This Volunteering EC...

[IonClaws]

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So I'm going to begin volunteering at an organization named Youth for Understanding. Basically, its focus is to find host families in the U.S. for foreign exchange students and then to directly support the families and students, write up reports for how everyone is doing, explain cultural aspects of the U.S. to the exchange students (and vice versa) and develop understanding of culture between the students, their host families, and the organization itself. As a volunteer, I will be doing all of this.

I've wanted to do something related to foreign cultures for a long time (since about the beginning of high school back in 2004-2005). I minored in Japanese language in college and you could say this is a "continuation" of it.

Obviously, this would be considered non-clinical volunteering; however, how would I classify it? Since I am helping a family as well as a person from another culture out, could it fall between community service and experiences with diverse cultures? Also, since I will be helping in making a decision about what family a student will stay with, could it be considered leadership as well?

Thanks!

 

[Doctor246853]

So I'm going to begin volunteering at an organization named Youth for Understanding. Basically, its focus is to find host families in the U.S. for foreign exchange students and then to directly support the families and students, write up reports for how everyone is doing, explain cultural aspects of the U.S. to the exchange students (and vice versa) and develop understanding of culture between the students, their host families, and the organization itself. As a volunteer, I will be doing all of this.

I've wanted to do something related to foreign cultures for a long time (since about the beginning of high school back in 2004-2005). I minored in Japanese language in college and you could say this is a "continuation" of it.

Obviously, this would be considered non-clinical volunteering; however, how would I classify it? Since I am helping a family as well as a person from another culture out, could it fall between community service and experiences with diverse cultures? Also, since I will be helping in making a decision about what family a student will stay with, could it be considered leadership as well?

Thanks!

yes

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

^ idk... I think leadership is having a leadership role as one who directs a certain aspect of an organization or group. It still sounds like volunteering to me since you are volunteering FOR an organization, and not actually having an leadership duty as a whole through the group. That's just my two cent from what I've read in these forums. Otherwise, if this actually IS a leadership role, then I can consider my volunteering in "Mentoring of Children of Inmates" a leadership role too.

 

[Doctor246853]

^ idk... I think leadership is having a leadership role as one who directs a certain aspect of an organization or group. It still sounds like volunteering to me since you are volunteering FOR an organization, and not actually having an leadership duty as a whole through the group. That's just my two cent from what I've read in these forums. Otherwise, if this actually IS a leadership role, then I can consider my volunteering in "Mentoring of Children of Inmates" a leadership role too.

I just scanned through the op's post at first and went back to read all of it. Im iffy about it but I wouldnt consider that leadership, sorry dude. But JohnnyRomanes, I would think your ec is leadership.👍

 

[IonClaws]

I just scanned through the op's post at first and went back to read all of it. Im iffy about it but I wouldnt consider that leadership, sorry dude. But JohnnyRomanes, I would think your ec is leadership.👍

Mentoring children of inmates is leadership but mentoring foreign exchange students and their host families isn't?

 

[music2doc]

Mentoring children of inmates is leadership but mentoring foreign exchange students and their host families isn't?

I'm no expert, but I wouldn't call most mentoring leadership. Mentoring is more like teaching/tutoring. Leadership involves peers, target tasks, delegation, teamwork, etc. It generally involves getting others to work together to achieve something. Think about who you would consider a "leader" around you and consider why you see him/her as a leader. What is it that s/he does that makes one a leader?

Some common examples of leaders that I've encountered in my own life include:

Work Supervisors/Managers/Leads -- establish goals at work, delegate assignments, resolve conflicts, institute disciplinary & remediation measures as needed, serves needs of the organization as well as clients & those under one's leadership, etc.
Lead/Head Research Assistants -- oversee projects, delegate, work closely with PI, serves needs of the organization/PI & other RAs, etc.
Volunteer Trainer (or Coordinator) -- trains volunteers and provides close supervision of volunteers, serves needs of the organization as well as patients & volunteers and hospital staff
Officer of Club or Student Organization -- establishes (or assists with) mission of organization, delegates tasks (to other officers, club members, etc.), gives direction (e.g., to club members), serves needs of organization as well as other officers & club members
Resident Assistant/Advisor (RA) -- assists school in enforcing rules by acting as a role model, resolves conflict, delegates tasks for events, serves needs of university community

There are a ton of other examples but hopefully those give some idea of what one might consider leadership.

Here's what I would consider teaching and tutoring instead of leadership but that might get confused with leadership:

Teaching/Tutoring
Mentors (individual & group when no delegation or direct supervision is offered; if mentoring someone toward a shared goal and mentoring/training a group of people, this may move toward the definition of leadership)
Academic Tutors
Lab Instructors
Teaching Assistants

 

[IonClaws]

I'm no expert, but I wouldn't call most mentoring leadership. Mentoring is more like teaching/tutoring. Leadership involves peers, target tasks, delegation, teamwork, etc. It generally involves getting others to work together to achieve something. Think about who you would consider a "leader" around you and consider why you see him/her as a leader. What is it that s/he does that makes one a leader?

Some common examples of leaders that I've encountered in my own life include:

Work Supervisors/Managers/Leads -- establish goals at work, delegate assignments, resolve conflicts, institute disciplinary & remediation measures as needed, serves needs of the organization as well as clients & those under one's leadership, etc.
Lead/Head Research Assistants -- oversee projects, delegate, work closely with PI, serves needs of the organization/PI & other RAs, etc.
Volunteer Trainer (or Coordinator) -- trains volunteers and provides close supervision of volunteers, serves needs of the organization as well as patients & volunteers and hospital staff
Officer of Club or Student Organization -- establishes (or assists with) mission of organization, delegates tasks (to other officers, club members, etc.), gives direction (e.g., to club members), serves needs of organization as well as other officers & club members
Resident Assistant/Advisor (RA) -- assists school in enforcing rules by acting as a role model, resolves conflict, delegates tasks for events, serves needs of university community

There are a ton of other examples but hopefully those give some idea of what one might consider leadership.

Here's what I would consider teaching and tutoring instead of leadership but that might get confused with leadership:

Teaching/Tutoring
Mentors (individual & group when no delegation or direct supervision is offered; if mentoring someone toward a shared goal and mentoring/training a group of people, this may move toward the definition of leadership)
Academic Tutors
Lab Instructors
Teaching Assistants

I see...how important is leadership to medical school admissions? I personally find mentoring to be very fulfilling both formally and informally, and can definitely put it on my application. Is leadership considered better than mentoring, or are they about equal in importance (although not as much as GPA, MCAT, clinical experience and volunteering, non-clinical volunteering, research, etc.)?

 

[music2doc]

I see...how important is leadership to medical school admissions? I personally find mentoring to be very fulfilling both formally and informally, and can definitely put it on my application. Is leadership considered better than mentoring, or are they about equal in importance (although not as much as GPA, MCAT, clinical experience and volunteering, non-clinical volunteering, research, etc.)?

Calling something more or less important seems like the wrong route to me. It's about the whole person. What do your activities say about you? (This is where self-awareness comes in.) I've always heard leadership is very important for med school admissions (sort of the 4th EC criterion after clinical, research, and community service), but I dislike the "checkbox" approach to admissions. It's not very useful. Leadership positions will naturally come to you as you show devotion to things. In your mentoring role, there are probably leadership opportunities (e.g., to train/supervise/coordinate YFU mentors).