Value/purpose of volunteering

[fiznat]

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I'm sure answers vary depending on which adcom is looking, but I wanted to see what SDN thinks.

What is the real value and purpose of volunteer experience in a med school application? Is it about clinical experience, alturism, or both? I understand that for a lot of applicants, volunteer experience may be of particular importance because it is the only clinical experience that person may have had. Still there are others (like myself) who have quite a bit of clinical/professional healthcare experience, but little to no volunteer work.

I have just about 10 years working as a paramedic, but almost no time volunteering. I'm wondering if adcoms will look at my application and say "great, he has experience," or instead wonder why I didn't volunteer more of my time to other organizations. I also have lots of hours (100+) of quality shadowing time, but I consider that separate.

What do you guys think?

 

[Isoprop]

Both for clinical and altruism. If I were you, I would do some volunteering as a paramedic and/or volunteer in other areas that may interest you.

 

[UpwardTrend]

If you have some time to do community service type volunteering it may help your application. I believe adcoms want to know that you are willing to serve your community in the future. Many patients benefit from physicians who participate in programs like Docs Without Borders and free clinics.
With your experience as a medic you have already been thrown up on, etc. Volunteer duties range drastically from facility to facility. Some hand out coffee and greet patients. I enjoy my position in the ER because I help triage and take vitals. I'm sure the volunteer "requirement" has to do with experiencing being the lowest person on the totem pole. It helps you relate to all levels of staff since you are the lowest. You also get many of your first experiences like seeing a person code or smelling all those wonderful smells of the hospital.
I'm pretty sure that you have already surpassed any insight that clinical volunteering brings to a premed.

 

[ScottMontgomery]

Shadowing will not be considered as volunteering, as it only helps yourself.

I personally think they want the volunteer hours to see "how bad" you really want to become a physician. Are you willing to give up time out of your life for free to obtain your goals? Not all schools require medically related volunteering, they just want you to give up some of your time for a cause without compensation.

I do it like clockwork anymore so it doesnt bother me. But others struggle to fit in school, work, homework, social life, volunteering etc.. without struggling somewhere. It helps build character and show your readiness and willingness to achieve your goals.

Again thats just my thoughts, everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

 

[willen101383]

I dont think any of this stuff has any real value outside of trying to impress adcoms...which you probably wont....just my opinion. I didnt volunteer at all and still got into med school. Granted I am a different case than most because my clinical work experience took the place of volunteering.

I think clinical work (as in your do a job and get a paycheck) is a hell of a lot more valuable than helping move a patient from point a to point b in a hospital. All the stuff I saw volunteers doing while I was working was just trivial bull$hit you would never catch me doing.

 

[ScottMontgomery]

I dont think any of this stuff has any real value outside of trying to impress adcoms...which you probably wont....just my opinion. I didnt volunteer at all and still got into med school. Granted I am a different case than most because my clinical work experience took the place of volunteering.

I think clinical work (as in your do a job and get a paycheck) is a hell of a lot more valuable than helping move a patient from point a to point b in a hospital. All the stuff I saw volunteers doing while I was working was just trivial bull$hit you would never catch me doing.

I am not trying to be an ass, so dont take this the wrong way. But when you say things like "Bull$hit you would never catch me doing." Makes it sound like you are too good to do some of the things others have to do? Maybe I am just taking it the wrong way, but in this field, arrogance will only get you so far, and sometimes will push you over the edge and no one will want to work with you, patients wont want to see you etc...

Now like I said, thats just the way that statement came off, I am not saying you are an arrogant person so please refrain from getting all pissed off if I am wrong.

Now myself, I am a volunteer, and a Technical partner, I also have ECG training. So guess what? When I am a volunteer or when I am a TP, I get to do the same job, they allow me to take vitals, do bloodwork, ECGs, and a few other things too!

Again for the last time, I am not looking to start a war, just stating what I am reading.

 

[ElliottB]

Honestly I started volunteering at Hospice solely to help my application. Turns out, it is actually quite rewarding and fun. It destroyed my preconceived notion that old people are boring and depressing. Volunteering with Denver Hospice I have realized that they are delightfully gregarious and entertaining.

 

[willen101383]

I am not trying to be an ass, so dont take this the wrong way. But when you say things like "Bull$hit you would never catch me doing." Makes it sound like you are too good to do some of the things others have to do? Maybe I am just taking it the wrong way, but in this field, arrogance will only get you so far, and sometimes will push you over the edge and no one will want to work with you, patients wont want to see you etc...

Now like I said, thats just the way that statement came off, I am not saying you are an arrogant person so please refrain from getting all pissed off if I am wrong.

Now myself, I am a volunteer, and a Technical partner, I also have ECG training. So guess what? When I am a volunteer or when I am a TP, I get to do the same job, they allow me to take vitals, do bloodwork, ECGs, and a few other things too!

Again for the last time, I am not looking to start a war, just stating what I am reading.

Nah I am not insulted at all...I just personally feel as though the stuff a lot of these volunteers are doing is a waste of time for them...as they are getting very limited exposure to the healthcare industry. If you have had a different experience, great! However the volunteers I have seen have been doing very limited things...namely scutwork. I was never a premed as an undergrad so I would have never considered doing the things the volunteers I had seen were doing. From freshmen year to senior year I was a phlebotomist in a medium sized hospital and feel my experiences doing that far surpassed anything the volunteers were doing. Since college I have been a licensed clinical lab technologist/blood banking specialist....and doing that phlebotomy got me into the great career I have enjoyed for the last 5ish years. I am a huge proponent of actually WORKING in a field rather than being a volunteer. As a volunteer you arent really part of the hospital dynamic and flow IMO. You dont deal with the bull that goes on for example..and most people get a incomplete picture of what working in the field is like.

As far as arrogance. I am very proud of my accomplishments. That is what I will say. I have worked very hard to get where I am, and have a lot of specialized experience and knowledge. I dont come off this way to others, or my coworkers however....in fact I really do go out of my way to help others. I should have phrased my post differently. Perhaps "things you would never catch me doing as I dont feel as they are valuable experiences," would have been better.

It sounds like your volunteer experience was valuable for you and that is what is important. However I dont really see the point in wasting your time doing things just for the sake of impressing ADCOMs if those experiences arent valuable. Just sayin.

 

[ScottMontgomery]

Nah I am not insulted at all...I just personally feel as though the stuff a lot of these volunteers are doing is a waste of time for them...as they are getting very limited exposure to the healthcare industry. If you have had a different experience, great! However the volunteers I have seen have been doing very limited things...namely scutwork. I was never a premed as an undergrad so I would have never considered doing the things the volunteers I had seen were doing. From freshmen year to senior year I was a phlebotomist in a medium sized hospital and feel my experiences doing that far surpassed anything the volunteers were doing. Since college I have been a licensed clinical lab technologist/blood banking specialist....and doing that phlebotomy got me into the great career I have enjoyed for the last 5ish years. I am a huge proponent of actually WORKING in a field rather than being a volunteer. As a volunteer you arent really part of the hospital dynamic and flow IMO. You dont deal with the bull that goes on for example..and most people get a incomplete picture of what working in the field is like.

As far as arrogance. I am very proud of my accomplishments. That is what I will say. I have worked very hard to get where I am, and have a lot of specialized experience and knowledge. I dont come off this way to others, or my coworkers however....in fact I really do go out of my way to help others. I should have phrased my post differently. Perhaps "things you would never catch me doing as I dont feel as they are valuable experiences," would have been better.

It sounds like your volunteer experience was valuable for you and that is what is important. However I dont really see the point in wasting your time doing things just for the sake of impressing ADCOMs if those experiences arent valuable. Just sayin.

Well my school of choice is MSUCOM, they REQUIRE 800 hours minimum of volunteer experience for admission.... Now I am sure if you had a 4 point with stellar MCAT then things could be adjusted, but for the middle of the row applicant, that volunteer experience might just put you over the edge... That is personally why I do it, or trust me I wouldnt. I would work full-time in the field doing something far more interesting and fulfilling. Just what I want to do on a Friday night is go work at the hospital for free. But hey, if it gets me closer to the school I want to go to, then I need to do what it takes.

I was in no way putting you down just so you know, and I am sure your experience will be more than adequate to get you to your goals!

 

[willen101383]

Well my school of choice is MSUCOM, they REQUIRE 800 hours minimum of volunteer experience for admission.... Now I am sure if you had a 4 point with stellar MCAT then things could be adjusted, but for the middle of the row applicant, that volunteer experience might just put you over the edge... That is personally why I do it, or trust me I wouldnt. I would work full-time in the field doing something far more interesting and fulfilling. Just what I want to do on a Friday night is go work at the hospital for free. But hey, if it gets me closer to the school I want to go to, then I need to do what it takes.

I was in no way putting you down just so you know, and I am sure your experience will be more than adequate to get you to your goals!

Thanks man likewise. I know MSU is a stickler about that sort of stuff. My main issue with some of the volunteering people do isnt that people volunteer....its that people choose to do stuff they think will make them look good to adcoms....rather than doing things that will actually expose them to the field they are planning on entering.....or doing things that are actually interesting and enlightening for them. I should have chosen my words a bit more carefully in my first post...oh well. Anyhow...I wish you the best with regards to MSU!!! I start @ PCOM in a little less than 2 weeks ahhhhhh.

 

[ScottMontgomery]

Thanks man likewise. I know MSU is a stickler about that sort of stuff. My main issue with some of the volunteering people do isnt that people volunteer....its that people choose to do stuff they think will make them look good to adcoms....rather than doing things that will actually expose them to the field they are planning on entering.....or doing things that are actually interesting and enlightening for them. I should have chosen my words a bit more carefully in my first post...oh well. Anyhow...I wish you the best with regards to MSU!!! I start @ PCOM in a little less than 2 weeks ahhhhhh.

See now for MSU, they clearly tell you, your volunteer hours can come from anything, and need not be related to the medical/healthcare field at all. Even back to high school volunteering hours. They just want to see that you have the ability to help out and not receive compensation...

Its just more hoops. But it all pays off the end right?

Thanks, and best of luck!

 

[fiznat]

Some interesting responses, thanks guys!

I really hope adcoms don't look at volunteer experience as a way to "prove I want to be a physician." I think I've already sacrificed quite a bit through post-bacc pre-reqs, MCAT, research, AACOMAS, LORs, shadowing, personal statements, application fees, etc, etc etcc...... This application process has been a real trial and honestly it irks me a little bit that someone would assume because I didn't give a few hours away that means I lack dedication.

I agree with Willen about the comparative value of professional experience over volunteer. A real job means real responsibility, real standards that must be met, and - at least for me - real growth. I think most of those things are probably pretty rare in your average pre-med volunteer experience. Not to besmirch anyone's efforts, of course. Admittedly my situation probably makes me a bit biased.

 

[AcclratngCharge]

Some interesting responses, thanks guys!

I really hope adcoms don't look at volunteer experience as a way to "prove I want to be a physician." I think I've already sacrificed quite a bit through post-bacc pre-reqs, MCAT, research, AACOMAS, LORs, shadowing, personal statements, application fees, etc, etc etcc...... This application process has been a real trial and honestly it irks me a little bit that someone would assume because I didn't give a few hours away that means I lack dedication.

I agree with Willen about the comparative value of professional experience over volunteer. A real job means real responsibility, real standards that must be met, and - at least for me - real growth. I think most of those things are probably pretty rare in your average pre-med volunteer experience. Not to besmirch anyone's efforts, of course. Admittedly my situation probably makes me a bit biased.

I think volunteer work can be great, or it can be demeaning to the person, which is hopefully not what the adcoms want. I was shadowing in a hospital just 2 weeks ago and saw some young kids (like high school or first year in college). I didn't like seeing them give up their summer and all they did was carry sheets and rags around while nurses and doctors tried to walk around them. I don't see how in the world that experience makes them more qualified for anything, let alone med school. They probably had a lot of that low quality experience and an application loaded with hours.

 

[jm192]

The real value is it helps you get into medical school.

You want clinically related experiences so they know you've been exposed to that, and still have interest.

You want volunteering so when you say "I want to help people." They don't turn around and tell you your application doesn't back that up. It also eats up time--and your 3.73 might just sneak past a 3.80 with nothing but classes taking up its time.