volunteering-really necessary?

[Therese737]

I was wondering if schools will view my application less favorably if I don't have any hospital volunteering? I am applying to AUC, SGU, Ross, St.Matthews, Saba. I want to focus on my coursework this fall, as I am taking 4 classes, all with lab. My cumulative gpa is already low, so it's imperative that my grades in the prereqs are A's and B's.

I'm a nontraditional student and have worked at the AMA, AOA, and at United Healthcare. I hope this is enough to show them that my feet are wet.
Did anyone get in w/out volunteer experience?

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[Aucdoctobe]

I was wondering if schools will view my application less favorably if I don't have any hospital volunteering? I am applying to AUC, SGU, Ross, St.Matthews, Saba. I want to focus on my coursework this fall, as I am taking 4 classes, all with lab. My cumulative gpa is already low, so it's imperative that my grades in the prereqs are A's and B's.

I'm a nontraditional student and have worked at the AMA, AOA, and at United Healthcare. I hope this is enough to show them that my feet are wet.
Did anyone get in w/out volunteer experience?

I had 0 volunteer experience, but I did have relevant work experience. The Caribbean schools really don't seem to care about volunteering. They mainly care about you showing the ability to pay and making it through the program. It wasn't an issue for me with Ross or AUC.

 

[wytosk]

Although Im sure that schools like to see people being unselfish witht their time by volunteering. ( not that u are unselfish, because getting the grades is more important at this point) I think that volunteering is better for the applicant because it gives u a chance to see if you want to be a doctor.

 

[wolfvgang22]

I was wondering if schools will view my application less favorably if I don't have any hospital volunteering? I am applying to AUC, SGU, Ross, St.Matthews, Saba. I want to focus on my coursework this fall, as I am taking 4 classes, all with lab. My cumulative gpa is already low, so it's imperative that my grades in the prereqs are A's and B's.

I'm a nontraditional student and have worked at the AMA, AOA, and at United Healthcare. I hope this is enough to show them that my feet are wet.
Did anyone get in w/out volunteer experience?

Sounds to me that your work experience is already beyond the volunteering that most pre-meds do, if you worked with patients at all face to face, and weren't the janitor something. If you didn't work directly with patients, I'd focus on grades first and then maybe do some volunteering or maybe EMT or something along those lines.