Red Cross volunteer

[instigata]

Hi,

I have been a Red Cross volunteer for about two months and I wasn't sure if I should include it in my application. I didn't do anything too major, just worked the reception desk to greet blood donors. I spent about 5 hours a month for the two months I have been in it. Would it look like I was trying to fill up my EC's section if I included it?

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[rcd]

10 hours? I'd leave it out. Don't take my word for it though.

 

[thes_hunter]

Hi,

I have been a Red Cross volunteer for about two months and I wasn't sure if I should include it in my application. I didn't do anything too major, just worked the reception desk to greet blood donors. I spent about 5 hours a month for the two months I have been in it. Would it look like I was trying to fill up my EC's section if I included it?

I would suggest signing up for your local DAT team, that's what I did and ended up getting called to do hurricane katrina relief. It was a phenomonal experience.

DAT teams are Disaster Action Teams, and they go out and consoul familys and people who have just had a local tradegy happen. Where I was from this was generally single family house fires, but it could be tornados, flash flooding, ice stroms, bomb threats etc. If you join and your chapter is like my old one, you will go on call one week a month, and may need to respond to calls between the hours of 5PM and 7 AM and all day on weekends and holidays for your on week. Some people see being woken up a bit of a drag at 3 AM but I found it to be a very rewarding experience. Because before we come on scene the people (in the case of house fires) are worried where they will sleep, what clothes they will wear, what they will eat... etc. And we give them a place to stay, some money for food for the next couple days and the ability to at least buy a second set of clothes. This tides them over until the insurance companies can start taking care of them, or their relatives get ahold of them or etc.



Opps, it seems like I stepped up on a soap box a bit. Sorry about that.

I'll stop typing now.

 

[instigata]

I would suggest signing up for your local DAT team, that's what I did and ended up getting called to do hurricane katrina relief. It was a phenomonal experience.

DAT teams are Disaster Action Teams, and they go out and consoul familys and people who have just had a local tradegy happen. Where I was from this was generally single family house fires, but it could be tornados, flash flooding, ice stroms, bomb threats etc. If you join and your chapter is like my old one, you will go on call one week a month, and may need to respond to calls between the hours of 5PM and 7 AM and all day on weekends and holidays for your on week. Some people see being woken up a bit of a drag at 3 AM but I found it to be a very rewarding experience. Because before we come on scene the people (in the case of house fires) are worried where they will sleep, what clothes they will wear, what they will eat... etc. And we give them a place to stay, some money for food for the next couple days and the ability to at least buy a second set of clothes. This tides them over until the insurance companies can start taking care of them, or their relatives get ahold of them or etc.



Opps, it seems like I stepped up on a soap box a bit. Sorry about that.

I'll stop typing now.

Ya I have heard about this and I was thinking about joining but haven't gotten around to it yet. I was also thinking about being sole translator for a language that they have no translators for. But back to my question, do you think I should include what I have done so far?

 

[thes_hunter]

Ya I have heard about this and I was thinking about joining but haven't gotten around to it yet. I was also thinking about being sole translator for a language that they have no translators for. But back to my question, do you think I should include what I have done so far?

Translators are really important, it would be awesome if you did that.


I would include it, if you are planning on doing more. That way when you talk about it in the interview there is some track record and something on paper.

 

[CardiacIntensivist]

Hi,

I have been a Red Cross volunteer for about two months and I wasn't sure if I should include it in my application. I didn't do anything too major, just worked the reception desk to greet blood donors. I spent about 5 hours a month for the two months I have been in it. Would it look like I was trying to fill up my EC's section if I included it?

My opinion, it would sound like padding. I also have about 10 hours with something and I will definately NOT be including it on the application. However, I do plan to continue what I am doing next semester so after I get a few more hours I'll send an update letter if needed.

 

[Zuerst]

I volunteered around 20~25 hrs for Red Cross's Katrina relief effort and several other 1 off volunteer events which probably total over 50 hrs and I'm planning on grouping them into one category on the application, separate from my hospital volunteer hrs though.

 

[s.a.m.o.]

Hi,

I have been a Red Cross volunteer for about two months and I wasn't sure if I should include it in my application. I didn't do anything too major, just worked the reception desk to greet blood donors. I spent about 5 hours a month for the two months I have been in it. Would it look like I was trying to fill up my EC's section if I included it?

I would probably not include this one, not just because it was only 10 hours, but because it is spaced out over two months. This could end up hurting you if the adcoms think you are just filling up your ec's with "fluff" and they may see it as "volunteering for the sake of getting ec's." If it was an "event" type volunteer (like disaster relief or other things that are typically 1 day volunteering) I would definitely include it.

I volunteered around 20~25 hrs for Red Cross's Katrina relief effort and several other 1 off volunteer events which probably total over 50 hrs and I'm planning on grouping them into one category on the application, separate from my hospital volunteer hrs though.

I looooove your avatar!

 

[jojocola]

Hi,

I have been a Red Cross volunteer for about two months and I wasn't sure if I should include it in my application. I didn't do anything too major, just worked the reception desk to greet blood donors. I spent about 5 hours a month for the two months I have been in it. Would it look like I was trying to fill up my EC's section if I included it?

Does Red Cross require LORs? My damned teachers arent sending me any LORs so I can't volunteer at any major hospitals. bleep bleep bleep! bleeper BLEEP!

 

[thegymbum]

If your list is really shanty, you might consider it. But if you have anything you've been more committed to, stick with that. The 10 hours total might look like a desparate attempt at a resume filler (even though it's not.. but you never know what they're going to think..).