volunteering question

[FindingNismo]

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hello everyone,


i'm sort of conflicted about getting more volunteer experience. I'm doing a program with my school right now where i go to the local hospital for 4 hours a week, but the people running it are complete tools and i have absolutely no interest in returning to their program.

i also volunteer my time (for course credit) as a research assistant at a hospital about an hour away for about 6 hours a week. i get to enroll patients in studies, shadow the doctors working there, and i'm working on writing my own study now.

my question is, would it be acceptable to stop volunteering and just continue with the RA program, maybe picking up a few more hours per week? i'm a junior btw and don't really have any other sort of community service.

 

[gamespeed]

If you don't like it, quit. You're already getting patient contact with your other activity and shadowing. Doing something you don't enjoy really and that won't benefit you that much can just bring you down.

I would recommend declining to return next semester and finding a community service activity than you can find enjoyable or a medically related community service activity.

 

[Catalystik]

How many months and total hours of clinical experience do you have so far for each of the endeavors you engaged in?

Is it possible to give some of your time each week to a local soup kitchen, homeless or womens shelter, Meals on Wheels, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity, Humane Society, after school kids' tutoring, Boys and Girls Club, or another cause you care about, etc?

 

[FindingNismo]

I've been volunteering and doing the RA program for a semester. I plan to continue the RA program for another 3 semesters.

I'm sure I could find some other type of community service that I enjoy, but this hospital thing is just not working out

 

[Catalystik]

I think there is a good chance you'll have sufficient clinical experience working directly with patients through the study you're helping with since you'll be involved for two academic years.

Some nonmedical, noncampus community service would be a good idea, though.

 

[the duck]

If you don't like it quite. Hospital volunteering won't give you anything you won't already be getting through the RA program. Go find other activities you actually enjoy, or look at other hospitals ( personally I really enjoy my er volunteering, so its not all hospitals that suck)

 

[Potatoman1800]

That RA program sounds sweet. Should give you a lot of perspective. Drop the local hospital gig if you don't like it. You can just write a formal letter and send it to them. Or simply meet with a coordinator and say it doesn't coincide with your interests and/or schedule.

+1 to the non-clinical volunteer stuff. You might have some fun along the way while working in those organizations.

 

[BiopsychStudent]

I've heard mixed things about volunteering at hospitals-

I know that for liability purposes you're probably not going to have any significant responsibilities, but that it helps you experience and see the atmosphere and working conditions which is valuable.

According to this thead and what you guys have said here you might end up being placed primarily in filing or working in the gift shop: experiences where you'd have minimal patient contact. Not that you have much choice about where they place you or need you, but is that kind of work just considered "paying your dues" before you might get more fulfilling volunteer opportunities in the ED?

If not, what's the best way to go about getting an ED volunteer position specifically, and what might they be looking for during an interview/screening?

 

[Potatoman1800]

If not, what's the best way to go about getting an ED volunteer position specifically, and what might they be looking for during an interview/screening?

Look around your city's hospital and browse their websites to see their list of volunteer opportunities. You're right that they won't let you do much due to liabilities. People say that if you go you might be able to become friendly with the staff and they'll introduce you to a doc or someone you can shadow. This usually isn't the case, seeing how docs are hardly around a filing area/gift shop/etc. It all really depends on the hospital's regulations and their attitudes towards volunteers.

I found a much more interesting time volunteering at several clinics in my area. I had a lot of contact with the docs and they were always open to let me shadow and even do some hands-on stuff.

Good luck

 

[BiopsychStudent]

I'm sure this varies from place to place, but does anyone know how long it takes for most hospitals to process an application? I've had a lot of trouble getting ahold of a "real person" at a lot of the hospitals I've been checking out. Some of the larger teaching hospitals also have them online and I always worry those just get lost or aren't looked at.

About how long should I wait to be contacted for an interview about a volunteer application? I really have no idea if its a competitive process or not, if there's an oversaturation of people willing to do it, etc.