Volunteering or Employment?

[ZombieDante]

I currently put in about ~6-8hrs/wk at my local hospital under the volunteer services. My official title is "volunteer." However, my school has a deal where they will allow you to get your work study funds from volunteering, which is what I'm currently doing at the hospital. I would still volunteer even if I didn't get paid, but this eats into my other work study job and makes it difficult for me to get all my work study funds.

So when it comes time for me to fill out my med school application do I count this as employment or volunteering? Or does it even matter?

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[Holmwood]

I currently put in about ~6-8hrs/wk at my local hospital under the volunteer services. My official title is "volunteer." However, my school has a deal where they will allow you to get your work study funds from volunteering, which is what I'm currently doing at the hospital. I would still volunteer even if I didn't get paid, but this eats into my other work study job and makes it difficult for me to get all my work study funds.

So when it comes time for me to fill out my med school application do I count this as employment or volunteering? Or does it even matter?

Nope. Clinical experience is clinical experience. And employment is actually better than volunteering in my opinion (it suggests you can handle greater responsibility in the medical field).

If there was such a disjunct between clinical volunteer and clinical employment in terms of applications, nurses applying to the medical field with their years of hands-on clinical experience would be in big poo. And of course you know that's not reasonable.

Edit: Don't neglect your non-clinical volunteer. Community involvement is important.

 

[LizzyM]

It is fine to have clinical employment but as @Holmwood notes, you should do something in service to the community to demonstrate by your actions that you like to help people.