volunteering...what are you doing? :)

[GrumpyAlyson06]

Just wanted to see what others were doing as far as volunteering work and some of the responsibilities others have. I guess I'll start... I work on the pediatrics floor at a local hospital and interact with kids anywhere from a few months to 17 years old! So much fun... I get to paint, watch movies, clean, and really get to interact with them! Most of them are sooo sweet and it's hard NOT to have favorites!!!

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[Slide]

I don't think your post is in the right forum. As many medical students can attest, we don't have much free time to volunteer.....(especially as M1s taking gross). If you're referring to the clinical experiences volunteering experience, we really don't need to do that anymore. There's the free clinic, but that'll have to wait till next semester.

 

[GrumpyAlyson06]

Just wanted to see what others were doing as far as volunteering work and some of the responsibilities others have. I guess I'll start... I work on the pediatrics floor at a local hospital and interact with kids anywhere from a few months to 17 years old! So much fun... I get to paint, watch movies, clean, and really get to interact with them! Most of them are sooo sweet and it's hard NOT to have favorites!!!

 

[GrumpyAlyson06]

Thanks!! I moved it to pre-med. Sorry- I'm technologically challenged!

 

[neuro1617]

Right now I'm also on pediatric floors...the only kind b/c it's at a Children's hospital. I stock the video cart & clean the movies & take it to all the floors & help kids pick movies & sign them out. It's such a nice distraction from studying & everything. I love those kidsAges are 0-usually 21 but once there was a 28 y/o in since patients stay w/ their same doctors if they have a lifelong condition. Not that fond of the hematology/onc wing though...

Used to volunteer in an ER & saw some pretty awesome stuff & got to observe traumas but other than that...you can only hand out so much h2o & warm blankets

 

[cheezer]

i volunteer in a med/surg floor. my days consist of saying "no hablo espanol," watching old people piss their pants, and watching nurses perform procedures.

 

[TheNextMD]

I'm in the Emergency Dept. currently. I take patients' vistors back to visit, get blankets/etc. for patients who are waiting or have a bed, get urine samples from patients sometimes, and watch traumas (Level 1 trauma center ).

I'm looking to put in some more time w/ a research project in the ED if my schedule works out.

 

[bluesTank]

As far as medical volunteer work, I have been working at both the local hospitals doing EKG's taking vitals, HELPING to start IV's such.

Learning lots of useful stuff there.

 

[GrumpyAlyson06]

i volunteer in a med/surg floor. my days consist of saying "no hablo espanol," watching old people piss their pants, and watching nurses perform procedures.

Whoa! Too bad- that area is not something that you could say "i enjoyed my volunteer work" and keep a straight face!
I'm looking to do some shadowing between semesters. We have five week off, so i'll try to take at least two weeks to shadow! Shadowing's cool, but i wish there was some way we could get paid...but i guess the dr. giving his/her time is great!!!

 

[mustymullet]

for me i looked for quality, so i called the hospital in town and they told me i could be a volunteer at the rehab center and give company to the patients (do arts and crafts, bingo, cards, etc.) i know its not actual clinical hospital work but i like it because it shows i give back to the community and hopefully admissions see that. im shadowing two family medicine physicians in a few months to make up for the lack of clinical work

 

[Concubine]

Also volunteer in the ER. Pretty much do what ever they need me too. Most of the time It's clearing rooms, bringing blankets, water, etc. Occasionally they let me do EKG's, and assist in triage doing vitals. I also get to help change diapers (yay!) and watch old people piss their pants.

 

[Kthanksbye]

Whoa! Too bad- that area is not something that you could say "i enjoyed my volunteer work" and keep a straight face!
I'm looking to do some shadowing between semesters. We have five week off, so i'll try to take at least two weeks to shadow! Shadowing's cool, but i wish there was some way we could get paid...but i guess the dr. giving his/her time is great!!!

Wow, paid for shadowing...that quite a stretch. What do you contribute? If you can pull it off, more power to you, but I wouldn't bring it up with the doctor if I were you. You may not like the response.

 

[dragon529]

I'm volunteering at Endoscopy dept once a week for 4 hours... side question... what is the average # of volunteering hours/years of experience for med school applicants? just curious...

 

[MadameLULU]

Closing. Duplicate in pre-allo

 

[Koala 33]

I'm volunteering as a medical assistant in a free clinic for people without health insurance.

 

[montessori2md]

I'm on med/surg as well, doing some basic cognitive therapy and PT w/ geriatric pts. It's pretty cool, actually, as the over 70 set tend to have lots of issues (does my back hurt because of my prostrate cancer, the metal plate in my back they put in during the Korean War, or b/c my diabetes is affecting my kidneys?) and they like to tell their hospital stories. The nurses do eventually get to know you, especially if you keep roughly the same schedule, and once they can tell you know what you're doing and are a willing victim, they'll let you help out more.

 

[LikeClockWork]

I euthanize puppies and kitties at the local animal shelter. I truly feel the call of medicine as I watch those big brown eyes turn glassy...


I'm sorry. That's terrible..

 

[foreverLaur]

I volunteer at a local learning center teaching a wide variety of classes to underprivledged and low income adults. I do a wide variety from GED classes to basic business knowledge to computer skills.

 

[GoldShadow]

I've been a volunteer EMT at my town's ambulance garage (all-volunteer) for about 3 years now... now that I'm in college, I try to go home a couple weekends a month to put in some time.

 

[paranoid_eyes]

volunteering is so pointless/banal/irritating/frustrating/annoying/..../stupid. EC's in general are the most useless thing on the application (YES! more useless than taking physics and calc). honestly, it's so irritating to be treated like a high school drop out doing mindless paperwork, making copies, filing, making phone calls, and delivering pillows and blankets. America's insecurity (HIPAA) doesnt even allow us to have decent patient contanct

 

[tdkneo]

read to kids at the library, shadow doctors, and biotech research for my professor.....

 

[tdkneo]

volunteering is so pointless/banal/irritating/frustrating/annoying/..../stupid. EC's in general are the most useless thing on the application (YES! more useless than taking physics and calc). honestly, it's so irritating to be treated like a high school drop out doing mindless paperwork, making copies, filing, making phone calls, and delivering pillows and blankets. America's insecurity (HIPAA) doesnt even allow us to have decent patient contanct

mannn.....i cant agree more with u on that......i hated physics...and yes it's true, lots of voluteering places they treat u like craps especially the nurses.......they just dont want to see us succeed and be their boss in the future, that's how i see it......but who cares, we all got to do what we got to do, dont let stuffs like that get in the way......

 

[jyw003]

ICU at Scripps Memorial Hospital- San Diego
Lobby Pianist at Scripps
Music tutor at Pruess UCSD

=]

 

[Pile of Kittens]

I'm going to help run a DanceSafe-type program in my area soon, providing first aid, education, psychological help, and anything else that might be needed for ravers who are paranoid of going to a hospital if they've taken too much e. (I'll also be calling ambulances for when their stupid friends are being paranoid too).

So, I get to do firsthand study of central auditory processing disorder coping strategies (that's me!), do community outreach, education, triage and first aid for etards, and listen to fun music all at the same time! Ravers are at-risk AND underserved - lots of birds with one big boom-tisk stone!

 

[HumidBeing]

I have fun and learn. Really. I enjoy volunteering in the lab. It's one of my favorite educational activities.

My volunteer activity with the English for Internationals program consists of spending at least an evening or day with my partners each week. I help them learn their way around town, and do typical activities with them like going to the movies, museums, zoo, bowling, out to eat, or just hang out or include them in holiday activities, and try to help them enjoy their stay. We work on their English so that they can pass their TOEFL. I get insight into other cultures this way that I couldn't get out of books. I enjoy it because it's a personalized one-on-one experience and I wind up with friends scattered around the world. It's changed the way that I listen to the news. The one drawback is that they always ask, "Is your sister coming?" LOL They all seem to have eyes for my sister.

And I do Habitat for Humanity. Fun!

So far, I haven't been able to motivate to volunteer for anything that I thought would be boring. I want to do things where I feel useful. I've been lucky to find things that are fun.

 

[Dienekes]

I have been a volunteer EMT since some/most of you were in elementary school (12 years in May) and volunteer firefighter for 10 years. I am not doing any volunteer work besides that. There is something patently wrong with someone with a great deal of allied health education- and I mean beyond my EMS training- passing out ice water or cleaning bedpans when he could actually be helping patients. Then there is also the added benefit of getting paid

 

[secants]

My undergrad has a medical school/hospital right on campus so getting volunteer positions is easy. I actually went to check out some of the positions, and although I had a few departments I wanted to work in ex// Pathology, ER, most of the responsibilities listed were clerical stuff. Granted volunteering is still beneficial if it lets you get a feel for the medical atmosphere there. Anyway I'm just too lazy to fill out their physical forms for volunteering at the moment. Any of you guy recommend a department you like?

 

[brianmartin]

I am in the OHSU ER, collecting data for research projects (as well as watching traumas!). I am also doing some overnight shifts at a local homeless shelter.

 

[Dawno]

I have fun and learn. Really. I enjoy volunteering in the lab. It's one of my favorite educational activities.

My volunteer activity with the English for Internationals program consists of spending at least an evening or day with my partners each week. I help them learn their way around town, and do typical activities with them like going to the movies, museums, zoo, bowling, out to eat, or just hang out or include them in holiday activities, and try to help them enjoy their stay. We work on their English so that they can pass their TOEFL. I get insight into other cultures this way that I couldn't get out of books. I enjoy it because it's a personalized one-on-one experience and I wind up with friends scattered around the world. It's changed the way that I listen to the news. The one drawback is that they always ask, "Is your sister coming?" LOL They all seem to have eyes for my sister.

And I do Habitat for Humanity. Fun!

So far, I haven't been able to motivate to volunteer for anything that I thought would be boring. I want to do things where I feel useful. I've been lucky to find things that are fun.

I love this!!