Volunteering in Orange County

[bonghead]

I go to UCI and I was interested to see if anyone knows of any good volunteer programs (besides the clinical care extenders progam). I would prefer to do something with moderate clinical exposure, but anything else that is worthwhile would also interest me.

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[XRanger]

why not CCE?

There's CHOC(children hospital), about 20 min from UCI, which I heard is really good. There's also St. Joseph next to CHOC, and western med.

I'm actually applying to both CHOC and CCE right now, and see which one is better/fit my schedule better...or I might just do both.

 

[AtreyuRocks]

SOS/Share Our Selves

http://www.shareourselves.org/

 

[Medinsane]

There's the UCI Medical Center's Childlife program. I did that for two years and it was great exposure to pediatrics. There's inpatient and outpatient. I worked for inpatient and loved it!

 

[Cali Anteater]

How about a clinical research position at UCIMC or UCICOM - you get research and clinical exposure - that's how i got my research experience and part of my clinical experience

 

[kelvin81]

You can either volunteer at Hoag or Western. I did it at Western for a short time and they have a great program there. Minta Jack is a very nice lady there and she is the director of the volunteer program. I don't know if she's still working there though. It's been a while. Anyways, go EATERS ZOT ZOT ZOT hehehe

 

[trying]

Share Our Selves is the best opportunity close to UCI. everyone i know who did hoag cce or whatever, hated it. the med center is huge and you won't be able to do as much. sos will teach you a lot more about medicine in society, cultral competency in medicine and how there are people other than doctors who do good things for people.

 

[dantt]

From what I understand, CCE has the best real "hands on, clinical" experience available short of being an EMT or nurse or wahtever. Do what's right for you. It is not right for many people and they try to stick it out and end up hating it.

But you know what? Medicine is not right for everyone and this may be one of those early stages to find out. My PI was in medical school then found out he didn't like working with sick people and never did a residency.

 

[Nevadanteater]

everyone's already said what i want to say, so lemme just toss in a zot zot zot.

 

[XRanger]

BTW has anyone done CHOC?

 

[Richard Kimble]

I was a CCE. It used to be good before alot of HIPAA crackdowns. They've closed the OR and you are really held back in GI and James Irvine Outpatient now. You used to be able to sit in on surgical procedures at your will, now you're lucky to see one once a month. ER is good though. It's not the program it was 2 years ago, so I don't blame you for looking elsewhere.

 

[bonghead]

thanks for all the help. I was looking into SOS recently and I think this thread has convinced me. The pediatrics one also sounds pretty nice.

 

[viciouz]

I was a CCE. It used to be good before alot of HIPAA crackdowns. They've closed the OR and you are really held back in GI and James Irvine Outpatient now. You used to be able to sit in on surgical procedures at your will, now you're lucky to see one once a month. ER is good though. It's not the program it was 2 years ago, so I don't blame you for looking elsewhere.

Agreed... I am a recent graduate and when I first started... there was a lot to look forward too... but then they had all these stupid laws come into place.

O well... I still think CCE program is the best place to get hands on experience.

Hell my personal statement is going to start out with me working in Oncology and having to bag a dead body on my very first day of work.

 

[WantsThisBad]

Run around putting out fires

 

[Richard Kimble]

Agreed... I am a recent graduate and when I first started... there was a lot to look forward too... but then they had all these stupid laws come into place.

O well... I still think CCE program is the best place to get hands on experience.

Hell my personal statement is going to start out with me working in Oncology and having to bag a dead body on my very first day of work.

It's still is a decent program and very necessary for deceiding if you want to go into medicine, but it used to be a GREAT program. If I had to do it all over again I would find a physician to latch onto and shadow weekly. I shadowed a doc for 2 days at LA County Hospital and saw more than my entire existence as a CCE. USC has a program to volunteer at LA County, but that's a drive. You do get enough patient contact (living prefered) as a CCE to reflect upon in your PS, secondary, etc.

 

[gtbROX]

I was a CCE. It used to be good before alot of HIPAA crackdowns. They've closed the OR and you are really held back in GI and James Irvine Outpatient now. You used to be able to sit in on surgical procedures at your will, now you're lucky to see one once a month. ER is good though. It's not the program it was 2 years ago, so I don't blame you for looking elsewhere.

Yeah, I'm currently studying for my CCE Hoag entrance exam, and a giant portion of the material is on HIPAA and how to respect privacy of patients and stuff. I'm really jealous of all the people that got to watch surgical procedures and shadow doctors through this program in the past frequently, but I'm still doing this program because I hear it's really good on preparing you for dealing with patients and working with other people in the healthcare field. That's why I'm focusing on this program.

 

[ILikeDrugs]

Yeah, I'm currently studying for my CCE Hoag entrance exam, and a giant portion of the material is on HIPAA and how to respect privacy of patients and stuff. I'm really jealous of all the people that got to watch surgical procedures and shadow doctors through this program in the past frequently, but I'm still doing this program because I hear it's really good on preparing you for dealing with patients and working with other people in the healthcare field. That's why I'm focusing on this program.

Why you bump old thread?

 

[gettheleadout]

Why you bump old thread?

Because people don't look at thread dates, apparently.

gtbROX, it's very unlikely that Kimble will respond to you.