What's the fine line between shadowing & volunteering?

[oaksen]

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Basically, here is what I am doing at the pharmacy store:
1)Observing the pharmacist make IVs and eye drop solutions
2)Filling out medications but w/ the pharmacist making the final checks on the amount that I took out
3)Labeling bottles with the printed labels
4)Answering telephone calls for the pharmacist
5)Looking up medications online and discussing with the pharmacist about what the drug does to be familiar with it

I am not sure if I'm spending my time at the pharmacy shadowing or volunteering or both. Also I am doing this at the both a hospital pharmacy and a small private pharmacy in California, so what information can I reveal on PharmCAS and in interviews about what I do at the pharmacy without jeopardizing my pharmacist's license?

Thank you in advance!

 

[EBT12]

I personally would consider what you are doing shadowing.

I think of volunteering as generally working to help the underserved (ex. volunteer time at a free medical clinic, big brother big sister, homeless shelter, etc). That may be a narrow definition, though, so perhaps some one else has insight.

 

[xtsukiyox]

I like EBT's definition, but I'm not the most qualified to respond. In the interest of internet narcissism, though, here goes.

Shadow = for profit
Volunteer = not-for-profit / hospital

Shadow = odd jobs directly supervised by the pharmacist, if you get to touch anything at all
Volunteer = defined role, usually relatively independent (like a job) after training

As far as the legality, I have nothing educated to add.

 

[R2pharmD2]

I've always thought of shadowing as strictly passive observation and volunteering as being an active participant in something. What you're doing sounds like volunteering to me, but I'm not sure the distinction really matters that much.

 

[oaksen]

I've always thought of shadowing as strictly passive observation and volunteering as being an active participant in something. What you're doing sounds like volunteering to me, but I'm not sure the distinction really matters that much.

In my personal statement, I stated that I was shadowing the pharmacist. Initially, I thought shadowing was only "observing." But with the other things I do in the pharmacy, it seemed more than just observing. So then I should change "shadowing" to "volunteering?"