What are some of the best things you can volunteer for that admissions will like?

[vaxop]

Please name some

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[RDood]

drug dealer, prostitute, meth-addict

 

[vaxop]

anyone who isnt a smartass?

 

[RDood]

oooh, smart-ass is another great volunteer activity.

On a serious note, do things that would be considered "clinical experience" ie in a hospital, free clinic, etc. General volunteerism is good, but clinical experiences are better.

 

[spospo]

in my opinion, do what you like and what you want to do. if you are only volunteering to impress adcoms, then i think there is a problem there. yes, try to get something clinical in, but it doesn't have to be in a hospital (try a clinic maybe). try some things out and see what you really like. don't volunteer just to please others.

 

[vaxop]

thanks
ill try at a free clinic, but here all we can get for volunteer opportunities at a hospital is working in a bake shop or something for free.
these people exploit the fact theres so many students looking to volunteer for something useful at a hospital so what they do is stick them in jobs like this to waste their time.

with a doctor, the best ive been able to find is working as a secretary, no real medical-related experience.

 

[MDMAMA]

Volunteer for something that you are passionate about. If your heart isn't in it, you won't be as likely to volunteer consistently nor will you speak about it in as enthusiastic terms.

 

[premeddick]

What if you volunteer for the admissions committee?? you know like make coffee and run errands and stuff...

I think you can volunteer doing anything you like. You need to have clinical experience but I think for the volunteer experience anything will do.

 

[vaxop]

ill try at a free clinic, but here all we can get for volunteer opportunities at a hospital is working in a bake shop or something for free.
these people exploit the fact theres so many students looking to volunteer for something useful at a hospital so what they do is stick them in jobs like this to waste their time.

with a doctor, the best ive been able to find is working as a secretary, no real medical-related experience.

 

[vaxop]

ill try at a free clinic, but here all we can get for volunteer opportunities at a hospital is working in a bake shop or something for free.
these people exploit the fact theres so many students looking to volunteer for something useful at a hospital so what they do is stick them in jobs like this to waste their time.

with a doctor, the best ive been able to find is working as a secretary, no real medical-related experience.

 

[RDood]

Whoops. Make sure not to use the "back" button after posting.

Anyway, yeah, I've worked at a free clinic for a year now, instead of at my school's hospital which everyone seems to do at my school. I've had a lot more opportunities, but it was useful only because I'm interested in primary care/family practice.

 

[Dr Durden]

Try a hospice. It's a medical setting, off the beaten pre-med track, and the end of life issues are sure to provide plenty of fodder for essays and interviews.

 

[tracy34]

Please name some

Well I think if you go to a university associated with a hospital/med center...e.g. UCI or UCLA if you're in CALI, then get involved in volunteering through a Ugrad-run organization. I got my best LOR from the advisor of this club I'm in...you're also less prone to abuses. hope this helps~

 

[Mac11]

Try something overseas. Everyone always says that learning abroad is a "life changing experience"

Even if it isnt, you could still write essays about how it changed your life?

 

[TomWestmanRules]

What are some of the best things you can volunteer for that admissions will like?

Probably anything volunteer that shows some sort of ambition to help people.

i.e. Volunteering to sit at a desk or hand out pamphlets or some garbage probably doesn't impress them too much.

 

[lunaire]

Volunteer for something you can be passionate about. Then you can express this during the interview for some major points.

 

[jackieMD2007]

I mean, why don't you just structure your whole f-ing life around what you think the adcom wants?

This **** is bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S. Do some clinical something. Get good grades. Try to not be a complete tool. Don't join the premed club.

 

[RDood]

Don't join the premed club.

Seconded.

 

[ChymeChancellor]

Seconded.

Better yet, join the premed club and bring the other premeds down from the inside. Except only DR. EUGENIC could pull it off....

 

[TomWestmanRules]

Don't join the premed club.

Take that a step further. RIP on the premed kids in your classes. Kills the time spent in class and immediately makes you the professor's favorite student.

Then turn around and become a pre-med too, unexpectedly.

 

[jackieMD2007]

Take that a step further. RIP on the premed kids in your classes. Kills the time spent in class and immediately makes you the professor's favorite student.

Then turn around and become a pre-med too, unexpectedly.

Yes. And remember, Kids: PREMED is NOT a major. "Biology" is your major, or "Art History" or whatever. And go hit it with some hotties while you still can. Put down the orgo notes.

 

[leahmaria]

ill try at a free clinic, but here all we can get for volunteer opportunities at a hospital is working in a bake shop or something for free.
these people exploit the fact theres so many students looking to volunteer for something useful at a hospital so what they do is stick them in jobs like this to waste their time.

with a doctor, the best ive been able to find is working as a secretary, no real medical-related experience.

I was able to job shadow a ton this summer and it was a great experience. It wasn't volunteer work, but if you shadow you'll be seeing a lot more of medicine than selling doughnuts. I would definitely recommend it

I am going to be in Chicago doing a medical internship this fall...so I'll be doing something more than observing, but we'll see how all that works out...and it's for college credit, so it's not really volunteering either.

 

[NY Musicologist]

Math/science tutoring for middle/high school kids. If there's not a preexistent program, so much the better...start one!

 

[RDood]

Take that a step further. RIP on the premed kids in your classes. Kills the time spent in class and immediately makes you the professor's favorite student.

Then turn around and become a pre-med too, unexpectedly.

Isn't that called a "sniper?"

 

[crazy_cavalier]

I sent you a PM.

Hehe, I see someone else also thought of the middle school tutoring idea that I mentioned in the PM...

 

[MiesVanDerMom]

Yes. And remember, Kids: PREMED is NOT a major. "Biology" is your major, or "Art History" or whatever. And go hit it with some hotties while you still can. Put down the orgo notes.

ooh ooh, I second this! and then come on here and tell me about it so I can live vicariously Live it up kids! You're only young once

Oh, and Jackie: the first time I was pre-med I actually started the pre-med club at my school! My burn out was inevitable (note: I hit no hotties while pres of that club but many fond memories were made in my post-pre-med days )

seriously don't live your life for adcoms. it's inauthentic. Camus would smack some sense into you

 

[grindcm]

Well...this is officially my first post...And right now i'm a volunteer firefighter...Offers tons of free classes...i'm a certified first responder...its definately off the beaten path... Just an option to consider...

 

[AggieJohn]

So much had for pre med clubs.

 

[J-MUNCH]

Please name some

Remember it's like women.

Quality is always better than quantity.

 

[vaxop]

thanks everyone

 

[Mac11]

I mean, why don't you just structure your whole f-ing life around what you think the adcom wants?

you think adcom wants me to do that? oh man...

 

[45408]

I love how everyone bashes on the "other" pre-meds in their class, but then everyone posts about how they use the professor's office hours, they stay late in the library, and they like sitting up front. But no, they're not like the other pre-meds. They're covert-ops pre-meds. NOBODY KNOWS that they're pre-med! In fact, they're more like pre-PhD students, they're so smart.

 

[morriske]

I love how everyone bashes on the "other" pre-meds in their class, but then everyone posts about how they use the professor's office hours, they stay late in the library, and they like sitting up front. But no, they're not like the other pre-meds. They're covert-ops pre-meds. NOBODY KNOWS that they're pre-med! In fact, they're more like pre-PhD students, they're so smart.

I was pre-PhD as an undergrad, actually started a PhD program in Biochem but I'm really not that smart...

Who took color coded notes in orgo? That's a sign of a real pre-med

 

[63768]

I was pre-PhD as an undergrad, actually started a PhD program in Biochem but I'm really not that smart...

Who took color coded notes in orgo? That's a sign of a real pre-med

omg my ex gf did that. sitting in class, she'd have 3 differently colored pens, and 3 highlighters to highlight the stuff she'd just written. there'd always be a hurried unclicking, reclicking of pens and highlighters all through class.

i can't hate on her too much. after all, as jackiemd instructed, we have to hit it with some hotties while we can.

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

I was pre-PhD as an undergrad, actually started a PhD program in Biochem but I'm really not that smart...

Who took color coded notes in orgo? That's a sign of a real pre-med

Pre-med machine would tell you that real pre-meds don't need colored pens to excel at orgo! Are you going to write your Harvard secondary with colored pens? That's just bunk!

 

[45408]

I was pre-PhD as an undergrad, actually started a PhD program in Biochem but I'm really not that smart...

Who took color coded notes in orgo? That's a sign of a real pre-med

Nah, they just memorize the entire lecture as they hear it, and during the exam, they can just replay it in their heads like Mozart.

 

[mmmkay121]

drug dealer, prostitute, meth-addict

In addition, I suggest you combine two of the above to kill two birds with one stone. Combine the experiences of a prostitute and a drug addict by becoming a crack *****! Do that and clinical research.

 

[julie29524]

I've actually heard that volunteering at a nursing home or hospice is really great, because you have to have a lot of maturity and compassion to work at these two places?

It takes A LOT to be working with people with terminal diseases, I've known people that cried on their first day of volunteering at a hospice, and can't go back because they are not emotionally strong enough.

Hope this helps.

 

[dantt]

Better yet, join the premed club and bring the other premeds down from the inside. Except only DR. EUGENIC could pull it off....

Hahaha, is there a story behind this?

 

[45408]

I've actually heard that volunteering at a nursing home or hospice is really great, because you have to have a lot of maturity and compassion to work at these two places?

It takes A LOT to be working with people with terminal diseases, I've known people that cried on their first day of volunteering at a hospice, and can't go back because they are not emotionally strong enough.

Hope this helps.

actually, the hospice was really boring, and it was kinda uneventful when somebody died. That's just me. The ambulance was a blast though.