Volunteering Question

Started by Chunkle
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C

Chunkle

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10+ Year Member
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So I've been volunteering at this hospital for a year. I've enjoyed it, but I feel like things are getting mundane now.

Should I quit and look to volunteer in a different place? Maybe a clinic.

The question is: is it okay to stop volunteering at one place if you've already gotten everything out of it? Or should you keep going for the longevity.

2 Years at Hospital vs 1 year at hospital+1 year at clinic.
 
Chunkle said:
So I've been volunteering at this hospital for a year. I've enjoyed it, but I feel like things are getting mundane now.

Should I quit and look to volunteer in a different place? Maybe a clinic.

The question is: is it okay to stop volunteering at one place if you've already gotten everything out of it? Or should you keep going for the longevity.

2 Years at Hospital vs 1 year at hospital+1 year at clinic.
Click to expand...

I would do anything to be able to volunteer at a hospital. Stay there forever.
 
Chunkle said:
So I've been volunteering at this hospital for a year. I've enjoyed it, but I feel like things are getting mundane now.

Should I quit and look to volunteer in a different place? Maybe a clinic.

The question is: is it okay to stop volunteering at one place if you've already gotten everything out of it? Or should you keep going for the longevity.

2 Years at Hospital vs 1 year at hospital+1 year at clinic.
Click to expand...

Honest question: are you volunteering so you can check it off on a med school application, or because you actually want to help others?

I know the answer, no need to answer....but realize adcom's are not stupid, the whole idea of looking for volunteer work in candidates was to see if they gave a **** about others; not if they could fill in a blank.
 
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LifeTake2 said:
Honest question: are you volunteering so you can check it off on a med school application, or because you actually want to help others?

I know the answer, no need to answer....but realize adcom's are not stupid, the whole idea of looking for volunteer work in candidates was to see if they gave a **** about others; not if they could fill in a blank.
Click to expand...
More like keeping up appearances and willing to take the guy that's willing to go through more **** than the next to get there. The idea that they are doing it to see if a candidate cares, implies that they would have a way to see into your intentions. Unlike what some think, they are not almighty gods that can see into your soul. At the end of the day, they know a good bull****ter will be able to smooth talk his way, so in reality it's just a measurement of how much you're willing to play ball to get there. It's also made to discourage those that will hate it too much.
 
LifeTake2 said:
Honest question: are you volunteering so you can check it off on a med school application, or because you actually want to help others?

I know the answer, no need to answer....but realize adcom's are not stupid, the whole idea of looking for volunteer work in candidates was to see if they gave a **** about others; not if they could fill in a blank.
Click to expand...
It drives me crazy when you people say things like this. When it boils down to it, we are just jumping thro these dam hoops to get to where we are trying to get. Sure most of us care about helping others but if it wasnt for medical school we would not be spending our free time volunteering. Not because we dont care or we're selfish, but we have other things we could be doing. Truth. (go ahead and flame me)
 
I feel like most hospital volunteering has very little to do with patient care and being compassionate. While this is certainly not always the case, many hospitals will only let their volunteers do things like answer phones, stock supplies and perhaps transport patients. Hospital volunteering is more of an opportunity to observe how a hospital runs and to begin learning how to find and go through the necessary channels to accomplish a task. Also its a great place to potentially meet physicians to shadow. Adcoms probably look for things like community service to the poor or volunteering with hospice if they want to see that you are compassionate.
 
Doctor246853 said:
It drives me crazy when you people say things like this. When it boils down to it, we are just jumping thro these dam hoops to get to where we are trying to get. Sure most of us care about helping others but if it wasnt for medical school we would not be spending our free time volunteering. Not because we dont care or we're selfish, but we have other things we could be doing. Truth. (go ahead and flame me)
Click to expand...

Not going to flame, but I'm not sure what "you people" means?

Would it be someone that has been actively involved in volunteering and community work since most of this year's applicants were in grade school because it was important and long before ever even dreaming of medical school??

Sorry if I come across judgmental, I'm honestly not; I just wonder sometimes if the 'hoops' accomplish anything if they are there only to check off. It scares me that they might only exist to weed out people not willing to do them, though that may be a very accurate assessment.
 
There is a degree of "hoop-jumping" in all apps. But many of the things on my app were pursued before deciding to apply to med school (research, some non-clinical volunteering).

When I found out I needed hospital volunteering, it did motivate me to find something. However, FIND SOMETHING YOU LIKE. I'm not going to question anyone's motives, but it can be pretty easy to tell when people are doing something just because they have to. It really is beneficial to not just jump at the first opportunity. You should try and find something that you can/want to genuinely talk about in interviews.

So, OP. If you feel like you are getting nothing out of it, and you aren't enjoying it, I say move on. Take your experiences and try out another place.
 
LifeTake2 said:
Not going to flame, but I'm not sure what "you people" means?

Would it be someone that has been actively involved in volunteering and community work since most of this year's applicants were in grade school because it was important and long before ever even dreaming of medical school??

Sorry if I come across judgmental, I'm honestly not; I just wonder sometimes if the 'hoops' accomplish anything if they are there only to check off. It scares me that they might only exist to weed out people not willing to do them, though that may be a very accurate assessment.
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No. By "you people" I mean majority of the posters on sdn that always say dont volunteer to check off a box. Should it be the only reason?...no...should you check that box off?...yes
 
I enjoy my hospital volunteer work. Let me rephrase it:

The hospital gig is great. I get to see the staff interactions, and help others, even though its only small tasks such as feeding them.

I've received thousands of "thank you"s.

However, I'm feeling more interested in starting to volunteer at a clinic.

Why? It's new and a different setting and work.

I want to experience clinic volunteering, but if it sacrifices the longetivity of my previous clinical experience, then I guess I should forget about it and play the application game.
 
For me even though you will volunteer in another place hospital or clinic, eventually things will become mundane. I think its really part of our job as medical workers.
 
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TriagePreMed said:
More like keeping up appearances and willing to take the guy that's willing to go through more **** than the next to get there. The idea that they are doing it to see if a candidate cares, implies that they would have a way to see into your intentions. Unlike what some think, they are not almighty gods that can see into your soul. At the end of the day, they know a good bull****ter will be able to smooth talk his way, so in reality it's just a measurement of how much you're willing to play ball to get there. It's also made to discourage those that will hate it too much.
Click to expand...
This is all a bit cynical, but makes interesting points. Yes, no one can tell if you're putting up a front with everything you do in life, but at the same time, I would argue volunteer service isn't looked upon favorably because it shows you can deal with busy-work type requirements and are willing to sacrifice to get into med school, but because it at least does some good for others even if the applicant is doing it out of selfishness.
 
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