Volunteering (Non-Clinical) Ok?

[SnappleCapFacts]

Hi everyone,

I want to volunteer at a park near my city. I would pretty much go around the park picking up trash, making sure things are tidy, etc. I love that place and I think it'll be a fun and relaxing way to spend Saturday mornings. I'd honestly do this over volunteering at a hospital, dental office, etc.

Would volunteering at a non-clinical place be a downfall? FYI, I have very little volunteering experience. This is probably the weak point of my application.

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[hellofuturedentists]

Lol of course it's ok. Volunteer anywhere as much as your heart desires

 

[whitepapertree]

Of course it's okay. Volunteer to give back to the community.

 

[nonociceptors]

Absolutely not. Volunteering should only be done if it is directly related to dental school for the sole purpose of improving your application. After all, that's what the spirit of volunteering is all about.

 

[SnappleCapFacts]

lol guys..well yes i know that i should volunteer where i'd like to volunteer...HOWEVER, this admissions process is somewhat of a game and we all know that and that means having to check things off at times...just was wondering if having to check off clinical volunteering was a must

 

[Promethean]

Totally okay.

Some of my volunteering was at the animal shelter, cleaning poops and walking dogs.

If you are doing it because you want to be doing it, it is way better than volunteering so that you can check a box.

You do need some clinical experience / patient exposure. You can get that as a volunteer, or in some paid capacity. But you should be able to demonstrate that you understand what you are getting yourself into. Volunteering is the vehicle lots of people use for doing that.

 

[embrojam]

Of course it's okay. Volunteer to give back to the community.

Boom - this is key. Give back to your community

 

[hellofuturedentists]

lol guys..well yes i know that i should volunteer where i'd like to volunteer...HOWEVER, this admissions process is somewhat of a game and we all know that and that means having to check things off at times...just was wondering if having to check off clinical volunteering was a must

Though I've only gone to one interview so far, we talked for a good 10 minutes about the volunteering that I've done. None of it was directly related to dentistry. Definitely clean up the park if it means something to you! It's always nice to see someone passionate about something. It's easy to tell if you're doing it just for the resume padding and you're obviously not so that's great. However, it would also be good to do some kind of volunteering that involves helping people directly. Not necessarily in a clinic, but just to show you can actually, you know, talk to people haha.

 

[postpitadh]

Depends on how much time you have left until applying. If you are in a crunch, prioritize your options and do what you think is most important to you

 

[HSShouldEnd]

Although I have limited volunteering with patients persay, I do interact with people everyday lol..i have a people oriented job where i have to negotiate, talk, strategize with partners every day..i also shadow but i literally stand there so idk if that counts

nevertheless, i'll look into people oriented experiences too although idk if i can fit everything in my schedule