Volunteering is overrated

[Voldemort]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I think about this issue a lot and would like to hear opinions. I last engaged in a long-term volunteering experience over a summer in high school at a hospital, and it was a waste of time in which I performed countless menial tasks with no relation to doctorhood nor my future. I have resolved not to perform meaningless volunteer work in college for the sole purpose of placing it on applications and fabricating discussions about it in interviews. I think that if there is meaningful work to be done, money is involved. The premise that volunteering should stem from true passion is a charade in the premed world. Helping out for free at a rock show or sporting event is one thing, and wheelchairing around decrepit patients all day is another. Why does it seem to receive so much attention in admissions?

I request that any responders avoid didacticism. I typically get too much of that when I express these viewpoints, and I am hoping to find reasoned arguments here at SDN. I should point out that I am not an evil person and, God-willing, will do great things for medicine one day. I just do not support the big push for volunteering.

 

[uclakid]

I think about this issue a lot and would like to hear opinions. I last engaged in a long-term volunteering experience over a summer in high school at a hospital, and it was a waste of time in which I performed countless menial tasks with no relation to doctorhood nor my future. I have resolved not to perform meaningless volunteer work in college for the sole purpose of placing it on applications and fabricating discussions about it in interviews. I think that if there is meaningful work to be done, money is involved. The premise that volunteering should stem from true passion is a charade in the premed world. Helping out for free at a rock show or sporting event is one thing, and wheelchairing around decrepit patients all day is another. Why does it seem to receive so much attention in admissions?

I request that any responders avoid didacticism. I typically get too much of that when I express these viewpoints, and I am hoping to find reasoned arguments here at SDN. I should point out that I am not an evil person and, God-willing, will do great things for medicine one day. I just do not support the big push for volunteering.

volunteering in a hospital setting is encouraged by medical schools so that they are sure you know that you will be spending your entire life in a hospital. and you will have to deal with decrepit patients for the rest of your life. so, they want you to get used to the idea.

 

[flyingillini]

I think about this issue a lot and would like to hear opinions. I last engaged in a long-term volunteering experience over a summer in high school at a hospital, and it was a waste of time in which I performed countless menial tasks with no relation to doctorhood nor my future. I have resolved not to perform meaningless volunteer work in college for the sole purpose of placing it on applications and fabricating discussions about it in interviews. I think that if there is meaningful work to be done, money is involved. The premise that volunteering should stem from true passion is a charade in the premed world. Helping out for free at a rock show or sporting event is one thing, and wheelchairing around decrepit patients all day is another. Why does it seem to receive so much attention in admissions?

I request that any responders avoid didacticism. I typically get too much of that when I express these viewpoints, and I am hoping to find reasoned arguments here at SDN. I should point out that I am not an evil person and, God-willing, will do great things for medicine one day. I just do not support the big push for volunteering.

I would not go so far to say that it is "overrated" per se. I had a similar experience in the ER where half the of time I sat around and twidled my thumbs. It was such a waste of my time that I Just walked out one day, and no one even noticed. That was a really really bad experience volunteering. Most of my other experiences were doing things that were truly beneficial to the community, such as evens dealing with domestic violence awareness, homelessness, etc. Those are really the volunteering experiences that have changed you and that you can speak highly of when you are interviewed. Other than that I think med schools want to see that you have an idea of how medicine is with real experience, and volunteering gives you that. Also, not everyone gets crappy luck with volunteering; some students have had great experiences where others have had bad ones like us.

 

[Fermata]

Grades/MCAT are more important.

 

[MSHell]

I have resolved not to perform meaningless volunteer work in college...

You will in med school.

I am hoping to find reasoned arguments here at SDN...

 

[vikaskoth]

i think the basic idea is that you should be willing to do work and help people without always requiring a monetary reward because as a physician this will be the case in some instances and also doctors whos primary interest is money may not make the right decision for the patient. nothin too complex.

 

[flash]

I hear what you are saying and generally agree with you. The "you know what you're getting into" reason only applies to first 50 hours of time (in ER) imo.


I personally did some to be able to say I did some. But I much preferred being a crisis counselor on this 24/7 hotline. At least I was actively thinking, dealing with people in stressful situations.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

I think about this issue a lot and would like to hear opinions. I last engaged in a long-term volunteering experience over a summer in high school at a hospital, and it was a waste of time in which I performed countless menial tasks with no relation to doctorhood nor my future. I have resolved not to perform meaningless volunteer work in college for the sole purpose of placing it on applications and fabricating discussions about it in interviews. I think that if there is meaningful work to be done, money is involved. The premise that volunteering should stem from true passion is a charade in the premed world. Helping out for free at a rock show or sporting event is one thing, and wheelchairing around decrepit patients all day is another. Why does it seem to receive so much attention in admissions?

I request that any responders avoid didacticism. I typically get too much of that when I express these viewpoints, and I am hoping to find reasoned arguments here at SDN. I should point out that I am not an evil person and, God-willing, will do great things for medicine one day. I just do not support the big push for volunteering.

For the most part i disagree...well if you do meaninless volunteer work for the purpose of putting it on an application, then I agree, it is meaningless. However I chose my volunteer activities based on my desires and passions, NOT because it would look good on a resume and application. I was rewarded 100 fold seeing the joy my services gave to others. I also did volunteer work to see if I enjoyed medicine and in what capacities I'd want to be involved in...again it was meaningful because it confirmed what was perhaps a fleeting thought and made me realize this was truly my passion. So, you need to carefully chose what services you want to take part in, and you will get far more out of it if you really put into it because you want to, not because you feel you have to.

 

[Lindyhopper]

wheelchairing around decrepit patients

😱 key word "decrepit". Consider an MBA & Wall Street. Creep.

 

[Voldemort]

volunteering in a hospital setting is encouraged by medical schools so that they are sure you know that you will be spending your entire life in a hospital. and you will have to deal with decrepit patients for the rest of your life. so, they want you to get used to the idea.

A doctor need not necessarily work in a hospital for his entire life, if any of it; this is a very traditional way of looking at medicine. Even if this was so, doctor shadowing would get you much more used to the idea than volunteering at the gift shop or what have you. The you know what you are getting into bit varies pretty highly depending on specialty too.

GPA and MCAT are more important, but I worry about getting hassled, or worse rejected, on the basis of my lack of volunteering, even with high GPA and MCAT. Doctors are not social workers, and their careers are a far cry from volunteering, as I think any physician's income would attest (gasp, I'm mentioning money too much, time to get scolded by all the idealistic premeds!) Look, money is a measure of your contribution to society. Any naysayers?

You will perform meaningless volunteer work in med school--what is the meaning of this?

vikaskoth--get real dude. Ever heard of patients getting turned out due to lack of proper insurance? Right...so a doctor who makes poor decisions and gets poor outcomes is supposed to earn a lot regardless, probably while garnering praise and prestige too eh. Nothing complex, I see.

Crisis counselor, well that sounds pretty neat and stimulating. Although I still have to wonder about the true value of any free service, to be honest.

 

[Voldemort]

😱 key word "decrepit". Consider an MBA & Wall Street. Creep.

Get your head out of the clouds buddy. Most patients in this state are as good as dead anyway in all honesty, and doctors only prolong the inevitable outcome. Is that so glorious, now? Good call in a way--I would like to get an MD/MBA and work in industry at a company, as their director of medical affairs. There I can make 100 times the difference as Dr. Joe Schmo working a family practice and prescribing penicillin day after day. Good luck--I hope you open your eyes one day and face the realities of medicine and life.

 

[no-see-um]

😱 key word "decrepit". Consider an MBA & Wall Street. Creep.

I agree. Maybe if the OP wasn't so judgemental, perhaps he would learn something. When I volunteered and wheeled patients around, I had conversations with them and learned more about their conditions, what medicines they need to take, how their conditions affect them and their families, than any doctor could have told me or could have cared to have told me during my volunteer time at the hospital.

I think the OP's outlook is decrepit... Decrepit for the future of medicine.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Crisis counselor, well that sounds pretty neat and stimulating. Although I still have to wonder about the true value of any free service, to be honest.

i have volunteered in a crisis center and crisis hotline for three and a half years now. It's value is in talking an extremely distraught person out of suicide and urging them to get real counseling. It's talking them through anxiety and helping them see reality when they are so overcome with anxiety, depression or other emotions that are interfering with tjheir ability to function; it's helping someone cope with some devastating news when they have no where else to turn. It's not meaninless. Not only do i believe i have helped others, I know it has helped me thru some rough times and taught me a lot, including how to be more empathetic, compassionate, how to see the other side of people thru unspoken words,; i have learned to be a better listener and i have even learned things about myself thru this service.

 

[tinkerbelle]

Volunteering as a counselor was always my favorite activity ( and we were trained for 4 months b/f we could actually talk to real students.... so we knew what we were doing). It makes you feel really good when random people start taking about some silly little event and then stay for three hours talking to you about having cancer.

The only hospital volunteering I found to be interesting was when I talked to patients as a counselor... it's amazing how many patients or families of patients open up when they find someone willing to listen 🙂

 

[RaistlinMajere]

Is volunteering overrated? It depends. If you mean in terms of helping your chances for med school more than GPA and MCAT and LORs, then yes. However, volunteering helped me in my decision to be a doc. Hence, for me it was not overrated.

Is money is a measure of your contribution to society? Yes, it is a measure, but not the only measure. If you base your life on money, you are setting yourself up for a hollow, unhappy existance. While some doctors with poor outcomes continue to make money, some are let go because they become a liability to the hospital.

 

[RaistlinMajere]

😱 key word "decrepit". Consider an MBA & Wall Street. Creep.

Hey, not all Wall Streeters are compassionless freaks. Don't send this guy to my former colleagues!

 

[45408]

A lot of you guys are responding over the top. You know what he meant, but you're trying to take an imaginary high road.

 

[RaistlinMajere]

A lot of you guys are responding over the top. You know what he meant, but you're trying to take an imaginary high road.

Actually, I don't know what he means. His post was pretty inflammatory--my guess is that he probably wanted to get these types of responses. You know, to kick up some dust.

 

[QofQuimica]

I think about this issue a lot and would like to hear opinions. I last engaged in a long-term volunteering experience over a summer in high school at a hospital, and it was a waste of time in which I performed countless menial tasks with no relation to doctorhood nor my future. I have resolved not to perform meaningless volunteer work in college for the sole purpose of placing it on applications and fabricating discussions about it in interviews. I think that if there is meaningful work to be done, money is involved. The premise that volunteering should stem from true passion is a charade in the premed world. Helping out for free at a rock show or sporting event is one thing, and wheelchairing around decrepit patients all day is another. Why does it seem to receive so much attention in admissions?

I request that any responders avoid didacticism. I typically get too much of that when I express these viewpoints, and I am hoping to find reasoned arguments here at SDN. I should point out that I am not an evil person and, God-willing, will do great things for medicine one day. I just do not support the big push for volunteering.

I think that the real issue you need to consider here is what the purpose of volunteering actually is. Volunteering is, by its very nature, intended to help someone else, with no expectation of tangible benefit to yourself. Yet, you seem to be approaching it wanting to know what is in it for you. So it isn't too surprising that you found your volunteering experiences to be "meaningless" and "a waste of time".

There are at least two very good reasons to volunteer:

1. Ethical considerations: As pre-meds, med students, and doctors, we are, by and large, extremely fortunate people. We are college-educated, and most of us come from middle class or higher socioeconomic backgrounds. We have access to a variety of opportunities and resources that people of different backgrounds or from other nations cannot even fathom. While we may admire rugged individualism as an ideal in this country, the truth of the matter is that none of us made it to where we are today on our own. We have all benefited from the help and support of parents, teachers, scholarship donors, and others who have smoothed our path, advised us, or given us a chance when we most needed it. Thus, we have some ethical obligation to return this help to others when we are finally in a position to do so.

2. Big picture considerations: What kind of society do you envision living in? You can even call this rational selfishness if you like, but we all benefit from living in a society where people work and pay taxes instead of draining our shared resources; where people are educated and open-minded rather than ignorant and bigoted; where people recognize the tenuousness of life and help complete strangers in need rather than leaving them to fend for themselves. Jesus called this idea "the Golden Rule"; Eastern religions talk about karma, but the idea is the same: the good we do comes back to us, manifold, and so does the evil.

I am amused that you claim that you are not an "evil" person, and yet your ID is Voldemort, who represents the epitome of evil in the _Harry Potter_ series. Actually, I do agree with you: you aren't an evil person. Yet, your indifference to human suffering permits evil to flourish. A society full of members who all have indifference to the suffering of others will only lead to evil, because those others will be equally indifferent to your own suffering. There are no guarantees in life, and sometimes people suffer horribly through no fault of their own. We cannot choose to simply walk away from the human condition. You seem to be an intelligent and pensive person; I hope you will reconsider your position and come to also value being a caring and committed person.

 

[flash]

Def: Weakened, worn out, impaired, or broken down by old age, illness, or hard use.

what's wrong with using that word?

OMG on the last post. Agree...over the top - you guys are inflammed by everything. chill pill. ethical considerations? walk away from the human condition? wha? 🙂

 

[Handyman2Doc]

Look, money is a measure of your contribution to society. Any naysayers?

This is one of the most ignorant things I have ever seen posted! The size of one's bank account has nothing to do with their "contribution" to society. Do vast riches qualify people like Larry Flynt, John Gotti, or Mike Tyson for sainthood? What about people like Ghandi and Mother Terresa who dedicated their entire lives to helping others. Does the fact that they lived in poverty while doing this totally negate their "contributions" to society?

Volunteering is NOT about what it does for you. It is about what you can do to help others. In my opinion, volunteering at a crisis center or a soup kitchen carries much more weight than ER volunteering does because it shows that you are truely interested in giving of yourself and expecting nothing in return. Organizations like Big Brothers/Sisters and Habitat For Humanity are a great way for college students to do this and they are looked upon just as favorably, if not more so, by the adcoms.

 

[sacrament]

haha... I just knew, as soon as I saw the title of the thread, that there would be a handful of indignant, indignant, INDIGNANT pre-meds telling this guy he was a soulless monster. You never let me down, pre-allo.

(Volunteering sucks.)

 

[sacrament]

His post was pretty inflammatory

YOU ARE INSANE.

 

[Acherona]

A doctor need not necessarily work in a hospital for his entire life, if any of it; this is a very traditional way of looking at medicine. Even if this was so, doctor shadowing would get you much more used to the idea than volunteering at the gift shop or what have you. The you know what you are getting into bit varies pretty highly depending on specialty too.

GPA and MCAT are more important, but I worry about getting hassled, or worse rejected, on the basis of my lack of volunteering, even with high GPA and MCAT. Doctors are not social workers, and their careers are a far cry from volunteering, as I think any physician's income would attest (gasp, I'm mentioning money too much, time to get scolded by all the idealistic premeds!) Look, money is a measure of your contribution to society. Any naysayers?

You will perform meaningless volunteer work in med school--what is the meaning of this?

vikaskoth--get real dude. Ever heard of patients getting turned out due to lack of proper insurance? Right...so a doctor who makes poor decisions and gets poor outcomes is supposed to earn a lot regardless, probably while garnering praise and prestige too eh. Nothing complex, I see.

Crisis counselor, well that sounds pretty neat and stimulating. Although I still have to wonder about the true value of any free service, to be honest.

I agree with uclakid, it's not necessarily the volunteering that is important but showing that you know what it is like to be around sick people, and showing that you have a good understanding of what it means to be in the medical profession. Shadowing a doctor I think would probably work just as well as volunteering for this. I don't have any volunteering either because, like you, I thought it was a waste of time and knew I had enough exposure to medicine in other ways to be sure it was what I wanted to do, but I still get asked at interviews what kind of clinical exposure I've had. One interviewer told me I should go work in an emergency room to get more experience. And it's tough to field those questions but it can be done if you point out that you have gotten the clincial exposure in less traditional ways. And honestly I'm happy I didn't waste my undergraduate weekends/summers pushing wheelchairs when I'm both not learning anything and not providing an essential community service -- I mean it's outrageous that you have to *apply* to volunteer at some hospitals because there are 100 whiny premeds for every position. And I tend to agree with voldemort that our society works in such a way that people normally get compensated for providing services. There are some situations where organizations are completely dependent on volunteers for proper functioning, but hospitals are not one of these. I would much prefer to see hospitals pay some underprivileged high school kid 7 bucks an hour to do the work of a volunteer, that would be a true benefit to society.

 

[Dr Turninkoff]

To the OP: When you start interviewing, many of your interviewers will ask, "What has your volunteer work consisted of?", even if they have your application in front of you. I agree that there are many terrible hospital volunteer jobs where you won't do anything related to medicine. However, you have to be pro-active and get a job where you have patient contact, because that is what the interviewers are looking for and is why they ask that question. They know that it's pointless to sit in a hospital office and make file copies, so make sure you do something else. Also, even if you don't go into a field that requires you to spend the majority of time in a hospital, your medical training will require that you spend a great deal of time in the hospital prior to going into your chosen specialty, so they have to know that you are comfortable in that setting. One last thing; the application process is rough, if you don't jump through all the hoops, the next guy/gal will. Good luck and stay positive.

 

[beep]

Def: Weakened, worn out, impaired, or broken down by old age, illness, or hard use.

what's wrong with using that word?

It also has connotations of useless, uninteresting, not valuable, etc... Connotations of words can be as important as what the dictionary says. After all, doesn't "******" just mean "black person"? I'm not suggesting that "decrepit" is nearly such an extreme or offensive word, but I do think choosing it reflects a certain lack of respect and affection for the patients so labeled.

 

[2tall]

I think about this issue a lot and would like to hear opinions. I last engaged in a long-term volunteering experience over a summer in high school at a hospital, and it was a waste of time in which I performed countless menial tasks with no relation to doctorhood nor my future. I have resolved not to perform meaningless volunteer work in college for the sole purpose of placing it on applications and fabricating discussions about it in interviews. I think that if there is meaningful work to be done, money is involved. The premise that volunteering should stem from true passion is a charade in the premed world. Helping out for free at a rock show or sporting event is one thing, and wheelchairing around decrepit patients all day is another. Why does it seem to receive so much attention in admissions?

You really believe that "one summer in hospital" is long-term. I'll let that go.

Here's my take...

Volunteers want to feel like they're contributing. I work in a hospital. I work with volunteers. You say your volunteer experience wasn't "meaningful." Did you ever attempt to engage any of those decrepit in "meaningful" conversations? Or had their dementia muddled their feeble minds? Did you ask them how it feels to be old...aging...ill...alone? These questions/interactions would have been relevant to your chosen field (if medicine is in fact it). How are you going to find out what's best for your patients, if you don't listen to them?

Two sides to a story. Some hospital departments or hospitals, in general, don't know how to adequately utilize a volunteer. The staff doesn't know what you are trained to do. The staff's primary function is patient-related not volunteer-related. Also, consistency is key. The more you show up and at least appear excited to be there increases the likelihood that the staff will find more for you to do. A hospital is staffed. They have docs, PAs, nurses, assts, and tech support. Volunteers shouldn't be there to perform those functions. You weren't trained to do that. So where do volunteers fit in? Depends on the volunteer program at your hospital. So please don't fool youself with these high expectations. You won't be passing scalpels or placing lines. You probably won't even take a bp. Also, volunteering is not shadowing! What do volunteers expect to do?

 

[Lindyhopper]

you guys are inflammed by everything.

You're right but otherwise I would have to actually focus on my finals. 😱

 

[RaistlinMajere]

YOU ARE INSANE.

Hmmm, I guess my comment upset you. 😉

 

[RaistlinMajere]

Volunteers want to feel like they're contributing. I work in a hospital. I work with volunteers. You say your volunteer experience wasn't "meaningful." Did you ever attempt to engage any of those decrepit in "meaningful" conversations? Or had their dementia muddled their feeble minds? Did you ask them how it feels to be old...aging...ill...alone? These questions/interactions would have been relevant to your chosen field (if medicine is in fact it). How are you going to find out what's best for your patients, if you don't listen to them?

Two sides to a story. Some hospital departments or hospitals, in general, don't know how to adequately utilize a volunteer. The staff doesn't know what you are trained to do. The staff's primary function is patient-related not volunteer-related. Also, consistency is key. The more you show up and at least appear excited to be there increases the likelihood that the staff will find more for you to do. A hospital is staffed. They have docs, PAs, nurses, assts, and tech support. Volunteers shouldn't be there to perform those functions. You weren't trained to do that. So where do volunteers fit in? Depends on the volunteer program at your hospital. So please don't fool youself with these high expectations. You won't be passing scalpels or placing lines. You probably won't even take a bp. Also, volunteering is not shadowing! What do volunteers expect to do?

Well put!

 

[2tall]

All hospital volunteer programs are not equal. I think adcoms look at medically/clinically related experiences. There are opportunities out there besides hospitals that will provide you with this.

 

[Quynh2007]

.

 

[lightnk102]

i have to say that i agree with the OP to some degree.

at my undergraduate's local hospital, not only did we have to apply to volunteer, but also provide 3 different recommendations, all so we could make photocopies for the staff, staple, and carry the occasional cup of pee down the hall. i didn't bother wasting my time with such things. i decided instead to maximize the impact i could have by participating in mentoring programs targeting minority children in disadvantaged situations. i've never had an interviewer criticize me for making this choice once i explain why i chose not to volunteer in a hospital.

but, like someone else already mentioned - not all volunteer programs are created the same. when i did my post-bacc at a different institution, i checked out the volunteer program at the local hospital there, and it was wonderful. everything included patient contact, and i spent my time coloring and painting with children on the inpatient pediatrics floor. 👍

To the OP: if i were you, i'd check out some other hospitals and see if maybe they have programs that are more to your liking. unfortunately, hospital exposure is one of those hoops you have to jump through for medical school, and it's also something you'll have to talk about at interviews. so having a negative experience is equivalent to not having had the experience at all if you can't speak highly of it and talk about what its taught you.

To everyone else: volunteering is overrated sometimes. everyone has to admit that. it's all dependent on the program you're in, and obviously, most of you have had the good fortune of participating in a good one. it's a bit unfair to flame the OP's character becuase he had the misfortune of ending up in a bad one.

 

[velo]

haha... I just knew, as soon as I saw the title of the thread, that there would be a handful of indignant, indignant, INDIGNANT pre-meds telling this guy he was a soulless monster. You never let me down, pre-allo.

(Volunteering sucks.)

[rant]
haha, now this is what I call a good pre-allo thread! Look, bottomline, its good to get some clinical exposure, and one way to do that is volunteering, one way is shadowing, one way is working in a hospital or doc's office, etc etc etc. One's not really any better than the other, they just want you to have realistic expectations about what you're getting into. I didn't volunteer at all, but I got plenty of acceptances and am at a top school now. The subject of my lack of volunteering came up once, at the school I'm now attending...went something like this....

Interviewer: "I don't see much volunteering experience on your application, did you do anything else to expose yourself to a hospital setting?"

Me: *tells him about shadowing experiences*

I: "Oh ok good, I just need to be able to tell the adcom you know what you're getting into, honestly I think the ony thing volunteering tells you is whether or not you'll faint at the sight of blood"


So yes some clinical exposure is important, and volunteering's one way to get that, and I'm sure some schools put a bigger emphasis on it than others, but its not a requirement to get into med school.

Oh and here's what really pisses me off...Volunteering and ECs are supposed to supplement your application, not be the meat and potatoes If I hear one more person talk about how their GPA/MCAT scores are a "little" low and they didn't do any research, but they'd make a great doctor because they have a bunch of great volunteering experiences and ECs I'm going to scream. Its fantastic that you have all those experiences, and I don't mean to sound rude here, but I'm sorry, ANYONE can amass a lot of volunteering experiences and ECs. You're an amazingly empethetic person who wants to help people but never got the best grades and aren't too good at tests? Be a nurse, be a PA...how about OT or PT...those are all challenging, rewarding fields where you can help people...and they're a little easier to get into. If you can't hack it academically you shouldn't be an MD, sorry. I'll close with this thought. I think its great that I get to help people in my chosen profession, that's very rewarding, but I never once used the phrase "I want to help people" in any of my interviews. When I got asked "why medicine" the answer was always "because I find it fascinating and I think I'd be good at it." I think that's the most important thing. To be a good doctor you need empathy compassion and the desire to help people--but if that's all you have you'll make a horrible doctor.
[/rant]

velo out

 

[flash]

It also has connotations of useless, uninteresting, not valuable, etc... Connotations of words can be as important as what the dictionary says. After all, doesn't "******" just mean "black person"? I'm not suggesting that "decrepit" is nearly such an extreme or offensive word, but I do think choosing it reflects a certain lack of respect and affection for the patients so labeled.

ditto - you're all INSANE!

 

[EvoDevo]

*Note to the thread*

The OP has been banned b/c he was a repeat Troll. FYI

Sacrament, Velo, carry on.

 

[flash]

wow, really...i didn't think so, but I'm new to the forum world. I don't get trolls, is it really fun to be one? I guess to some people.

 

[2tall]

*Note to the thread*

The OP has been banned b/c he was a repeat Troll. FYI

Sacrament, Velo, carry on.

Foiled Again!

 

[velo]

*Note to the thread*

The OP has been banned b/c he was a repeat Troll. FYI

Sacrament, Velo, carry on.

ah, thank you wise and nobel froggie...I was worried my rant would be in vain...

 

[Dr Wannabee]

I think that the real issue you need to consider here is what the purpose of volunteering actually is. Volunteering is, by its very nature, intended to help someone else, with no expectation of tangible benefit to yourself. Yet, you seem to be approaching it wanting to know what is in it for you. So it isn't too surprising that you found your volunteering experiences to be "meaningless" and "a waste of time".

There are at least two very good reasons to volunteer:

1. Ethical considerations: As pre-meds, med students, and doctors, we are, by and large, extremely fortunate people. We are college-educated, and most of us come from middle class or higher socioeconomic backgrounds. We have access to a variety of opportunities and resources that people of different backgrounds or from other nations cannot even fathom. While we may admire rugged individualism as an ideal in this country, the truth of the matter is that none of us made it to where we are today on our own. We have all benefited from the help and support of parents, teachers, scholarship donors, and others who have smoothed our path, advised us, or given us a chance when we most needed it. Thus, we have some ethical obligation to return this help to others when we are finally in a position to do so.

2. Big picture considerations: What kind of society do you envision living in? You can even call this rational selfishness if you like, but we all benefit from living in a society where people work and pay taxes instead of draining our shared resources; where people are educated and open-minded rather than ignorant and bigoted; where people recognize the tenuousness of life and help complete strangers in need rather than leaving them to fend for themselves. Jesus called this idea "the Golden Rule"; Eastern religions talk about karma, but the idea is the same: the good we do comes back to us, manifold, and so does the evil.

I am amused that you claim that you are not an "evil" person, and yet your ID is Voldemort, who represents the epitome of evil in the _Harry Potter_ series. Actually, I do agree with you: you aren't an evil person. Yet, your indifference to human suffering permits evil to flourish. A society full of members who all have indifference to the suffering of others will only lead to evil, because those others will be equally indifferent to your own suffering. There are no guarantees in life, and sometimes people suffer horribly through no fault of their own. We cannot choose to simply walk away from the human condition. You seem to be an intelligent and pensive person; I hope you will reconsider your position and come to also value being a caring and committed person.

HMMM

 

[pem8erly]

is it just me or does it seem like there is major miscommunication going on here?

QofQuimica said that a good reason to volunteer is to give back some of what we have received along the way of becoming a doctor. That does not mean we were handed things on a silver platter (or at least most of us were not). Many of us worked hard to get to where we are but it is usually very hard to do it on our own without help from others even if all they did was give a few encouraging words.

what's wrong with saying that "we are college-educated, and most of us come from middle class or higher socioeconomic backgrounds"?? I think the point was that because many (but not all) come from backgrounds where basic necessities are more than provided for we need to give back and go out and help others whenever possible. If you've ever worked in a free clinic then you would understand how privileged most people are that take doctor visits for granted.

 

[spongiebob]

i love volunteering! i volunteer at the hospital working with the physical therapist. i love it because i get to have patient contact and actually help the PT with the patients in the ICU,rehab,psychiatry,etc.
However when i first got to the floor all they gave me was paperwork and phones to attend,calling the doctors,records,etc. After 2 days of this useless stuff, i talked to the PTs and asked if i could work with them. Thats what i've been doing ever since.

 

[Spankete87]

i love volunteering! i volunteer at the hospital working with the physical therapist. i love it because i get to have patient contact and actually help the PT with the patients in the ICU,rehab,psychiatry,etc.
However when i first got to the floor all they gave me was paperwork and phones to attend,calling the doctors,records,etc. After 2 days of this useless stuff, i talked to the PTs and asked if i could work with them. Thats what i've been doing ever since.

I also have loved my volunteering - in fact I loved it so much I've decided to start up with it again in Jan although its not anything I can put on my resume. I think that as people have pointed out earlier, volunteering can go either way. It all depends on what you make of it. The first day I walked into the ER, no one paid any attention to me. If I hadn't been proactive, all I would've done is stood around or handed out blankets which is actually what my roommate ended up doing for one day before she quit. 😉 But because I really enjoy the ER and working with that type of population, I really wanted to be there and be doing whatever menial task they asked me to do. So I asked the nurses there if there was anything else I could do one day and they let me do things like help triage patients, send and look over labs with them, interact with the families. While working in the acute side, I actually had to go bring a girl's aunt back to where the physician's were working on her and prep her for the fact that they thought her neice was paralyzed from the neck down. It's been facinating, however, its definitely something you've gotta really want to do.

 

[2tall]

LOL@this thread (Particularty in this "Season of Giving")

How did a thread about volunteering...giving of oneself to benefit another...turn into such an angry, hostile place?

Of course, I ask myself a similar question of my family on Christmas day.

 

[sacrament]

*Note to the thread*

The OP has been banned b/c he was a repeat Troll. FYI

Sacrament, Velo, carry on.

Well you could say he was a "former troll who re-registered", but the four posts he made under this name were not trolling.

 

[45408]

Look, money is a measure of your contribution to society. Any naysayers?

🙄 Yeah. I was with you for a little while, but this was just stupid.

Jesus? Mother Theresa? Teachers? Clergy? They all have huge impacts on society, but their salaries don't usually reflect that.

 

[45408]

haha... I just knew, as soon as I saw the title of the thread, that there would be a handful of indignant, indignant, INDIGNANT pre-meds telling this guy he was a soulless monster. You never let me down, pre-allo.

(Volunteering sucks.)

You're overgeneralizing. I volunteered in a hospice for a while. I didn't learn hardly anything, wasted a lot of time, and I wasn't that useful, really.

However, I've also been a camp counselor/youth sponsor/leader for many other events (volunteering my time as well), and I know that I had a positive impact and enjoyed myself as well. You've just got to look into thiings that interest you.

 

[Blake]

haha... I just knew, as soon as I saw the title of the thread, that there would be a handful of indignant, indignant, INDIGNANT pre-meds telling this guy he was a soulless monster. You never let me down, pre-allo.

(Volunteering sucks.)

Actually, I didn't volunteer a lot, and frankly, I couldn't care less whether people think I entered medicine for the wrong reasons because I don't have 2 million hours of volunteering. I still continue to think that most pre med students volunteer just to look ''good'' when it's time for applications, and I probably will continue to think that even in the future. Don't get me wrong, some people do it for the right reasons, but I'd say most pre-meds do it mainly for one reason, don't kid yourselves. The few hours of volunteering I did weren't particularly ''exciting'', and it just wasn't for me (yea, yea I know, I'll make a terrible doc. Boohoo !).
It's been now 2 weeks I've spent in the hospital working as a nurse assistant (part of our med school program) and this is 100x more interesting than all the other forms of volunteering I did. And no, it didn't make me a ''better person'', and GOD hasn't given me a call to tell me I was the chosen one. I hate that kind of BS, but that's just my ''doer, not talker'' personality...

 

[2tall]

Actually, I didn't volunteer a lot, and frankly, I couldn't care less whether people think I entered medicine for the wrong reasons because I don't have 2 million hours of volunteering. I still continue to think that most pre med students volunteer just to look ''good'' when it's time for applications, and I probably will continue to think that even in the future. Don't get me wrong, some people do it for the right reasons, but I'd say most pre-meds do it mainly for one reason, don't kid yourselves. The few hours of volunteering I did weren't particularly ''exciting'', and it just wasn't for me (yea, yea I know, I'll make a terrible doc. Boohoo !).
It's been now 2 weeks I've spent in the hospital working as a nurse assistant (part of our med school program) and this is 100x more interesting than all the other forms of volunteering I did. And no, it didn't make me a ''better person'', and GOD hasn't given me a call to tell me I was the chosen one. I hate that kind of BS, but that's just my ''doer, not talker'' personality...

So that leaves you with surgery and emergency medicine. 👍

 

[Blake]

So that leaves you with surgery and emergency medicine. 👍

Yes, I actually want to become a surgeon. Oh noes ! I'm teh ev1l monster 1!!11one!!1 🙄