What kind of volunteer work have u done at a hospital

[WorkOnIt]

i'm interested in doing some work involved in a medical environment this semester, like a hospital. but i dont know type of work is best for me. something to do with patient contact would be ideal of course. but what dept. or whatever is that?

P.S. i've inquired at my local hospital, but all they have to offer is clerical work and medical records keeping.

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[UCLAstudent]

I volunteer at the UCLA Children's Hospital in the child play area. If you like kids, I'm sure other hospitals have similar opportunities for volunteer work. Obviously, there is a lot of patient contact involved. It isn't for everyone, though; you need a lot of patience to work with kids.

Also, at some hospitals, they have "patient escort" jobs for volunteers. That would be another way to get interaction with patients. Hope this helps! 🙂

 

[Bostonienses]

Sometimes a hospital will have a "program" where you get to volunteer and shadow a physician at the same time. Call a few hospitals (usually the bigger ones are better because they definitely have it) and tell them that you are applying to medical school and would like to learn more about the profession by observing and helping. Also, another volunteer activity is the outreach van project (OVP).
Another note: Be aware of volunteer opportunities that are pretty standard with the pre-meds in your area. For example, here at BU everyone and their brother does outreach van project. The med schools in Boston know about it and they don't weigh it as much as other activities. If you can't find something in a local hospital that suits you, be unique! Any volunteering counts! It shows character and guts, and you can use it in you AMCAS statement to make you different than other applicants!

 

[WorkOnIt]

that sounds cool. i was think of workin with teenagers and younger that HIV, its at some recreational place tho

any more ideas anybody?

 

[GibbsDuhem]

I contacted the Red Cross and they work with one of the local Hospitals here and I worked in the surgery floor transporting patients and getting exrays and tests to and from the operating room. I did that for a year and then moved to the ER where I took down information on new pateints as they arrived and then transported them back to the ER rooms. After a year of that, I got to volunteer at the Community Free Clinic where it is awesome. I get to do all the initial evaluation stuff like bp, hr,medical history etc. before the Dr.'s see them. But the best part is just getting that one on one patient interaction...it is priceless...and some of the things that I have learned there I will carry with me for ever. Good Luck

 

[JJNY]

Hey workonit,

I noticed you're from NYC....

Check out St. Vincent's. They have a volunteer program for premeds where you get to do "rotations" through each department of the hospital.

I'm not sure of the specifics, but you can always call them and ask... 😎

 

[Cory]

if i remember, there is also a cool program at Bellevue to do a volunteer internship in the ER (i think its only part time, so you can do it while in school i think), and you get to go on ambulance rides around NYC too. i think you have to apply for it though, but check out Bellevue

 

[DannyWSP]

Just like JJNY said, I would look at St. Vincent's if you are in the city. Although this program may be for NYU pre-meds only. I have been volunteering at Roosevelt hospital on 59th and Ninth in the ER for the past four months or so. I volunteer in the evenings, usually pretty late. It is cool, but I would not recommend it if you are looking for a structured program. You really have to make the individual effort to help the patients and observe procedures. To be honest, I have only been relatively successful at getting the kind of exposure I was looking for. It may be worth checking out though.

There are also tons of clinics, etc. around the NYC area that accept volunteers. Especially in the underserved areas and communities. That's one of the greatest aspects about being in NYC. I would do a search in something you are interested in and start calling.

Who does the work with HIV+ kids? I would be really interested in checking that out.

 

[jms2002]

The Bellevue ER in NYC program is called Pavers but you have to do it from Sep to May, no partial time

Do you think getting ER experience is essential? Volunteer opportunities to "candy stripe", visit patients, read mags, etc are much more abundant and flexible......

 

[jms2002]

The Bellevue ER in NYC program is called Pavers but you have to do it from Sep to May, no partial time

Do you think getting ER experience is essential? Volunteer opportunities to "candy stripe", visit patients, read mags, etc are much more abundant and flexible......

 

[jms2002]

The Bellevue ER in NYC program is called Pavers but you have to do it from Sep to May, no partial time

Do you think getting ER experience is essential? Volunteer opportunities to "candy stripe", visit patients, read mags, etc are much more abundant and flexible......

 

[Cory]

Originally posted by jms2002
The Bellevue ER in NYC program is called Pavers but you have to do it from Sep to May, no partial time

Do you think getting ER experience is essential? Volunteer opportunities to "candy stripe", visit patients, read mags, etc are much more abundant and flexible......

oh, sorry, i thought you could do it part time. anyway, i agree with you, i don't think ER experience is essential at all, its just a pretty unique one. i think candy striping is a great idea too, and i'm sure most hospitals have that as a volunteer option.
med schools want to see that you have experienced medicine firsthand, so that you have some educated idea of what you're getting yourself into, not to mention the experiences are extremely rewarding. so anything that can give you that experience is a good one

 

[coredump]

one thing to remember is that volunteering at a hospital, even if you have just clerical-type duties, still gives you a lot of opportunities that you might not get at other places.

A few of my friends started off just transporting patients at the local hospital. But, just by taking the initiative to get to know the physicians and nurses there, they gained some excellent clinical experience through shadowing, conversations, etc.

If you do decide to take the position at the hospital, don't be shy about your desire to get more involved with the patients. A lot of doctors (especially the younger ones) remember what it's like to be a pre-med. This is more-so the case at teaching hospitals.

good luck with your decision.

 

[sperry]

If you're interested in HIV and youth work - I would check out the Callen-Lorde Community Health Center ( http://www.callen-lorde.org/ ) or the Gay Men's Health Crisis ( http://www.gmhc.org/ )as starting points. Both are recruiting volunteers constantly and will either have programs targeting youth or can guide you to another NYC program that would suit your interests.

Don't settle for a hospital position that you're not excited about and will give you little patient contact. Definitely look for something that you're passionate about and that will make you stand our from other applicants. Have fun!!

 

[dsomme]

One of the hospitals I worked at had volunteers help pass meal trays, fill water pitchers, and stock rooms with linens and supplies.

At another hospital, I saw people volunteering in the ER and with physical therapy.

In the ER, they helped transport patients and remake beds. At times this can be slow, but others very hectic. I know of nights were people have had to transfer people to and from CT for an hour and a half nonstop.

Those that were with PT shadowed the physical therapists, helping with getting patients in and out of bed, ambulating patients, basically acting as an extra set of arms and muscles. While you might not be interested in PT, it does allow for a lot of patient interaction. In addition, you get to see a lot of different areas in the hospital: surgical, rehabilitation, medical, cardiac, etc. This might look especially good on your application if you can bring across the amount of patient interaction and the ability to develop a holistic view of medicine.

-dsomme

 

[Adcadet]

I am a hospice volunteer with a large medical corp in the area. The majority of our patients are in-home. I highly highly recommend hospice work. It's pretty much 100% patient contact with people who are really in a medical crisis and can really use some help. If anybody is particularly interested in hospice, feel free to PM me. Otherwise I could just start a separate thread, as I think there are probably a few other hospice volunteers here who have stuff to add.

Hospice was the best thing I did in undergrad. In terms of motivation, it has more to do with me going to medical school than my month shadowing a doctor, my years of research, or my coursework.

 

[SawBones]

When doing volunteer work, I'd recommend doing something unique. Probably 90% of medical school applicants have volunteered in the ER or have pushed patients around, so don't expect anyone to be impressed by these activities. Here's what I did:

I volunteered in the geriatric department of a local hospital. After spending a couple of days learning about the setup of the facility and observing therapy sessions, I noticed that recreational therapy could be done by individuals with no real formal training. So I spent a couple of days observing the recreational therapists at work in hopes of coming up with my own idea for a new therapy. After about a day or two, the idea struck me. I decided I would design a recreational therapy based on old-time radio programs. My plan was to purchase a few old-time radio programs (Jack Benny, Bob Hope, etc.), play them for the patients, and then discuss the programs with the patients. I would ask them about what was going on in their lives when this program originally aired, etc. This type of therapy is called reminiscent therapy and is a genuine type of therapy used by therapists world over. It stimulates the minds of those going through rehabilitation and is considered very therapeutic.

So I typed up this proposal (goals, etc.), presented it to the head of the recreational therapy department, and it was approved. I started my therapy sessions and it was a big hit. I would often have five or six patients listening to these programs using headphones. Then I would just spend the afternoon visiting the different patients and talking about the programs. They loved it.

The local newspaper caught wind of this and they came and followed me around while taking pictures and interviewing me and the patients.

Anyway, when I had my medical school interviews and was asked about my volunteer experience, the committees were always impressed by this activity. It was a helluva lot more fun, more educational, and more meaningful than pushing patients around the hospital in wheelchairs.

In sum... do something original and meaningful, guys. When you apply, you want to stand out. If everybody else is doing the same thing you are doing, then it is time for you to find something else to do.

 

[chopsuey]

I was a Child Life volunteer (basically, spent time in the playroom and playing with kids in their rooms) at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The other major volunteering I've done at hospitals is through the Make-A-Wish Foundation....great organization, if you have the time!

 

[postman]

hey, i volunteered at my hospital er x-ray unit. There is always alot of patients contact and you could really participate.

 

[mishjtnyu]

if i remember, there is also a cool program at Bellevue to do a volunteer internship in the ER (i think its only part time, so you can do it while in school i think), and you get to go on ambulance rides around NYC too. i think you have to apply for it though, but check out Bellevue

What is the name of the internship program? Did you participate in it.

The St. Vincent's program seems great with all the rotations but it is a 1.5 year committment with 3 or 4 hours EVERY week.

Anyother people who participated in the Bellevue program?

 

[acidhouse303]

apply to GMHC if you arent afraid of aids patients... its a very well known program and very impressive, lots of patient contact (depends on what kind of work u wanna do) i think its in chelsea. i know a girl at columbia med who volunteered for them just reading and hanging out w aids patients, bc they need someone else to talk to rather than medical staff and their family u know? but its kinda heavy work kinda sad

 

[Siggy]

Another note: Be aware of volunteer opportunities that are pretty standard with the pre-meds in your area. For example, here at BU everyone and their brother does outreach van project. The med schools in Boston know about it and they don't weigh it as much as other activities. If you can't find something in a local hospital that suits you, be unique! Any volunteering counts! It shows character and guts, and you can use it in you AMCAS statement to make you different than other applicants!

Its the same thing in Orange County, California. One of the hospitals has a Clinical Care Extender Program that everyone and their mother does. The program has over 300 people in it and it is still expanding. Basically, you help out the nurses, techs, and the nurseing assistants (patient care assistants is what they're called) by feeding, moving, restocking, hooking up to monitors, etc.

I guess one way to look at it is that even if everyone does it, then you need to do something else that would be at least comparatible. It would look worse to not do anything when everyone and their mother has done the same local program.

 

[frany584]

I currently volunteer in the ER at my local hospital and i LOVE it! I've volunteered at other hospitals and they just kinda shove you in the back doing crappy paper work. At this hospital they let me work with the triage nurse and i get to do vitals such as blood pressure, temp, and pulse ox. (but i dont do rectal temps on the babies that come in!) also the doctors let me shadow them all of the time and they show me how to do EKG's and read them and how to administer an EKG and i get to go watch when CAT scans are done on patients. Additionally I get a lot of contact time with the patient and I learn a lot of different things from all of the people that work there! also they're short handed by volunteers so my work is definitely appreciated, but to find this opportunity i had to volunteer at several hospitals before and i just stumbled upon this one, although it is not the closest hospital i like it much better! just try different areas and see what suits you best! good luck!

 

[Psycho Doctor]

Hey Sawbones, that is absolutely awesome!!! 👍 👍

That is unique, creative and extremely impressive.

 

[Crake]

Pavers and St. Vincents are both open to Columbia students as well -- so it's not restricted to NYU premeds.

I volunteer at Columbia Presbyterian (and Cornell Weil) and I have to say that volunteering in a teaching hospital has many advantages. For one, the doctors are frequently faculty and they're very willing to teach. Also, they're all involved with research. I work as a research assistant for a vascular surgeon and she allows us to shadow and scrub in for surgeries in addition to doing research. Also, I find that if you do a lot of work on a research project, you can get your name on the publication (not anywhere near first or second author, but still there!) and also get a chance to present at a conference. This is all great clinical/research experience and beats the hell out of killing mice in some lab.