What kind of volunteering are medical schools looking for? Right now, im thinking of volunteering to a 'long term care' centre aka old folks home for the elderly with some of whom who have dementia, physical impairments, etc who need help in regards to their wellbeing and health. Good idea?
They're not looking for anything specific. Do something that you find interesting and that you'll enjoy. If you like it, you'll be more likely to commit to it, and if you commit to it, you'll be better able to talk about it in your personal statement and to interviewers. If that means hanging out with grumpy old people, do it. If it means playing with kids with cancer, do it. Just do something that you really want to do.
I think the quantity and quality of the volunteering is far superior to what exactly you were doing. Volunteering in a home for 10 hours a week would be seen much more favorably than volunteering at as hospital for an hour a week. You get the idea. Pick something you like and stick with it!
what's the minimum hour adcom want for volunteering? I am planning to reapply for 2008, but I found myself in great imbalanced, 3 summer of research experiences, and no volunteering experience whatsoever.
It's not really a question of minimums. Adcomms want to know that you have a realistic view of medicine as a career and enough experience in the health care field to know that this is really what you want to do (that it suits your interests and abilities). Obviously, the more you have the better off you are, but it's really about the quality of the experience and what you get from it.
Look at the above advice about finding something you like and committing to it. Asking 'what's the minimum' you need to do shows an insincerity that is quite unappealing; if you carry this attitude into your volunteering, it will be apparent to the people you work with. This will result in a poor experience on both sides. I think that in an interview it will also be difficult for you to speak honestly and enthusiastically about an experience you did just because you 'had to'.
This is a great idea. Better than volunteering in the hospital and getting assigned to the gift shop, as often happens the first semester until you have some seniority. Also consider hospice care, and children's rehab center. Be sure to ask the nurses questions about the patients' diagnosis and their meds and learn from them. Maybe you could accompany docs on their rounds. The point is to have contact with patients and learn what doctors actually do all day.
