Shadowing or Volunteering?

[soh5]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hey everyone,

I have been lurking around SDN for sometime, and I guess I'll make my entrance. I currently go to the UW (washington) and I know for a fact that its not how much volunteering you do, but what you get out of volunteering. My question is this, the volunteering experiences that Ive done has been basically transporting lab specs around the hospital, and that to me isnt too meaningful. I have been shadowing a doc around the UW, but I havent shadowed much due to class lately. My question is this... Which is better, shadowing a physician or volunteering? I want to get more clinical experience, but I am unsure of what path to take. Can you guys give me some advice? Thanks guys! 😎

 

[BubbleBobble]

I'm an undergrad at UW too, and my volunteering experience was as an assistant in a nursing unit at the UW Med Center. I agree that volunteering isn't useful if you're only going to be delivering things around the hospital, so that's why I tried to get a volunteering position that gave me as much patient contact as possible.

On the flip side, I saw things at the hospital mainly from a nurse's point of view, rather than a physician's. I didn't mind this, but it is something to keep in mind.

 

[Andrew_Doan]

soh5,

Welcome to SDN! 😉

I think both shadowing a physician and volunteering are important. Each act states something different about you as a person. Your seeking of shadowing experiences demonstrates that you want to learn more about the profession. You will be better informed when determining whether or not a career in medicine is for you. In contrast, your volunteering experiences denote your desires to contribute to your community and society, which are important attributes in future physicians.

I think that it's awesome that you're shadowing and volunteering, and I encourage you to continue doing so.

 

[stwei]

What are some of the things you should definitely do during a shadowing that will make it worthwhile and not a hassle for both of you?

 

[jlee9531]

Originally posted by stwei
What are some of the things you should definitely do during a shadowing that will make it worthwhile and not a hassle for both of you?

just listen to everything the doctor says. dont interrupt, but ask questions when its approriate to, if you want to know something.