Valuable volunteer experience? Yes or no...

[amakhosidlo]

A few weeks ago I answered an email bulletin to work as a volunteer at a Christian health clinic. After filling out an extremely...awkward..application (I'm not affiliated with any organization) I got an 'interview'
(read inquisition) and an offer.

...Cool...right?
Well, they go on to tell me that I wouldn't actually be volunteering at the clinic, but rather, at home calling patients to schedule appointments on my own.
....great.
I'm not sure how much an experience like this would add to my app; sure I'd be interacting with patients, but I have a feeling a telemarketer would have a more engaging experience than I would...
I already shadow at a primary care clinic AND volunteer at a hospital, and I'm running out of hours in the day, but at the same time I hate saying no to an opportunity...

Any thoughts? Tell them to take a hike? Or play along and see where it goes?

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[HumidBeing]

Well, it's not clinical experience, but you are already getting that with your other activities.

IF you think it's something you want to do, go ahead. If, as I suspect, you are either uncomfortable with it, or just don't want to sit at home dialing up strangers, don't do it. It will leave you time to do something more suitable for you when the opportunity arises.

Are you feeling used and misled?

 

[radi0headfan]

never have heard of a volunteer position like that..anyways, here's my two cents:

your interest in a volunteer position usually dictates how valuable it'll be, so if you don't think you'll like any bit of it, don't get involved...that being said, if there's something catching your eye, no harm trying it out

gluck making a decision

 

[LizzyM]

If you are doing this for your application, then don't bother.

The clinic needs to find someone who believes that this is an important component of the health care enterprise. "No-shows" are a problem in ambulatory care and anyone who knows that and who is willing to help make an effort to make a difference is showing the real altruism that we like to see in future health care providers. If your heart isn't in it, take a pass.

 

[amakhosidlo]

Thanks for your feedback Lizzy. So you're saying it would be valuable if I were doing it for the right reasons? If it came up in an interview and I put that spin on it, even though I just did it to add to my EC list, it'd suddenly become worthwhile?

 

[LizzyM]

Thanks for your feedback Lizzy. So you're saying it would be valuable if I were doing it for the right reasons? If it came up in an interview and I put that spin on it, even though I just did it to add to my EC list, it'd suddenly become worthwhile?

One thing that amazes me is the bullsh*t detectors that our interviewers have. Many are long time clinicians (internists, psychatrists, pediatricians) and they can spot insincerity a mile away. Unless you've missed your calling and actually have the acting skills of an Oscar winner, your spin will come off as just that, spin.

Furthermore, if you don't care for the task, it is going to be an onerous job. Find something you love to do, and it will be a joy.

 

[Kaustikos]

One thing that amazes me is the bullsh*t detectors that our interviewers have. Many are long time clinicians (internists, psychatrists, pediatricians) and they can spot insincerity a mile away. Unless you've missed your calling and actually have the acting skills of an Oscar winner, your spin will come off as just that, spin.

Furthermore, if you don't care for the task, it is going to be an onerous job. Find something you love to do, and it will be a joy.

So adcoms are synonymous with poker players

 

[Doctor Doogie]

Do it if you enjoy it.

 

[Nevadanteater]

You make it sound like they mislead you. Did you ever discuss what the volunteer opportunity actually was? Behind the scenes work is what really keeps a clinic running. Will you enjoy it? Doesn't sound like it. Doubly so as you described the interview as an inquisition.

I'm sure you could turn this into an application boosting experience, but you could spend your time doing something you actually enjoy (gasp, maybe something that you even won't use for medschool apps!)

 

[student12x]

One thing that amazes me is the bullsh*t detectors that our interviewers have. Many are long time clinicians (internists, psychatrists, pediatricians) and they can spot insincerity a mile away. Unless you've missed your calling and actually have the acting skills of an Oscar winner, your spin will come off as just that, spin.

I don't know. They did a study in UCSF a few years back with regards to lying. They had people from diverse backgrounds( lawyers, docs, policemen, judges, secret service) speak to people who where instructed to either tell then a set of lies, truths or both. And ironically, none of them were able to spot the lies. The ones that had any modicum of accuracy are those within the secret service. I don't know how the test was run. I read it in a article earier this year. I'll try to find it again so I can cite.

 

[student12x]

Not that I'm advocating lying or anything. Its just something to take note of.

 

[LizzyM]

Lying is different from spinning. What the non-spinners have is an enthusiasm in the voice and a sparkle in the eye that is hard to fake. It isn't the words (lie or truth) but the emotion that the speaker exhibits that tells us how sincere the applicant is about their enthusiasm for particular activities.

 

[AlternateSome1]

I don't know. They did a study in UCSF a few years back with regards to lying. They had people from diverse backgrounds( lawyers, docs, policemen, judges, secret service) speak to people who where instructed to either tell then a set of lies, truths or both. And ironically, none of them were able to spot the lies. The ones that had any modicum of accuracy are those within the secret service. I don't know how the test was run. I read it in a article earier this year. I'll try to find it again so I can cite.

Telling a random lie without consequence and trying to fake sincerity are two very different things. I'd be interested in seeing the article to determine how much external validity the experiment held.