Volunteer Hours/Years

[hopeful Future Doctor]

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Right now I'm on a faster track to graduate instead of the normal four years for a Bachelors degree. I just started doing some volunteer hours now because I only very recently decided to cement the idea of becoming a doctor. I'm worried that not having years of volunteering might not look good. At this rate I have a solid two years of volunteer. Is that enough? Not in terms of hours, I know I will have over 150 of medical and non medical hours, but will two years look inconsistent?

 

[LindaAccepted]

Two years of steady volunteering will not necessarily "look inconsistent." IT depends a lot n what you say about your path to medicine as well as the insights you derive from those volunteering experiences as well as non-clinical experiences. IOW it's not just about the hours or the years.

I'd encourage you to journal about your clinical and non-clinical volunteer experiences as well as about significant influential activities whether paid or unpaid. When you journal, write about the circumstances, your actions, or the actions of someone you observed (however most entries should be about your experiences), what you learned, how you felt, and the results. Those entries will really help you when you need to complete your applications.

 

[LizzyM]

what is the breakdown of hours between clinical and non-clinical? What populations are the recipients of your non-clinical volunteering?

Given that you are graduating early (saving money, yay!), would you consider a gap year during which you do additional volunteer work (could be in addition to paid employment or through a full-time humanitarian service group)?

 

[hopeful Future Doctor]

what is the breakdown of hours between clinical and non-clinical? What populations are the recipients of your non-clinical volunteering?

Given that you are graduating early (saving money, yay!), would you consider a gap year during which you do additional volunteer work (could be in addition to paid employment or through a full-time humanitarian service group)?

I considered that, however I'm already 24 and it feels like I'm a bit too old to be this far behind compared to other premed students

 

[LindaAccepted]

I considered that, however I'm already 24 and it feels like I'm a bit too old to be this far behind compared to other premed students

You have your own schedule and you're not "behind" anyone. Med school admissions isn't' a race to the finish line. @LizzyM gave you an excellent option with the gap year suggestion.

 

[AJS59]

You have your own schedule and you're not "behind" anyone. Med school admissions isn't' a race to the finish line. @LizzyM gave you an excellent option with the gap year suggestion.

To second what Linda said: am currently an M1 and there are multiple students here in their late 20s, and a handful in their early-mid 30s too. I'd say our average matriculant is around 25 rn. You are definitely not "behind"

 

[LizzyM]

If you are on track to graduate in less than 4 years and are 24 years old, you must have been doing something between HS graduation and college... any volunteerism during that time or other activities in service to others could count (Military service, for example).