Places around harvard to volunteer?

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ravin

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Hi. I will be taking class at harvard this summer. Are there any hospitals where I could volunteer? If so could you provide me with a website or some contact info? Has anyone done any really cool clinical volunteering around harvard?
Thanks.

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ravin said:
Hi. I will be taking class at harvard this summer. Are there any hospitals where I could volunteer? If so could you provide me with a website or some contact info? Has anyone done any really cool clinical volunteering around harvard?
Thanks.

I would like to know what's around Harvard to do as well. I'm starting research there this summer.
 
Brigham & Women's has a great volunteering program. It's close to Harvard Med School. It's a good ways from the Cambridge campus though the hospital is easily accessible via public transportation.

Here is the website for the volunteering department at B & W.

http://www.brighamandwomens.org/volunteer/

good luck
 
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Hey fruit fly, what are you researching at Harvard this summer?

I'm going to be there as well, but I'm doing art conservation science research.
 
Don't forget Mt. Auburn, which is right around the corner and a short walk and even shorter bus ride out from Harvard Square. They also have a volunteering program.
 
I would think there are many in the Boston area: Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), the various hospitals in the Longwood Medical Area (the aforementioned Brigham and Women's, Children's Hospital, Jimmy Fund, etc.), Tufts, and Boston Medical Center are a couple to mention.
 
I was looking at their website, and there's a problem. They require that you be in the area for 3 months and you have to have an interview before they will accept you. I will only be there for two months, but I still feel I can do something worthwhile
 
CAmbridge requires you to be there for four months btw.
 
While it's not a clinical volunteer experience, i will push a program i did work with. Provided you like kids, bikes, and hands-on stuff, it rules.

Bikes Not Bombs in Jamaica Plain is an awesome volunteer program. Inner city kids come into the program and you (literally) build a bike with them. They pick the bike and parts and you help them build it, giving them mathematical and mechanical insights along the way. If you've read "zen and the art of Motorcycle maintenance" and were really impacted by that book, then you'll dig the program a lot.

www.bikesnotbombs.org

If you don't know Boston too well, the location is an easy bike ride from the longwood medical area (where DFCI, BWH, and Children's are) and it's right off the Orange line if you're coming from further away.
 
keep em coming i haven't found one that doesn't require an interview and actually being present at their location before volunteering....i never realized it would be this hard
 
not to say that they aren't great ooportunities like building bikes and the other hospital work. its just not wat im looking for
 
They have a searchable database of volunteer opportunities. They are allied with almost all the charities in Boston including the hospitals which will be in the database.

http://www.uwmb.org/volunteer.htm

The New England Medical Center, Boston University Medical Center and MGH also have volunteer websites as mentioned earlier.

You probably can arrange to get around the interview problem with a phone interview and recommendations but you will need a Cori background check which takes a few weeks so apply soon.

Good luck
 
Hey. I was wondering about the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. Is that very far away from Harvard? How could I get there? The zip code is MA 02114. This came up on a search of things 5 miles away from a Harvard zipcode I found.
 
the Eye and Ear is right next to MGH which is a stop on the red line. The red line also goes through cambridge and harvard square so if you live near there getting to Eye and Ear is pretty easy via the train.
 
I volunteered at BMC (Boston Medical Center) for a couple years in college. I would highly recommend spending time at this hospital, it's amazing (especially if a diverse patient body, etc. interests you). It's about a 30 minute ride on the #1 bus from Harvard Sq. (essentially door-to-door)...and the people are awesome. I remember going to their Volunteer Services office a couple years ago with a friend, looking for summer volunteer jobs, and they have a wealth of opportunities (clinical research, advocacy, food pantry, working with kids, etc.). It's just a matter of emailing them and asking.
http://www.bmc.org/volunteerservices/index.html

Good luck!
 
ditto on bmc-- being inner-city, the patient population is very diverse, and there's a lot more freedom and responsibility (if you'd like) than you'd get at some of the other hospitals. also, i don't recall getting a volunteer position being that much of a hassle..

fyi, as for all the med school hospitals, they're great places to volunteer with amazing resources (the children's hospital feels like a giant toy store. kinda like an anti-bmc), tho as was mentioned, the application process is rather drawn-out/tedious for a short-term stint. but if you're going to be at the undergrad campus, it may be more convenient bc there's a free shuttle (with any harvard id) that goes from the college to the medschool every half hour (and every 10 minutes during rush hour)
 
Ditto. You'll probably have a better experience if you work in a hospital that serves a poorer population. Your two obvious choices: Boston City(BU Medical) or Brigham and Womens.
 
Look into Unite for Sight. I'm involved at our chapter here in Boston and Harvard has a chapter too. It's health volunteering for the medically underserved. There are some international programs too. The website is www.uniteforsight.org
 
Sorry if I'm being repetitive; I didn't read the whole thread.

If you want to volunteer at a hospital, there are a ton. Within a couple blocks of Harvard med are Brigham&Women's, Beth Israel, Dana Farber, Joslin Diabetes, Children's, etc. There's also MGH, and its associated clinics (like eye&ear), which is accessible on the red line, or from a shuttle that stops at Brigham&Women's and the Prudential Center. All of the hospitals that I know take a couple months to get approved, and they expect 6+ months of committment, so that might not work out if you're only in Boston for the summer. It doesn't hurt to call and ask, though.

I'll be volunteering at a hospice in Cambridge this summer, but I also go to school here, so I was able to commit to a full year.

I think you might have better luck doing non-clinical volunteering, given your time constraints. I can give you the names of various volunteer organizations in Boston if you pm me. I'm the pres. of my school's community service organization, so I've got some ideas for what you could do in a non-clinical setting, or some places you could volunteer on a one-time basis if you want a little variety (like homeless shelters, elderly homes, neighborhood programs for kids, etc).
 
Hey,

It kind of makes it tough because of your time constraints, as you already know the majority of hospitals and clinics in the area want a time dedication of a minimum of roughly 3 months. But if your just sudying here for the Summer, on move in weekend there are plenty of volunteer groups especially for the Summer School students.

I'll also be studying through the summer again, so if i find anything i'll let ya know.
 
I agree that some non-clinical volunteer opportunities can be just as rewarding and worthwhile. The Harvard Square Homeless Shelter is AMAZING. It's the only student-run homeless shelter in the nation, and it's a fabulous place to volunteer. About 2 years ago we started the Resource Advocacy Desk...where you can help the guest get in touch with various resources (food, transportation, jobs, housing, etc.) in the Boston area. I was in charge of health care, and that could be cool for you to get involved with since you're interested in medicine/health. The shelter is in the heart of Harvard Sq. (next to Kirkland House and Noch's)...so transportation is no issue...and it's open only in the evenings thru the early morning so it won't interfere with classes. If you have more questions PM me. Good luck! Summers in Cambridge are wonderful... :)
 
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