i have a question about volunteering at a hospital. I know this has been probably discussed before but I would just like some ppl's input on this.
Like most premeds here, I am uh not very fond of it. I only have ~46 hours clinical volunteering. It's NOT because I do scut work or the nurses boss me around. Or that I file stuff or do administrative stuff. In fact I wish they would let me do all the above.
The reason is that every time I go there I spend 5 hours (including driving there and back ~1 hr total) doing pretty much nothing. Literally. I sit there, I man this "calling station" where patients at the university hospital call and ask for nurse or assistant and I tell said nurse or assistant. I always ask the nurses every like 30 minutes or 45 minutes if there's anything I can do to help at which they politely say no and thank me for asking. And so I sit and watch the second tick by. Or maybe I watch the residents talk about their cases and listen just because I have nothing else to do. For 4 hours. If I'm lucky, I get to arrange the papers in a binder and put it on the shelf. I feel like I'd be more productive at the gift shop section, where at least I can talk to patients who want to buy a shirt or teddy bear or something.
There's also a secretary who also does the same job as me at the nurse's station. The thing is, most of the time I go, it's never busy, I rarely make contact with patients, and I guess the time I go, there arent many patients. It's probably because there's no ER at this hospital. I don't want to study there b/c it's rude and not professional so I end up wasting time and get tired of just sitting and staring at the clock in front of my face. When the nurses tell me (once in a blue moon) to file stuff and arrange some boxes or *gasp* bring the patient a cup of water, I feel like "YEAHH I GET TO DO STUFF!!!!" After which I do it quickly and then sit and stare at the call monitor again. I don't even move patients around.
And this time (~5ish hrs) per week I feel like I can use to study for my mcat and other ECs. Is it bad that when I finally finish the gig here at the hospital I will probably have ~100ish hours of clinical volunteering when I apply? I have like maybe 2 stories where I thought was cool from volunteering but not like any life-changing/inspiration moment sort of thing. I seriously feel like I'm not getting much out of it but it's the closest hospital to me. I have a lot more nonclinical volunteering which I geniunely love and enjoy doing.
OH and I also have physician shadowing (~60 hours) in 3 different fields (well 2 surgeries, 1 Primary care). I really enjoyed it and will probably do more during the breaks. Those hours flew by like nothing. But that was not through volunteering....it was through some connections.
So any suggestions? Should i just suck it up? I feel bad when I skip it but sometimes I do because I don't want to rush doing my hw/studying after the shift + classes. I am taking a gap year and hope to get a lot more clinical exposure and hands on stuff then. The hospitals near my school don't really do much for their volunteers.
Sorry for the long post! D=
Like most premeds here, I am uh not very fond of it. I only have ~46 hours clinical volunteering. It's NOT because I do scut work or the nurses boss me around. Or that I file stuff or do administrative stuff. In fact I wish they would let me do all the above.
The reason is that every time I go there I spend 5 hours (including driving there and back ~1 hr total) doing pretty much nothing. Literally. I sit there, I man this "calling station" where patients at the university hospital call and ask for nurse or assistant and I tell said nurse or assistant. I always ask the nurses every like 30 minutes or 45 minutes if there's anything I can do to help at which they politely say no and thank me for asking. And so I sit and watch the second tick by. Or maybe I watch the residents talk about their cases and listen just because I have nothing else to do. For 4 hours. If I'm lucky, I get to arrange the papers in a binder and put it on the shelf. I feel like I'd be more productive at the gift shop section, where at least I can talk to patients who want to buy a shirt or teddy bear or something.
There's also a secretary who also does the same job as me at the nurse's station. The thing is, most of the time I go, it's never busy, I rarely make contact with patients, and I guess the time I go, there arent many patients. It's probably because there's no ER at this hospital. I don't want to study there b/c it's rude and not professional so I end up wasting time and get tired of just sitting and staring at the clock in front of my face. When the nurses tell me (once in a blue moon) to file stuff and arrange some boxes or *gasp* bring the patient a cup of water, I feel like "YEAHH I GET TO DO STUFF!!!!" After which I do it quickly and then sit and stare at the call monitor again. I don't even move patients around.
And this time (~5ish hrs) per week I feel like I can use to study for my mcat and other ECs. Is it bad that when I finally finish the gig here at the hospital I will probably have ~100ish hours of clinical volunteering when I apply? I have like maybe 2 stories where I thought was cool from volunteering but not like any life-changing/inspiration moment sort of thing. I seriously feel like I'm not getting much out of it but it's the closest hospital to me. I have a lot more nonclinical volunteering which I geniunely love and enjoy doing.
OH and I also have physician shadowing (~60 hours) in 3 different fields (well 2 surgeries, 1 Primary care). I really enjoyed it and will probably do more during the breaks. Those hours flew by like nothing. But that was not through volunteering....it was through some connections.
So any suggestions? Should i just suck it up? I feel bad when I skip it but sometimes I do because I don't want to rush doing my hw/studying after the shift + classes. I am taking a gap year and hope to get a lot more clinical exposure and hands on stuff then. The hospitals near my school don't really do much for their volunteers.
Sorry for the long post! D=
