Volunteer programs in NYC

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Hi all,
I'm a new post-bacc premed student at Columbia, and I'm looking to start in one of the volunteer programs in New York City. In particular, I'm interested in the volunteer programs at St.Luke's and St.Vincent's. I've been given the basic information regarding both programs, but it would be nice to learn more about them from the perspective of people who have been (or are currently) in the programs.

I'm leaning more towards St.Vincent's, as they rotate volunteers through 12 different departments over the 2-year commitment. What I've heard so far is that the program there (St.Vincent's) is very strict/organized and rigorous, requiring students to carefully manage their time so as to avoid scheduling conflicts. (Very few sick days permitted, and pretty stringent policies regarding holidays/leave-of-abscences.)
The St.Luke's program is less rigid, but i've also heard it is a bit disorganized.. Other than that, I have'nt heard much about it.
if anyone has any advice or comments about these (or other) hospital volunteer programs, I'd be very interested in hearing them.

cheers,
gary

 

[Lefty McFish]

Hey Gary,

I did my post-bacc at Columbia, and though I didn't volunteer at either of the Saints, I did look into both. My impression of St. Luke's, much like yours, was that it was pretty disorganized. The breadth of exposure at St. Vincent's was very appealing, and it seemed like a well-structured program, however there seemed to be very little flexibility in the scheduling. I ultimately chose to volunteer in the ER at Bellevue for a number of different reasons:

1. It's a high-traffic ER with a broad spectrum of patients and illnesses.
2. Largest trauma slot on the east coast (maybe the northeast, I forget...)
2. Internationally recognized name. Your interviewers will ALL know Bellevue, but not necessarily St. Vincent's or St. Luke's.
3. It was only a six month commitment, which allowed me to take a chunk of time off to study for the MCATs.

I don't know if you've done any bench research before, but they will push you pretty hard at Columbia to do so. Most people do clinical volunteer work in their first year and work in a wet lab during their second year. If you take on the commitment at St. Vincent's, you could end up in the hospital, in the lab, taking several classes, and preparing for the MCATs all at once. This is pretty overwhelming and I would think twice about it.

Best of luck to you, whatever you decide. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about Columbia or whatever.

Cheers,
Alex

 

[stoleyerscrubz]

what was your schedule like in the ER and how many hours/week did they ask of you?

3. It was only a six month commitment, which allowed me to take a chunk of time off to study for the MCATs.

 

[Lefty McFish]

what was your schedule like in the ER and how many hours/week did they ask of you?

They required 4 hours/week. At first I came in on Thursday mornings, and after a while I switched to Saturday AM, a busier time. I think they've changed things up a bit since then, however. After I left they added a research component to the commitment as well, which involves enrolling patients from the ER waiting room into clinical studies. Also they added the option of spending eight hours every other week instead of four hours every week. And they might have included a requirement to stay one overnight shift during the course of the 6 month commitment, which I think is worth doing even if it isn't a requirement, as the ER is a different universe after midnight.

If you decide to look into it, ask for Ilse Mohammed. She's a total sweetheart.

 

[stoleyerscrubz]

Lefty McFish,

thanks a ton. I'm going to head there before the week is up!

 

[mikejs]

I headed over to Bellevue today but it was a long walk from the subway and the neighborhood didn't seem that safe since I passed a couple of homeless people and a guy looking through trash bags.

I haven't been to any of the other hospitals in Manhattan yet but I?m considering New York Presbyterian or North Shore University as alternatives which are probably safer. If you think Bellevue is safe enough and worth the long walk, I would definitely volunteer there instead.

Thanks for any advise.

 

[Lefty McFish]

I headed over to Bellevue today but it was a long walk from the subway and the neighborhood didn't seem that safe since I passed a couple of homeless people and a guy looking through trash bags.

I haven't been to any of the other hospitals in Manhattan yet but I?m considering New York Presbyterian or North Shore University as alternatives which are probably safer. If you think Bellevue is safe enough and worth the long walk, I would definitely volunteer there instead.

Thanks for any advise.

The area around Bellevue is definitely a bit run down, and the neighborhood--much like the hospital--attracts large numbers of homeless people. But, although there is a high incidence of mental illness amongst the homeless, they are generally harmless and I never really felt unsafe in and around the hospital. However, Belleve does serve some member of the inmate population at the Tombs and Riker's Island, the two largest jails in New York. These patients are always under heavy guard, however, so I always felt pretty well-protected.

Anyway, best of luck with your volunteering, wherever you go. But I wouldn't make personal safety a big issue in considering Bellevue.

 

[learss]

I headed over to Bellevue today but it was a long walk from the subway and the neighborhood didn't seem that safe since I passed a couple of homeless people and a guy looking through trash bags.

I haven't been to any of the other hospitals in Manhattan yet but I?m considering New York Presbyterian or North Shore University as alternatives which are probably safer. If you think Bellevue is safe enough and worth the long walk, I would definitely volunteer there instead.

Thanks for any advise.

I used to visit the hospital at night to see a relative who worked there and I never felt unsafe. A couple of homeless people and a guy looking through trash bags sounds like a typical NYC neighborhood. However, I did volunteer at NY Presbyterian Hospital. They have an excellent volunteer program. Pretty extensive and you can work in many areas of the hospital. NYC Presbyterian is on the Upper East Side and is pretty far from the subway. I usually caught a crosstown bus to get to the hospital.

 

[pem8erly]

Hi,

I worked at the Bellevue Project Healthcare last summer and it was a great experience. Lots of opportunity to work with patients and really help out the ER staff. The only part of the walk from the hospital to the subway that I felt intimated with at night is the section next to the park. Other than that, as a 5'4" girl I had no problems getting to and from the hospital even when the shift ends late at night.