tutor for his class and I think I could get a really solid letter of rec from him, as well as extra practice for the mcat. I still have two years left of undergrad though.

 

[LizzyM]

500 hours on a crisis text line is electronic communication. You aren't face-to-face with people. In the next year or two, try to get some service that is not clinical (hospice) and is face-to-face with people in need who are different that yourself. Immigrants and refugees, the homeless, the working poor, kids with difficulties at home who need role models (big brother/big sister programs), friendly visitor to the elderly, etc. The idea is to be of service and to get to know a population that you would not interact with otherwise in daily life.

being an imbedded tutor for a college course might be best labeled "teaching/tutoring". AMCAS doesn't distringuish between paid and non-paid and it is considered a good experience to have given that much of modern medical education involves group learning and teaching one another.

 

[Rooks]

500 hours on a crisis text line is electronic communication. You aren't face-to-face with people. In the next year or two, try to get some service that is not clinical (hospice) and is face-to-face with people in need who are different that yourself.

being an imbedded tutor for a college course might be best labeled "teaching/tutoring". AMCAS doesn't distringuish between paid and non-paid and it is considered a good experience to have given that much of modern medical education involves group learning and teaching one another.

Ooh okay, that totally makes sense! Most of my text line hours are because of COVID and being bored at home haha. But I'm glad to hear that tutoring is valued in that way! I'll definitely stick with it.

I actually have a cute little Pembroke Welsh Corgi pup, and she's in a therapy dog training program.

I'm gonna do visits with her and I have a lot of choices, so I guess therapy dogs can be both clinical and non-clinical? What would you suggest to be the best places to visit, in regards to places that contain people different from myself? I'm thinking of low-income schools because I want to do something non-clinical, or maybe a library program for literacy.

 

[Catalystik]

In the next year or two, try to get some service that is not clinical (hospice) and is face-to-face with people in need who are different that yourself. Immigrants and refugees, the homeless, the working poor, kids with difficulties at home who need role models (big brother/big sister programs), friendly visitor to the elderly, etc. The idea is to be of service and to get to know a population that you would not interact with otherwise in daily life.

I completely agree. Fortunately, you have the time before application.