Volunteering

[mh2002ny]

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Hi. I am currently finishing up my summer classes this week and plan to increase the number of hours I volunteer. I am volunteering in the hospital right now. I just wanted to find out which sections of the hospital you guys think are the best to volunteer in. Like is it preferred if you volunteer in the er, nursing unit, peds, cardiology, labs, or other sections like that.

Which area did you guys do most of your volunteering in? Also, how many hours of hospital volunteer experience did you have when you applied? Thanks.

 

[kidsmd]

I think you should choose which you would be most interested in volunteering in. Personally, my favorite was ER (other departments I worked in were NICU, Labor&Delivery, PostPartum) just cause there was always a lot of things going on and the techs, nurses, and residents were always so nice and willing to explain things. I had about a year's experience when I applied. Another thing I did which wasn't so clinical was working in Child&Development on the peds floor. That was probably the best, even more than ER. You get to spend one-on-one time with the kids and just basically be another form of support for them. 🙂

 

[LadyBug9933]

ohh..that's interesting. I also am confused though, when I applied for volunteering @ NYU medical center, I was told I would be doing filing and that sort of stuff, at the Hospital for Joint diseases. Does this also count as Volunteer work I can put on my resume for Medical school? I'm sorry if it's a silly question, thanks!

 

[mh2002ny]

Originally posted by LadyBug9933
ohh..that's interesting. I also am confused though, when I applied for volunteering @ NYU medical center, I was told I would be doing filing and that sort of stuff, at the Hospital for Joint diseases. Does this also count as Volunteer work I can put on my resume for Medical school? I'm sorry if it's a silly question, thanks!

I think it counts as long as you volunteer in the hospital. I mainly answer phones and distribute labs, meds, and stuff like that.

 

[Hallm_7]

I've shadowed a couple of doctors in the hospital quite a bit over the last couple of years, so I've been in the atmosphere. Does anyone think this would be looked upon favorably? Or do I need to actually be in a volunteer program somewhere?

Oh, when you've volunteered did you have to get documentation for it or do med schools just believe you when you tell them that you worked there?

 

[LadyBug9933]

Originally posted by Hallm_7
I've shadowed a couple of doctors in the hospital quite a bit over the last couple of years, so I've been in the atmosphere. Does anyone think this would be looked upon favorably? Or do I need to actually be in a volunteer program somewhere?

Oh, when you've volunteered did you have to get documentation for it or do med schools just believe you when you tell them that you worked there?

how did you get the oppertunity to shadow the doctors, and what exactly did you do when you shadowed them?

thanks!!!

 

[scamp]

LAdyBug...if I were you I would find a volunteer position that allowed some patient contact. I filed and did office work at a clinic and it got old real quick. You'll get much more out of it if you around more clinical happenings.

 

[Hallm_7]

I am good friends with a urologist's brother and my aunt is related to a general surgeon. They both got me in contact with them. The awesome thing about it is that I learn so much b/c I'm with them the whole day. I just follow them around and they explain step by step what's going on, they let me look at charts and try to make my own diagnosis on some of the easy stuff, and they even let me do some cool stuff like feel hernias.

I've found that most doctors love to teach. I was following the General surgeon one day and I met a vascular surgeon. The vascular surgeon ended up asking me to come watch him clean out a carotid artery just b/c he loves to teach others what he knows. it was pretty awesome.

Just try to get in contact with a doctor somehow. Most of the time surgeons and hospital based doctors are easier to follow than primary care b/c of privacy issues and the amount of awkward situations encountered.

 

[trauma_junky]

If you want to learn a lot about everything, volunteer in an ER and find a doctor that will let you shadow him/her. Pick their brains! Also, you will get see first hand the biggest problem facing healthcare today, patients not utilizing primary care and the lack of indigent services. Give you something to talk about in an interview.

 

[LadyBug9933]

Originally posted by Hallm_7
I am good friends with a urologist's brother and my aunt is related to a general surgeon. They both got me in contact with them. The awesome thing about it is that I learn so much b/c I'm with them the whole day. I just follow them around and they explain step by step what's going on, they let me look at charts and try to make my own diagnosis on some of the easy stuff, and they even let me do some cool stuff like feel hernias.

I've found that most doctors love to teach. I was following the General surgeon one day and I met a vascular surgeon. The vascular surgeon ended up asking me to come watch him clean out a carotid artery just b/c he loves to teach others what he knows. it was pretty awesome.

Just try to get in contact with a doctor somehow. Most of the time surgeons and hospital based doctors are easier to follow than primary care b/c of privacy issues and the amount of awkward situations encountered.

that is sooo interesting and SUCH great advice! thanks so much

how often did you shadow, and for how long? just once?

 

[Paws]

Hi LadyBug,

If you're in NY you might be finding it hard to get good clinical expereince because (I think) there are so many premeds and FMG who are trying to break into the system and the staff and doctors have already burned out on them.

I had the volunteer lady at Memorial Sloan Kettering basically hang up on me - and she did NOT even send me the application - when I told her I was a premed. So that might be why you have been shoved into the clerical thing.

I have never heard of anyone and I mean ANYONE in NYC actually shadowing a doctor and most volunteer offices come right out and say: you can't do that here.

I had a friend who volunteered in an ER and he was told to not even speak to the Drs and residents and if he ever did he was sharply and very rudely criticised in front of everyone - patients, staff and fellow volunteers. Ouch!

 

[omarsaleh66]

i think medical research is really good, shadowing doctors is good too. Volunteering at hospitals is good, but my interviewers were more impressed with the volunteer work I did outside the hospital like helping ghetto ass children say no to drugs, feeding homeless people, **** like taht....

so i think that teaching kids how to read and that stuff can distinguish u more cuz that shows that u care about the community and are more than just into medical stuff...

peace

 

[Hallm_7]

Stories like that make me glad I'm not from NYC. 😀

Ladybug,
I guess I've followed them 3 or 4 times each. I probably should have kept up with the hours but I didn't.......oh well. I followed them on rounds on a saturday before when he was covering all of his partners' patients and then just during the week for either the whole day or a half day. I don't usually go into their offices to see patients just because it's a little weird....

 

[LoggerLnMn]

Shadowing is a great way to go. I became good friends with an orthopaedist because of a career project and a seperate research paper I completed in HS and have continued to keep in contact with him. I found him for my project by submitting a cover letter and project proposal to the orthopaedics attendings at a local hospital. Out of all of the doctors he was one of two or three that replied and I found he was most willing to help. I shadowed him daily for a few weeks out of the year and continue to do so now as an undergrad. I spend time in clinic where I have had the chance to learn quite a bit about ortho clinical skills/diagnosis, and in the OR i have the chance to scrub and observe. What I have found is that if you are willing to put some leg work into looking, more often than not you'll find a doctor willing to help you... as was said, most docs just love to teach!

 

[Sweet Tea]

Originally posted by trauma_junky
If you want to learn a lot about everything, volunteer in an ER and find a doctor that will let you shadow him/her. Pick their brains! Also, you will get see first hand the biggest problem facing healthcare today, patients not utilizing primary care and the lack of indigent services. Give you something to talk about in an interview.

This is great advice.

I really do think that shadowing is a great way to learn about health care. I asked my family doctor if he knew anyone (preferably a family doc) that I could shadow for a long period of time, and I ended up shadowing him every Monday for 6 months. The experience was incredible-- I got to ask him soooo many questions! I was also very lucky in that my doctor is a preceptor for UNC and Duke medical students, so he ended up putting me through the same program that he does with his students. By the end of the 6 months, I was doing all the histories and some parts of the exam, and he would have me try to come up with a diagnosis. The doctor would of course repeat everything that I had done with the patient, but it was really a really great experience for me, and it provided me with tons of stuff to right about in my PS and to talk about in my interviews.

I never volunteered in the hospital, but I had several friends who volunteered in different areas. They all really got a lot out of the burn unit. However, I don't think you have to volunteer with any set organization.

 

[Chode]

I think you should volunteer in the hospital cafeteria, peeling potatos or washing dishes.

 

[mh2002ny]

Originally posted by Chode
I think you should volunteer in the hospital cafeteria, peeling potatos or washing dishes.

Thanks! That's a fine piece of advice.

 

[Chode]

it is!!!!!!!!!!

see how people that aren't doctors work.
hard work. low money.

makes it easier to study anatomy and pharmacology when you see the gravy train of medicine is going to be your only contact with the kitchen.

lots of spoiled premeds have never worked a day in their life.
doctor will be their first job, and they are A-holes.

volunteer doing a real job so you will appreciate the cush life in medicine