Should I quit volunteering?

[Stressd-premed]

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Hi everyone! So I’ve been volunteering at this hospital for about a year now and I have around 100 hours and I was wondering if I should leave. I usually volunteer on the weekends so the volunteer department is closed and I don’t get to see the department leader so I don’t think I can get a recommendation letter from her. On top of that I don’t really get much patient interaction at all. All I do is paperwork and restock cabinets. Should I quit volunteering here and apply to volunteer at a hospice instead or should I just stay here and keep getting a large amount of hours? Do med schools even care about this kind of stuff?

 

[Rachapkis]

It does not sound like you enjoy what you are doing. If that is the case, I would seek out other opportunities that you may turn out to be more fulfilling.

 

[Stressd-premed]

It does not sound like you enjoy what you are doing. If that is the case, I would seek out other opportunities that you may turn out to be more fulfilling.

I recently requested to transfer to a new department and I’m hoping I can be more helpful there but I was mainly concerned with if the work I do as a volunteer would be considered as insignificant by med schools.

 

[Phoebus Apollo]

^ brings up an interesting point

Since you’re already on the books with this hospital, can you transfer to some other role? (E.g. sometimes hospitals have great volunteer roles and really boring ones, and to do the great ones you kind of need to be there for a while so you can scoot to the other position as soon as it opens up)

If there are no better positions at this hospital that you think you’d like you should definitely leave and do something else.

Volunteer positions ABOUND. Your time doesn’t, and your happiness matters... plus strategically you want to be doing things you can talk about with enthusiasm.

 

[stickgirl390]

Med schools care most that you show dedication to serving others less fortunate than yourself.

 

[deleted804295]

Hi everyone! So I’ve been volunteering at this hospital for about a year now and I have around 100 hours and I was wondering if I should leave. I usually volunteer on the weekends so the volunteer department is closed and I don’t get to see the department leader so I don’t think I can get a recommendation letter from her. On top of that I don’t really get much patient interaction at all. All I do is paperwork and restock cabinets. Should I quit volunteering here and apply to volunteer at a hospice instead or should I just stay here and keep getting a large amount of hours? Do med schools even care about this kind of stuff?

Try switching to a different department. Might spice things up a bit. But I wouldn't recommend switching out of this volunteering role unless you start volunteering in a clinical setting elsewhere and prefer it there.

 

[Catalystik]

Hi everyone! So I’ve been volunteering at this hospital for about a year now and I have around 100 hours and I was wondering if I should leave. I usually volunteer on the weekends so the volunteer department is closed and I don’t get to see the department leader so I don’t think I can get a recommendation letter from her. On top of that I don’t really get much patient interaction at all. All I do is paperwork and restock cabinets. Should I quit volunteering here and apply to volunteer at a hospice instead or should I just stay here and keep getting a large amount of hours? Do med schools even care about this kind of stuff?

One hundred hours over a year's time makes for a decent entry on a med school application. If you can't move to another department with more patient interaction, then look elsewhere. Hospice is a good alternative.