should i bother volunteering at a hospital for 2 weeks?

[fourstar]

I'm in north carolina for about a week or two, I was supposed to volunteer at another university hospital up north but that didn't go as planned.

I'm entering my third year of college and have yet to get any clinical/hospital/medicine related experience or volunteering.

should i bother going through the orientation and volunteer at one of the unc hospitals?

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[Blake]

Go for it ! 😉

 

[fourstar]

Go for it ! 😉

even if I'm in this state for only a week or two?

 

[Blake]

even if I'm in this state for only a week or two?

Yes. Even though it might not be a lot, it's still enough for you to understand the basic work of a physician. I say go for it, unless you have some other kind of reasons not to...

 

[TacoGirl]

I volunteered for three weeks in a nursing home and my entire personal statement was a based on it.

 

[SaltySqueegee]

Depending on the volunteering situation:

Yes, if you are shadowing a specific person. Doctor, NP, etc. They will 'protect' you from what is mentioned below.

No, if it is in a general hospital setting, with no one particular Person as your 'guide.' You'll become a 'scut-monkey.' -->Run this Urine to the lab... Sort these drawers... Clean Mr. Johnson's Urinal... etc. 👍 😀

Just a little advice. 😎

 

[honsano]

I think it will be considerably less than a week though. I don't know about where you currently plan on volunteering, but at the Hospital I am volunteering at, I had to go through orientation. So, I had to wait two weeks for the next one to come around before I could even start. May want to check that out too.

 

[WalterSobchakk]

If for nothing else, just do it for the sake that it's interesting and it beats sitting around.

 

[wytosk]

Being a doctor sounds nice, but you really cant tell for sure if you want to be one unless you get into a clinical setting. You will see things that you would have never expected!! For me, I went from being undecided about going MD or engineer... now im MD all the way

 

[thewzdoc]

I think it will be considerably less than a week though. I don't know about where you currently plan on volunteering, but at the Hospital I am volunteering at, I had to go through orientation. So, I had to wait two weeks for the next one to come around before I could even start. May want to check that out too.

This is a very good point?you aren?t going to walk in off the street and start working with patients.