Volunteer Hours

Started by ColoradoCSU
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ColoradoCSU

ColoradoCSU

Full Member
10+ Year Member
What is a general rule for the number of medically related volunteer hours needed for DO schools? Does shadowing count, or do I need to get a position at a hospital that can be tracable by the application commitees? Will nursing and rehabilitation patient contact count?
 
Seems to me that shooting for specific #s of hrs is a bad idea as it defeats the purpose of these experiences... Having said that, I've heard 100 hrs shadowing is good (w/ a variety of docs) and shadowing does not count as clinical or volunteer experience. When I apply, I will have around 3,000 hrs clinical (paid) and several hundred hrs volunteer clinical. At some point, though, number of hrs becomes quite trivial, hence I say don't worry about meeting some hr goal -- go for what you learn. It's premeds that care more about meeting imaginary goals than caring for that patients that frankly p*** every other medical and academic professional off and give premeds a bad name! ...Now if you can actually care a lot about both....
 
Well, yes it is an arbitrary goal. However, I recently met with the woman running admissions for CU who told me that they had a specefic number that was indeed required and part of the formula they used to screen students.

What qualifies as a 'volunteer hour'?
 
Med schools are looking for "well-rounded" students. Forget the number of hours and just volunteer for all sorts of things. Do Habitat for Humanity or some other community service type thing and then find something else to do. Medical experience isn't really necessary for most schools. There are some, DMU comes to mind, who require a letter from someone who can vouch for how well you work with patients.... but most schools want to see you being involved with the community. That's all.

Keep in mind that there is no requirement for shadowing. Some schools do require a DO letter, but you need never shadow them to get it. All you need to do is meet with them and express your desire to be an osteopathic student. You might just get a letter that way.

You see, it's not a big numbers game. What you are trying to do is convince the med school that you are willing to give a part of yourself back to the community. Sure, thousands of volunteer or paid medical hours will never look bad... but it is far from necessary.

The way to get in is to do some research and find out which schools you might like to attend. Then, apply to as many of them as you can afford to. Make your goal to get interviews. No school interviews people that they aren't perfectly willing to accept. Once you have the interview, then you do what you can to sell yourself to them. Believe it or not, that's what they are trying to do as well. They want to sell themselves to you.
 
There really isn't a magic number. Be able to explain what you learned from your experiences and how it was meaningful to you.
 
scpod said:
Keep in mind that there is no requirement for shadowing. Some schools do require a DO letter, but you need never shadow them to get it. All you need to do is meet with them and express your desire to be an osteopathic student. You might just get a letter that way.

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I understand what scpod is saying, just I feel weird to just make an appointment with a D.O. and expect him/her to give a L.O.R. after the meeting, I would want to work up a relationship (via shadowing) and then ask. I was wondering if anyone knows what would be adequate amount of shadowing hours would be need to get excellent L.O.R. from a D.O.?
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BenUstudent said:
scpod said:
Keep in mind that there is no requirement for shadowing. Some schools do require a DO letter, but you need never shadow them to get it. All you need to do is meet with them and express your desire to be an osteopathic student. You might just get a letter that way.

QUOTE]


I understand what scpod is saying, just I feel weird to just make an appointment with a D.O. and expect him/her to give a L.O.R. after the meeting, I would want to work up a relationship (via shadowing) and then ask. I was wondering if anyone knows what would be adequate amount of shadowing hours would be need to get excellent L.O.R. from a D.O.?
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Don't feel weird. FYI when I first started talking to a DO he told me to just write up a PS and he'd write me up a LOR. I asked to shadow him and he said sure, and then I got the LOR. They don't care for the most part, either or but I suggest you shadow a little bit so you at least have something to talk about if its brought up at an interview.
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ColoradoCSU said:
What is a general rule for the number of medically related volunteer hours needed for DO schools? Does shadowing count, or do I need to get a position at a hospital that can be tracable by the application commitees? Will nursing and rehabilitation patient contact count?
Click to expand...

MSUCOM says 800 hours of total volunteer experience is ideal. Of course, not all of that has to be in a clinical setting.
 
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