What Is A Good Number Of Volunteer Hours?

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You really shouldn't think of it that way...
 
Once again...

There is no "formula" for getting in medical school. There isn't a number of hours of volunteer you should work to get in. You just do as much as YOU want.

I really hope people dont volunteer SOLEY for the sake of getting in med school. Do something you enjoy. If you enjoy it a lot, do it more, if you dont, then dont do it.
 
as long as you have 103 hours of volunteer time you are guarenteed to get in. I hope this helps.
 
The trick isn't doing a lot of hours, it's counting every hour that you've done in a hospital or clinical setting. Being born, that's about 24 hours you spent in the neo-natal unit at a hospital. Getting your tonsils out, there's about 6 hours of first hand experience in surgery. Breaking your arm, there's over 6 months experience in orthopedic implant technology. With experiences like that, who wouldn't let you in 😛 😛 😛
 
:laugh: The best part is that it wouldn't even be lying.
 
Like so many things, it just depends on the person. Fortunately, there are equations to make things easier.


4*(MCAT) + (GPA-2)^1.5 + (VOLUNTEER HOURS / 20) + (1 -#STAPLES) + (HEIGHT - 5)*10 + (PERSONAL APPEARANCE [1-10]*10) = PROSPECTIVE SCORE

So, just solve for the number of volunteer hours you'll need using this handy equation. For example, if you only have a personal appearance score of 1.5, you'll need 5567 volunteer hours.
 
Well, in addition to general purpose work and extracurricular activities (the rule for which is whatever you enjoy and contribute meaningfully to), you need to have a decent clinical exposure to some area of medicine, so that you can credibly say you have a feel for what medicine is like. Usually, this means 5 hours a week for one or more school years shadowing a doctor or something semi-clinical in a hospital/outpatient setting that isn't selling coffee at the gift shop or the like.
 
Originally posted by carrigallen
Like so many things, it just depends on the person. Fortunately, there are equations to make things easier.


4*(MCAT) + (GPA-2)^1.5 + (VOLUNTEER HOURS / 20) + (1 -#STAPLES) + (HEIGHT - 5)*10 + (PERSONAL APPEARANCE [1-10]*10) = PROSPECTIVE SCORE

So, just solve for the number of volunteer hours you'll need using this handy equation. For example, if you only have a personal appearance score of 1.5, you'll need 5567 volunteer hours.
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:laugh: good one!


seriously though it really pisses me off when i hear about people doing volunteer work soley to get into medical school. you should be doing volunteer work for the sake of helping out your community, folks. not just to have something that looks good on your app. how are you ever going to know what it's like to work with people and to help people if you don't get out and do it? how are you going to know that you **want** to work with people and help people if you haven't spent ample time doing it?

/GM's typical rant
 
Originally posted by GoodMonkey
:laugh: good one!


seriously though it really pisses me off when i hear about people doing volunteer work soley to get into medical school. you should be doing volunteer work for the sake of helping out your community, folks. not just to have something that looks good on your app. how are you ever going to know what it's like to work with people and to help people if you don't get out and do it? how are you going to know that you **want** to work with people and help people if you haven't spent ample time doing it?

/GM's typical rant
Click to expand...

People are always upset about the "ulterior" motives, but as long as the motives don't affect how you do your job, I don't see why it's such a big deal. I think it can actually be productive for people to volunteer just to put something on their med school application - they can still learn a lot from that work and even help someone out as a bonus. Finally, if you do the required volunteer work to boost your app. and realize in the process you really can't stand people, you might just change your mind about being a physician. So whatever the motive, volunteering is a good thing, and people shouldn't feel bad for not doing it for the "right" reasons.😛
 
Good point, koma. I have a friend who just returned from a week in Ecuador assisting surgeons in rural areas, and she subsequently changed her mind, and won't be pursuing medicine. If she hadn't gone down there planning to do something that would look cool on her app, she wouldn't have had an experience that gave her vital info and may have saved her a heap of cash and trouble.

The problem, however, is people who remain in volunteer positions only because they feel it'll bolster their apps, without gaining anything or giving anything. Those people bother me. But overall, I agree: the reasons for starting are far less important than the person's reasons for staying.
 
So does everyone love volunteering in a hospital?

I can understand how shadowing a doctor can give someone insight on what it is like to be one. How can you make a right career choice by performing irrelevant tasks, even with patient contact? From volunteering so far on the nursing unit, I learned that I don't want to be a nurse, which I haven't considered before either. I still have no clue if I want to become a doctor.

Has anyone been discouraged by their volunteering experience?
 
I got frustrated at my hospital experiences. I could talk with the patients, but I didn't get much clinical experience which was something I wanted. I got my EMT license and I've never even thought of going back to volunteering in a hospital. You get a lot of first hand experience where it's just you (and your crew) having to help a patient, and you will definately find out how dedicated you are to medicine after your first patient has bled and puked and peed all over you (that was an aweful day) 😛 😛
 
I think volunteering at a hospital is lame. I mean its ok for a bit when you are shadowing a physician. But then after awhile it gets old. As a volunteer there isn't much you can do in a hospital.

I'd say there are plenty of volunteer programs out there that would get you more hands on experience than actually being in the hospital. You just have to look.

Bottom line...don't be part of a certain volunteer program because you feel there are a certain number of volunteer hours that must be fulfilled. Join volunteer programs that you sincerely think you would enjoy being a part of.
 
Originally posted by carrigallen
4*(MCAT) + (GPA-2)^1.5 + (VOLUNTEER HOURS / 20) + (1 -#STAPLES) + (HEIGHT - 5)*10 + (PERSONAL APPEARANCE [1-10]*10) = PROSPECTIVE SCORE
Click to expand...

WOW! I got a 241. Being 6'6" and good looking really helped :laugh:
 
I would love to volunteer for a non-medical organization but has anyone gotten into med school without volunteering in a hospital for at least 6 months?
 
[
If you have to ask then you aren't ready for medical school, or any other professional school for that matter.
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Some people don't have that much time to spend volunteering. They have other responsibilities like work, family... They cannot dedicate 100% of their time to being pre-med, like their lucky counterparts that only have to concentrate on getting into med school for four years. I think it's a legitimate question.
 
A good rule of thumb that a friend of mine in Medical School gave me was that any volunteer experience that you put on your application should be 40-50 hrs. I hope that helps.
 
I would love to volunteer for a non-medical organization but has anyone gotten into med school without volunteering in a hospital for at least 6 months?
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I haven't volunteered in a hospital since I was 14. While I do have clinical volunteer experience the bulk of my volunteering experience was not medical. I got interview last year, unfortunatly I got waitlisted and not in, and I didn't talk about my any of my clinical stuff I talked about my hobbies, my philosphy about medicine, and the place I did the bulk of my volunteer work.

I would say if your volunteer work or regular work experiences are meaningful to you then it would be a better situation than working in a hospital if you are not interested in hospital work.
And I know this is going to bother alot of people but part of what bothers me about hospital work is that it's more geared towards the nursing aspect of medicine and not the being a doctor aspects of medicine. And while I think nurses are great and do way too much work I don't want to be a nurse.
 
if u want pure numbers of a solid application, my guess would be 4.0 gpa, 40 mcat, and 400 hrs of verifiable hospital volunteering. 😀
 
I agree with apparition.
I work with patients in a hospital, my live-in boyfriend is a doctor-(we've been dating since he was MS2)
I have wanted to be a doctor since I was 5. I really don't think I NEED to volunteer to see if I like the field or to know something about "what it's like to be a doctor".

On top of that, I work full-time and am attending pre-med classes---so to the OP, don't feel bad for asking, I think it is a legitimate concern for many pre-meds. . . myself included....who happens to be 26 and holding down a career---so don't take that, "you're not mature enough" crap either. . .

My advice is don't break your neck to do meaningless volunteer work--keep your application well rounded, but don't ever sacrifice your grades for volunteer stuff--in my opinion.
 
I think it comes down to whether you need the experience to evaluate your decision to become a physician. Some people may not. But its a good way for med schools to ensure that applicants have _some_ insight into what acutally goes on. Of course the experience varies; and yes, may be boring or useless depending on the hospital. But it still serves its purpose as far as med schools are concerned.

Personally though, ive enjoyed volunteering. Several others I know dont, and just read or study during their 'volunteer' hours..
 
Everyone says volunteering is the best way to figure out whether you want a career in medicine, but really, what can you do as a volunteer? Most hospitals have "strict" regulations about volunteers asking for shadowing opportunities (usually: Don't ask, won't give). And while sitting by a child's bedside as their parents take a break, or reading to a child to get his mind off his medication gives YOU satisfaction, how many doctors have you seen doing that?
If you're looking for an intimate look at medicine, apply for a summer internship somewhere. Volunteer because you want to contribute to your community, or as someone else pointed out, for whatever reason you might have.
🙂
AP
 
Volunteering at a local free clinic has been a great way for me to develop skills in working with patients, doing vitals, reading charts, speaking Spanish, seeing what doctors do, asking myself, will I be happy doing this day after day? People are happy to teach me stuff, and I have a lot to learn.

Volunteering also opens doors for shadowing, and establishes credibility when I ask to shadow. All my successful shadowing contacts have come by word of mouth; unsolicited letters to local docs have been 100% unsuccessful. I have shadowed senior physicians at major regional hospitals; local specialists in private practice; family practice docs (DO and MD); etc.. It has been a great way to learn more and get more skills (some of them will let me take a history or do vitals, once they see that I have some experience). I also get to see the day-to-day operations of all kinds of different practices, and ask if this is the kind of business I want to be running.

So I think it's great. But, I also think that volunteering in a medical setting (unlike many other settings) is often incompatible with having a regular job and a 9-5 (or 8-6) schedule.
 
i did my year of volunteer work at the hospital. it wasnt very fun, and i will never do it again.

next year, im going to actually do something i can enjoy, like tutoring or something. if med schools think i dont have enough clinical experience, whatever.
 
Originally posted by UCLAMAN
I think volunteering at a hospital is lame. I mean its ok for a bit when you are shadowing a physician. But then after awhile it gets old. As a volunteer there isn't much you can do in a hospital.

I'd say there are plenty of volunteer programs out there that would get you more hands on experience than actually being in the hospital. You just have to look.

Bottom line...don't be part of a certain volunteer program because you feel there are a certain number of volunteer hours that must be fulfilled. Join volunteer programs that you sincerely think you would enjoy being a part of.
Click to expand...

Hey UCLAMAN, did you see the other volunteering stories thread? Apparently, VOLUNTEERS are able to observe operations, check vitals, and basically take on the role of medical assistants. How that is possible, considering liability...I don't know.😕
 
I was told at my hospital that I could never touch a patient, even if it was something like a pat on the shoulder to reassure them, just because of the liability. I've never seen a volunteer do vitals though. Sure he can get the pulse and respirations, but BP is something it takes training to do, and is a tricky thing to get, and is probably the most important vital sign to get right. Was this some special volunteer program you were a part of which gave you this training?
 
Originally posted by Violinrose
Hey UCLAMAN, did you see the other volunteering stories thread? Apparently, VOLUNTEERS are able to observe operations, check vitals, and basically take on the role of medical assistants. How that is possible, considering liability...I don't know.😕
Click to expand...

Ya I know...I was involved in a program where I did those things. Check patients in, take temps, BPs, observe some surgical procedures. I think its interesting at first...but then I think it gets kinda old. You don't get to call the shots like you would as a doctor. After a couple hundred pulses and BPs it gets lame. Sure you get to see certain procedures but I don't think its worth the amount of time you are there. I just think that time could be better spent making more of an impact instead of being free labor for the nurses.

Certainly to each their own. Such an experience may have been a great highlight for you....for me, it wasn't.
 
Originally posted by AverageMan
I was told at my hospital that I could never touch a patient, even if it was something like a pat on the shoulder to reassure them, just because of the liability. I've never seen a volunteer do vitals though. Sure he can get the pulse and respirations, but BP is something it takes training to do, and is a tricky thing to get, and is probably the most important vital sign to get right. Was this some special volunteer program you were a part of which gave you this training?
Click to expand...

Yes, there was training involved. There was a 4 unit class we had to enroll in and there was a rigorous application process with interview. We were taught about common URI problems, GI problems, viral vs. bacterial symptoms, depression, vitals, orthostatics, drug abuse, basic first aid, checking tonsils, feeling lymphnodes, etc. We were the wannabe doctors of the residence halls, decked with a big box of various OTC drugs, a stethoscope, BP cuff, and first aid supplies. The program I was involved in was lots of fun and taught me a lot...as a spinoff from this program we could also take these skills to the hospital. But in the hospital all they really used us for as checking patients in and taking their vitals. Lame. At the dorms we could actually use what we learned. And although we could only "prescribe" OTC drugs, I saw the role as a much better microcosm of being a physician than merely checking patients in at the hospital. Even down to the paperwork we had to fill out(which everyone hated) after every single encounter with a resident.
 
Try the free clinics, especially if you speak any Spanish or other languages!

I went in with just a WFR credential and good BP skills. I had to get checked off the first three times on each kind of visit (6w post-partum, neonate check, etc.), and I can't do shots or anything like that, but at least I get lots of patient contact and lots of vitals. The staff are very nice to me and always thank me for coming in.

I think the difference is that this clinic runs on a very small budget, always needs extra help, and the volunteers actually save time for the staff instead of adding to their workload.
 
Originally posted by MeowMix
Try the free clinics, especially if you speak any Spanish or other languages!

I went in with just a WFR credential and good BP skills. I had to get checked off the first three times on each kind of visit (6w post-partum, neonate check, etc.), and I can't do shots or anything like that, but at least I get lots of patient contact and lots of vitals. The staff are very nice to me and always thank me for coming in.

I think the difference is that this clinic runs on a very small budget, always needs extra help, and the volunteers actually save time for the staff instead of adding to their workload.
Click to expand...

I agree...this is actually what I was referring to when i said "outside of the hospital." Free clinics are usually in desperate need of help and IMO make better use of volunteers and you get a lot more patient contact there.
 
Originally posted by Apparition
So does everyone love volunteering in a hospital?

I can understand how shadowing a doctor can give someone insight on what it is like to be one. How can you make a right career choice by performing irrelevant tasks, even with patient contact? From volunteering so far on the nursing unit, I learned that I don't want to be a nurse, which I haven't considered before either. I still have no clue if I want to become a doctor.

Has anyone been discouraged by their volunteering experience?
Click to expand...


I feel ya Apparition. I'm volunteering at a ER right now and not really enjoying it. Well for one, I'm doing morning shifts..which is the slowest of all the times. Also, the ER has tons of volunteers so they don't really know who you are nor do they care to know... and I hate how if the staff needs something, they call me, "Hey volunteer..." I haven't really learned much from my volunteer experience with the ER.

I really want to do shadowing because I think that will give me a clearer idea if medicine is right for me, but I don't know how to go about doing that. I want to go into ophthalmology and I heard that it's very hard to shadow an opthalmologist, you would need connections or something. Grr.
 
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