Medical What should I do about clinical volunteering?

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Mr.Smile12

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Hello,
... I didn't start any form of clinical volunteering until late October of 2018 at a hospice. I volunteered from October till mid December, then I graduated in December and started working as a clinical research assistant at a top 20 medical school in January. Due to long waiting lists and logistics, I will start volunteering again next week ( volunteering at children's hospital with kids on Saturdays and hospice on Sundays).... by the time I apply I should have a total of about 200 - 220 hrs. I will continue these activities until matriculation, so I should have expected hours of ~150 hrs as well.

Questions:
1) How bad is this?
2) Should I ditch the Saturday volunteering at the children's hospital and instead volunteer at the hospice both Saturdays and Sundays?
3) Should I take another gap year?
4) Will my experiences/exposure from the African country help me a little?

1) Not bad. Everyone is dealt circumstances when it comes to volunteering in a clinical environment. Keep doing what you like to do and you should be okay.
2) I think since you're out of school at this time, I don't think it matters. It goes to the argument of quantity of activities versus depth of involvement, but I don't see any real need to change, though I'll let others chime in if they think differently.
3) I don't think you need to take a gap year as long as you are properly strategic in choice of schools to apply to.
4) It helps a little if you are able to explain why it was significant in your future role as a physician.

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I graduated in December and started working as a clinical research assistant

I will start volunteering again next week ( volunteering at children's hospital with kids on Saturdays and hospice on Sundays)

2) Should I ditch the Saturday volunteering at the children's hospital and instead volunteer at the hospice both Saturdays and Sundays?
2) I think since you're out of school at this time, I don't think it matters. It goes to the argument of quantity of activities versus depth of involvement, but I don't see any real need to change, though I'll let others chime in if they think differently.
2) Depending on your role at each location, I think that the increased depth of experience provided by continuing with both activities will be of benefit to your application.

Will you have patient interaction with the clinical research gig, too? Or will you instead be working with study participants?
 
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