Volunteering

[OpenIntro]

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I know there has been lots of talk on here about volunteering, but I wanted to get a bit more advice, particularly from those who have volunteered.

I have very minimal volunteering experience....only one summer of shadowing a pediatric infectious diseease doctor on her rounds.

My plan as of right now is to attend a post-bacc next fall (possibly TCOM) and take the MCAT either this coming April or August. My undergrad GPA is anything but stellar (see the LOW GPA THREAD) but I am planning on re-taking a couple courses (organic to be one) this fall....I am looking towards a DO, but am not completely set on that yet.

So do ya'll advise volunteering in an emergency room? I have heard (and read) many people say that is a good route to go. If so, how exactly do you go about applying to volunteer in the emergency room? Do you let them know that you are looking to apply to medical school?

Any advice would be appreciated 🙂

 

[Trismegistus4]

I can't advise volunteering in an emergency room, since I'm at the same stage of the medical education process as you. However, I will be starting my volunteering in an ER this month. Here's how I did it:

1. Call hospital for volunteer application
2. Complete application and be interviewed
3. Attend orientation and initial "rotation"
4. Tell them you want to be in the ER. 😀 You should have no problem if you're willing to volunteer evenings and weekends, since most hospital volunteers are retired senior citizens who want to do it during the day on weekdays like a regular job.

 

[Forensic Chick]

For those who volunteer in the ER, what do you do?

I work in an ER where volunteers are not allowed. I'm not sure of how much contact they would allow you to have with patients, outside of the grunt work. Grunt work is a great way to gain experience - and hopefully you'll be able to shadow physicians while seeing patients - but I'm just curious as to what they let you do. 😕

Thanks.

 

[DrHuang]

For those who volunteer in the ER, what do you do?

I work in an ER where volunteers are not allowed. I'm not sure of how much contact they would allow you to have with patients, outside of the grunt work. Grunt work is a great way to gain experience - and hopefully you'll be able to shadow physicians while seeing patients - but I'm just curious as to what they let you do. 😕

Thanks.

i worked at an ER...id say 75% was boring redundant crap like restocking stuff, setting up the patients (putting on leads, the little finger thingy, etc), helping nurses take blood, and crappy stuff like cleaning up puke. the other 25% is pretty interesting...for example, i helped in suturing a patient who lost a finger...had to help restrain a crazy woman and man, she was crazy...and finally, I got to do CPR on a patient they brought in that had a cardiac arrest...and he died.

in the end, would I work there? maybe... because the 75% of the time, youre either doing really boring stuff or your waiting around but it can give u something interesting to talk about if u ever get an interview.

PS: it may differ though...one of the doctors was really cool...he got the volunteers involved...thats where i got to do my CPR and suturing...the rest of the doctors sorta just ignored us.