What part of the hospital should I get volunteer experience in?

[Ryan17]

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So I'm planning to volunteer at a nearby hospital, which happens to be a Level 1 Trauma Center, to get some volunteering experience over the next 18 months as I build my application for med school and take postbac classes.

A friend of mine in med school says its better to volunteer in concierge services/hospitality because you interact with more people, and volunteers in the ER basically do nothing except stand around.

Any thoughts? What part of the hospital do you guys think will be the most meaningful, and look good on an application? Thanks!

 

[jeghaber]

Any position that gives you patient contact will be good if you enjoy the position. I volunteered in a pediatric playroom because I like working with kids. I got to play bananagrams, videogames, and paint picture games for 4 hours a week -- it was pretty fantastic.

 

[CW 2010]

I'd go for ER. At the hospital where I used to work at, they eventually allowed volunteers to stock the rooms, to transport stable patients, etc. You will get to see a lot of interesting things, especially in Level I Trauma.

 

[jeffs office]

Any position that gives you patient contact will be good if you enjoy the position. I volunteered in a pediatric playroom because I like working with kids. I got to play bananagrams, videogames, and paint picture games for 4 hours a week -- it was pretty fantastic.

+!

 

[phantomcello]

You should volunteer in a department where you will have human (patient, physician, etc.) interaction. Try to avoid positions where you will just be filing documents. Ideally you could get some patient interaction and learn about and see healthcare in a hospital setting.

 

[VisceralFlame]

All of the positions would look favorable, but I'd recommend the ER if you can. Not only was it exciting, but I got a decent amount of patient interaction too. They'll have you bring new patients back to the rooms when they arrive or bring others out in a wheelchair, etc


CCOM Class of 2017

 

[Ryan17]

Sounds like patient interaction is the key factor here from what you guys are saying. So if I can get something in the ER, that's ideal, I just need to make sure I won't be sitting in the corner doing nothing?

 

[musicalMD]

I have tried to vary my volunteer experience as much as possible. I figure if you do a little bit of everything, you may stand a better chance. As an example, I did project in the medical records building at the hospital. No patients, but I got experience with the paperwork side of medicine. I also worked several days in patient registration and had direct contact with patients. I helped them sign in for procedures and "calmed the riots" when people had to wait longer than expected. Definitely two very different experiences!

 

[TheShaker]

I've done ER and ICU and, while the ER is more exciting, the ICU gave me more to talk about. I think you can better understand how patients progress when you see them week after week. It's also quieter so the nicer nurses are more willing to teach you stuff.

 

[phantomcello]

Sounds like patient interaction is the key factor here from what you guys are saying. So if I can get something in the ER, that's ideal, I just need to make sure I won't be sitting in the corner doing nothing?

Whichever department you will enjoy being in and will give you a good amount of patient interaction would be ideal. And definitely make sure that you are NOT sitting in a corner doing nothing. That would defeat the purpose, wouldn't it?

 

[lobo.solo]

Primary care clinic & ER

 

[JGimpel]

Do anything you can to spend time in an ICU and look up everything when you get home. If you get a really cool staff member that you can approach with "I noticed this and looked it up, does this mean that...?" you'll have some awesome stuff to talk about in your interviews.

 

[musicalMD]

Oh that was the other thing I forgot to mention. When I worked in medical records, I had to go through the files of deceased patients and only keep certain forms. (The rest of the file was thrown out because they were just sitting in the filing cabinet taking up space.) It was super cool because you rarely get to go through patient files as a volunteer. It was super cool and I actually learned a lot through doing it!

 

[pyrrion89]

I liked the nursing units the best because we got to talk to the most patients without being continually ordered to make beds. You also got to answer patients' calls to the clerk or "round" on the patients and ask if they needed anything. If they needed something medical, you would talk to nurses, techs, sometimes the doctor. Basically try to find a spot where you maximize patient interaction and have roles that are less housekeeping and more caregiving. Pick something that gives you more exposure to how care is delivered and ideally makes you part of the care delivery service.

The quality of the department really depends on the hospital, so try to sample them first before you commit somewhere. Some think the ED is the best, but it can depend. In our hospital, ED was horrible. They would not let you talk to patients and you would seriously be making beds for about 80% of the time you're there.

I also enjoyed same-day surgery because it was like the nursing units except less hectic and smaller in scale. That meant the nurses knew you... Also, the nurses there were nicer (you'll learn some departments have a different personality among the staff). Again, this all depends on the hospital you go to. It was also great to overhear the anesthesiologists talking to the patients pre-op.

Also, make friends with the imaging techs. They are usually really happy to answer questions and let you follow them around. They can even take you into the imaging labs, which are really fun to see. The CAT scan room was especially fun. This was just something I decided to do during my shift as a ED volunteer. Sometimes you just have to seek opportunities on your own and realize you don't have to mindlessly stick to what you're assigned.

 

[Gauss44]

ER volunteers can be SUPER BUSY.

Offer to do stuff:
"I can transport that patient if you like?"
"Would you like me to walk the visitors (wherever)?"
"Can I hand him a blanket?"
"I can get that meal or beverage?"
"I overheard you. Can I get that oxygen tank for you?"

Before you know it, you'll have plenty to do! This also will show that you are a self-starter; that you don't need someone else telling you what to do. You can find things to do on your own! That's a huge plus.