to volunteer, or not?

[Buckeye33]

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here's my situation. I recetly applied to be a volunteer at my school's medical center. all applications were randomized and I received an e-mail offering me a position--in the gift shop. I'm not sure if I should suck it up for summer quarter in the gift shop and then try to use it to get a better position in the ed or surgical (preference given to previous volunteers) or just try to find a different volunteer opportunity at a different hospital. thoughts?

 

[circulus vitios]

I'd say screw it and find another place to volunteer at. Volunteering in a gift shop is like volunteering at Walmart.

 

[caseofthemndays]

Ditto, what are you going to take away from volunteering in a gift shop? Def not big bucks!

 

[loveoforganic]

I personally don't think I'd waste my time volunteering in the gift shop.

 

[atomi]

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[loveoforganic]

So you'd volunteer your time for something that doesn't interest you whatsoever and serves minimal benefit to everyone involved? Except, I guess, the hospital, since they're getting free gift shop staff.

 

[hewmanoid]

Your school's medical center is pretty messed up. For most hospitals, volunteer coordinators/directors meet up with potential volunteers and ask for their interests/preferences before actually assigning them to different departments. They cannot possibly/randomly put you in the gift shop knowing you're a pre-med. I mean you still get some patient contact in the shop, but there are much better alternatives out there. Don't do it!

 

[PremedIowa]

There are more productive uses of your time than giving free labor in a situation where you do not learn anything. Do something useful like habitat for humanity. I have found that students trying to volunteer in the healthcare field often end up doing something useless and those that do things outside of it are actually able to help people.

 

[circulus vitios]

Your school's medical center is pretty messed up. For most hospitals, volunteer coordinators/directors meet up with potential volunteers and ask for their interests/preferences before actually assigning them to different departments. They cannot possibly/randomly put you in the gift shop knowing you're a pre-med. I mean you still get some patient contact in the shop, but there are much better alternatives out there. Don't do it!

I put down emergency or surgical departments. They gave me a job running medical records around the building. 😡 I'll rack up 60 or 70 hours, quit it, then exaggerate about how profound and interesting my experience as a volunteer was.

 

[hewmanoid]

I put down emergency or surgical departments. They gave me a job running medical records around the building. 😡 I'll rack up 60 or 70 hours, quit it, then exaggerate about how profound and interesting my experience as a volunteer was.

That sucks! I really hate it when a lot of pre-meds end up running errands and doing paperwork, not actually getting patient contact they need. Maybe it's not too late for you to switch to a different department? I used to volunteer in the pre-surgery and recovery units, and I had tons of quality one-on-one time with patients and their family members. Plus, substantial shadowing experiences as well. It was really awesome! Talk to whoever is in charge of the volunteer dept and go for what you deserve!👍

 

[Bunny Fru Fru]

Yet one more blatant example of why mandatory volunteering for medical school applicants is absurd.

Volunteering isn't mandatory for medical school applicants; it is something that someone can do, if they want to enhance their application, but there are other routes of enhancement too.

 

[TurkSurg]

I'd say screw it and find another place to volunteer at. Volunteering in a gift shop is like volunteering at Walmart.

👍

 

[TurkSurg]

Volunteering isn't mandatory for medical school applicants; it is something that someone can do, if they want to enhance their application, but there are other routes of enhancement too.

BUMP ????

I completely disagree.

 

[JonathanMD]

BUMP ????

I completely disagree.

I think he means other things like actual clinical work experience at a paid position, work as an RN, EMT, CNA or military medic, or missionary work. All of which I agree would be great even if you didn't have any "normal" hospital volunteer experience.

 

[runrunrudolph1]

Volunteering isn't mandatory for medical school applicants; it is something that someone can do, if they want to enhance their application, but there are other routes of enhancement too.

i would have to disagree... med schools argue that you dont know what you are getting into without volunteering in a hospital, without clinical experience and patient contact.

 

[Boilermaker]

Can someone give me a successful or ideal EC profile, so I know what to copy?

Does Habitat for humanity add benefit to an application? Most of the volunteer work I have done has been outside the medical field.

 

[Boilermaker]

This is to Johnathon.

If someone had the choice to attend a Caribbean school, would you pick Ross because of the 16 month on the island commitment? People say Ross is tough, are there other Caribbean schools with higher success rate in graduation?

 

[tennisball80]

No.

 

[TurkSurg]

Can someone give me a successful or ideal EC profile, so I know what to copy?

Does Habitat for humanity add benefit to an application? Most of the volunteer work I have done has been outside the medical field.

Habitat for humanity is great. The med schools you will apply to will have tons of applicants with volunteering (in hospital setting) and research experience. So I think those are the core. Well, of course you dont HAVE to do research. But if you do other activities, such as Habitat for humanity, sports, umm any other activities.. thats what will make u stand out. So make sure u have the hospital volunteering activity first.

For example, I'm volunteering at Red Cross, I also planted trees for a tree organization cuz i love helping the environment...im also involved in sustainable energy group at our school and I just got a lifeguard certificate from Red Cross so prolly gonna start working as a lifeguard....u kno what im saying? so yea, those kind of stuff...

find out what you like then do an internet search for opportunities of volunteering