Possible night time volunteering opertunities?

[JFalc]

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I am in grad school, and kind of unable to do any volunteering M-F before 5:30pm. Saturday and Sunday, I am going to volunteer in a ER (if I can find one =(, and some where else).

I want to take the MCAT June 2011, and apply for 2012 admissions with a Masters degree. I don't think MD schools are an option for me =(, so I am looking at DO I guess.

I did 70 hours of volunteering in the ER Sophomore year of Undergrad (I am 23 now), and shadowed a orthopedic surgeon for 40 hours (my Senior year of Undergrad). I am going to have to just cut on of my days open for shadowing a DO.. I don't see any way around that. (probably going to piss my PI off).

Can you guys mention any long term volunteer categories that might be available at night.

 

[Catalystik]

?Homeless or womens shelter, crisis or suicide hotline.

 

[ucsfstudents]

Hospice

 

[DrYoda]

If you don't mind doing more ED volunteering, they're open 24/7.

 

[Myuu]

If you don't mind doing more ED volunteering, they're open 24/7.

Some hospitals have set volunteer shifts that may not be immediately suitable for that, but I'm sure you could set something up if you talk to them about it.👍

 

[the duck]

Some hospitals have set volunteer shifts that may not be immediately suitable for that, but I'm sure you could set something up if you talk to them about it.👍

My er has volunteer shifts 24/7, and they are all filled...
But a crisis hotline sounds like a really good idea, I think they generally want a year commitment or so since it involves training.

 

[sylvanthus]

?Homeless or womens shelter, crisis or suicide hotline.

I second this. I volunteered in a youth homeless shelter for a couple years. Was a good experience.

 

[Ginger Ale]

maybe your local squad house? If you aren't an EMT, I'm sure theyll still let you volunteer as a probationary member/cadet

 

[murfettie]

I know for sure the ER at UCLA has round the clock volunteers.

 

[Evergrey]

I am currently volunteering in a Surgical ICU on Sunday evenings (5PM to 9PM). You may consider seeing if any nearby hospitals have volunteering programs for their ICU. I've really appreciated the opportunity to volunteer in an intensive care setting (especially at my hospital, which is a L1 trauma center so many of the patients in the SICU come from severe trauma incidents).

It's definitely a different setting than an ER, where I used to volunteer in undergrad. I like the setting more as a volunteer because the patients are much more willing to talk to volunteers (when they can talk, and aren't sedated/have a tracheostomy preventing speech, that is), and the staff are more willing to involve volunteers because their roles are more defined. Although, I have had some interesting experiences with patients with trachs trying to mouth conversations to me... I really need to work on my lip-reading skills. I can recognize "pain" now though (generally that's the most common thing that patients tell me, and they want me to have their nurse get more pain meds). I have had conversations with people using notepad and pen before though, too. Mad props to clinical staff who can actually understand lip-reading.

The nursing staff here are assigned two patients and they only take care of those two patients during the course of their twelve-hour shift. So if the nurse is nice and inclined to educate others, they may be willing to share a lot of things with you. One of the nurses the other day went through a patient's EKG with me and explained why they had to manage the patient's care in special ways due to their abnormal heart rhythm, so we got into a discussion on why preventing blood clots/using heparin and coumadin is necessary in an intensive care situation. Very interesting. The doctors aren't around too much at night, and they are usually extremely busy, but I have been able to follow them and get their perspectives a bit. It helps to be at a teaching hospital.. when a resident is doing a procedure and the attending is supervising, then it is little trouble for a pre-med to observe as well.

The patients' stories in the SICU where I volunteer at are intense, though.. I mean, only something like 85% of people who are admitted into an ICU actually make it out. So you will see a lot of patients at their worst... I think this is a good experience for pre-meds, but it may not be what you're looking for right now.