should I focus my area of volunteering?

[iminalauren]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I am currently volunteering at a cancer center and want to volunteer abroad this summer.... should I try to get a position in cancer care or diversify and work with him/aids patients instead? do med schools prefer one to focus their volunteering onto one area? thanks in advance!

 

[DreadPreMed]

It doesn't matter what type of patients you work with, just that it's meaningful with good interactions. A few long term commitments looks better than many short term. That being said I've heard that having a theme for all your ecs looks good but isn't needed.

 

[Catalystik]

I am currently volunteering at a cancer center and want to volunteer abroad this summer.... should I try to get a position in cancer care or diversify and work with him/aids patients instead? do med schools prefer one to focus their volunteering onto one area? thanks in advance!

After a year's longevity at one institution, it's fine to branch out and broaden your experience.

 

[Planes2Doc]

What you do in terms of volunteering won't really matter, what matters most is that you have a nice amount of verifiable hours with a long commitment while maintaining good grades and good MCAT score.

If there is something you genuinely enjoy doing, I'd try to do that. If you are focusing on getting medical school admissions requirements taken care of, do the activity that will have the best schedule to work with.

 

[Goro]

I am currently volunteering at a cancer center and want to volunteer abroad this summer.... should I try to get a position in cancer care or diversify and work with him/aids patients instead? do med schools prefer one to focus their volunteering onto one area? thanks in advance!

Some types of volunteer activities are more appealing than others. Volunteering in a nice suburban hospital is all very well and good and all, but doesn't show that you're willing to dig in and get your hands dirty in the same way that working with the developmentally disabled (or homeless, the dying, or Alzheimers or mentally ill or elderly or ESL or domestic, rural impoverished) does. The uncomfortable situations are the ones that really demonstrate your altruism and get you 'brownie points'. Plus, they frankly teach you more -- they develop your compassion and humanity in ways comfortable situations can't.

 

[infectiousdisease101]

It doesn't matter what type of patients you work with, just that it's meaningful with good interactions. A few long term commitments looks better than many short term. That being said I've heard that having a theme for all your ecs looks good but isn't needed.

Not all the ECs, must the meaningful ones.