When is it safe to drop volunteering after acceptance?

[zempa]

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With the volunteering how long must you stay on after you get accepted? One of my volunteer was something like doing mundane work in a hospital (delivering medicine, water, food, etc.) but I had a bunch of hours for it and on my amcas I put start date - present. Recently I haven't been doing it because of interviews/school and am now considering dropping it all together. Would that be ok? or can I get rescinded?

At the end of the day I do want to rest a bit - I've worked very hard for 4 years and want to recharge for the next part of my life (med school)

 

[Artimacia]

I don't think they'll drop you. If you really don't like it, then maybe see if there is something else you can do, even if it's less patient contact, just to have a little something to do on the side, ya know? But if you really don't feel like doing it right now, then don't.

 

[zempa]

I don't think they'll drop you. If you really don't like it, then maybe see if there is something else you can do, even if it's less patient contact, just to have a little something to do on the side, ya know? But if you really don't feel like doing it right now, then don't.

ye I am also volunteering in an emergency room which I will definitely continue doing. I guess my question is how far does the word "present" extend to.

 

[riverjib]

With the volunteering how long must you stay on after you get accepted? One of my volunteer was something like doing mundane work in a hospital (delivering medicine, water, food, etc.) but I had a bunch of hours for it and on my amcas I put start date - present. Recently I haven't been doing it because of interviews/school and am now considering dropping it all together. Would that be ok? or can I get rescinded?

At the end of the day I do want to rest a bit - I've worked very hard for 4 years and want to recharge for the next part of my life (med school)

Fair enough. As long as you haven't committed formally (Americorps) or informally, meaning that you promised to carry out a specific project, you're fine, and you deserve the break 🙂

 

[Artimacia]

ye I am also volunteering in an emergency room which I will definitely continue doing. I guess my question is how far does the word "present" extend to.

My guess would be whenever after the initial interview/acceptance. There's a post right now about reasons for rescinding acceptances, I would suggest you look in there and ask there. It seems the general consensus is that you'd be fine to drop it (especially since it's almost the end of the year and you are still at the ER) if you really want to.

 

[zempa]

My guess would be whenever after the initial interview/acceptance. There's a post right now about reasons for rescinding acceptances, I would suggest you look in there and ask there. It seems the general consensus is that you'd be fine to drop it (especially since it's almost the end of the year and you are still at the ER) if you really want to.

Thanks, ye I actually did post in that thread originally but nobody answered so I decided to make a new thread. Either way that thread really scared me lol because I never even considered this being a way I could get rescinded.

Anyways thanks for the input guys.

 

[Artimacia]

Thanks, ye I actually did post in that thread originally but nobody answered so I decided to make a new thread. Either way that thread really scared me lol because I never even considered this being a way I could get rescinded.

Anyways thanks for the input guys.

Yea, I think it would have to be much more serious (like failing classes, criminal charge, lying (if you made a big commitment like mentioned above), etc...)

 

[rHinO1]

If you wrote "to present" on the application then that only implies that you were doing it at least up until the time the application was filled out. Is is better to say you are still doing that activity when asked in an interview? Of course it is. However, as long as you tell the truth then you will be fine, especially if you are keeping up with your other activities. IMO if you don't like doing it then drop it and be happier.

 

[Marcus Brody]

I'm pretty sure you could call the dean of admissions and explain, "Hi, I'm not volunteering a single hour now until medschool, what do you think about that?" And they'd be like, "um, whatev, see you in August."

But this all makes me question your altruism or how personally meaningful these endeavors were if you're just willing to drop them because you've accomplished some external goal. Makes me think that not only did you go into them for the wrong reason, but you never developed the right attitude about them along the way either. Maybe you should think about that.

 

[7starmantis]

Ok, call the school and ask, look at their website, even ask current students. Dont look for official information for your specific school in threads on the internet. Your future should mean more to you than that.

That being said I would laugh till I peed on myself if I heard of a school rescinding an acceptance because you stopped some of the volunteer work. I recently moved close to my med school (actually right after my interview) and haven't been doing not one of the things on my application since and wont until matriculation. Take a break. I have been doing some other volunteer work and all just because I haven't found a job (bored) and I enjoy doing it. However my med school will never hear of any of it so its not for them.

If you dont like it, drop it. There is no sense in being stressed, tired, burnt out, etc before starting medical school. Relax and enjoy life for the last time. 😀

 

[jvesco22]

Think about it man. How would ANYONE know if you dropped it? And even if you did, you could make up any reason that you wanted to. When you put old date - present, present refers to that specific day you are filling out that question. So even if you stopped the day after you turned in your application, you were being truthful.

If you don't want to do it anymore, or if you feel like you can use your time for better things, then by all means stop it. There is no reason for you to keep doing it unless you genuinely enjoy the work. Good luck in whatever you decide.

 

[The Enchanter]

Think about it man. How would ANYONE know if you dropped it? And even if you did, you could make up any reason that you wanted to. When you put old date - present, present refers to that specific day you are filling out that question. So even if you stopped the day after you turned in your application, you were being truthful.

If you don't want to do it anymore, or if you feel like you can use your time for better things, then by all means stop it. There is no reason for you to keep doing it unless you genuinely enjoy the work. Good luck in whatever you decide.

+1

I can't imagine that busy admissions offices are calling people at every accepted student's EC/volunteer activity to make sure they're still doing it and if they find out you've quit, decide that you're unfit for medicine and rescind your acceptance.

 

[Appless]

stop doing it end of story. I know I did. Instead I found a job and another volunteer experience I actually enjoy.

 

[175961]

I'm pretty sure you could call the dean of admissions and explain, "Hi, I'm not volunteering a single hour now until medschool, what do you think about that?" And they'd be like, "um, whatev, see you in August."

But this all makes me question your altruism or how personally meaningful these endeavors were if you're just willing to drop them because you've accomplished some external goal. Makes me think that not only did you go into them for the wrong reason, but you never developed the right attitude about them along the way either. Maybe you should think about that.

+1

stop doing it end of story. I know I did. Instead I found a job and another volunteer experience I actually enjoy.

so you hated all your medically relevant volunteer experience??

 

[Appless]

+1

so you hated all your medically relevant volunteer experience??

no thats not what im saying. But there was one place i did not enjoy volunteering at that i stayed at for the sake of my application. In my time off i decided to voilunteer at another place that i love to be (which due to school commitments i couldnt do while at school) and work a few jobs 🙂. Thats all i was saying.

 

[zempa]

no thats not what im saying. But there was one place i did not enjoy volunteering at that i stayed at for the sake of my application. In my time off i decided to voilunteer at another place that i love to be (which due to school commitments i couldnt do while at school) and work a few jobs 🙂. Thats all i was saying.

👍

Same goes for me - if you read above I said I am staying at the emergency room because that's something I enjoy - this on the other hand was something I started a while back and didn't feel like quitting right before the app cycle would be a good idea.

 

[osumc2014]

I'm pretty sure you could call the dean of admissions and explain, "Hi, I'm not volunteering a single hour now until medschool, what do you think about that?" And they'd be like, "um, whatev, see you in August."

But this all makes me question your altruism or how personally meaningful these endeavors were if you're just willing to drop them because you've accomplished some external goal. Makes me think that not only did you go into them for the wrong reason, but you never developed the right attitude about them along the way either. Maybe you should think about that.

👍 yep no one cares

 

[flip26]

I put "until present" for activities that were still going on as of the date of AMCAS submission. It doesn't obligate you to do any more of it beyond submission.

Or did you put down a number of hours that would have only been accomplished if you continued to do the activities? Not a very honest thing to do, but it won't matter at this point. IIRC, future activities are not supposed to be listed on the AMCAS.

 

[Geekchick921]

Nevermind, meant to make this my own post.

 

[7starmantis]

But this all makes me question your altruism or how personally meaningful these endeavors were if you're just willing to drop them because you've accomplished some external goal. Makes me think that not only did you go into them for the wrong reason, but you never developed the right attitude about them along the way either. Maybe you should think about that.

+1

so you hated all your medically relevant volunteer experience??

🙄 and then

Seriously.

1.) Medically relevant volunteering as a pre-med = nothing remotely close to or even "relevant" to being a physician. Disliking mopping up bloody diarrhea doesn't relate to disliking being a physician.

2.) Taking some time to have fun, spend with family, travel, sleep, play games, etc after being accepted does not speak to a persons altruism. You could love serving in soup kitchens but everyone needs time to relax and reflect. Taking time to unwind might be what is needed to get you through med school which is what you need to take your altruism further in your life.

just saying

 

[Narmerguy]

1.) Medically relevant volunteering as a pre-med = nothing remotely close to or even "relevant" to being a physician. Disliking mopping up bloody diarrhea doesn't relate to disliking being a physician.

+1 I think people overstate the need to volunteer at a hospital. I think any volunteering would be looked at favorably so long as you get some other exposure to the different settings in a hospital. I tried hospital volunteering for a semester and got sick of it instantly. I don't aspire to be a janitor =\ I'd rather my volunteer work be something that has a more meaningful impact on people, not cheap labor for the hospital in the name of med school admissions.

 

[redsbear]

I'd rather my volunteer work be something that has a more meaningful impact on people, not cheap labor for the hospital in the name of med school admissions.

Same here. I volunteered in an ER and had no problem doing so when they were busy or there were things that needed to be done. But when I looked around while doing mundane tasks (unpaid), and all the ER techs (paid) were chatting or surfing email/craigslist, I saw no reason to continue!

My wife is also due with our first in a week, so that along with an acceptance just added exclamation points to my decision...

 

[flip26]

+1 I think people overstate the need to volunteer at a hospital. I think any volunteering would be looked at favorably so long as you get some other exposure to the different settings in a hospital. I tried hospital volunteering for a semester and got sick of it instantly. I don't aspire to be a janitor =\ I'd rather my volunteer work be something that has a more meaningful impact on people, not cheap labor for the hospital in the name of med school admissions.

The main benefit of volunteering at a hospital is that it can kill "2 birds with one stone" - you can get clinical exposure AND volunteer brownie points at the same time. It is a "win-win"

Personally, I think people should do whatever floats their boat. But whatever one does as far as volunteering goes, be sure to have significant clinical exposure, too.

 

[7starmantis]

my wife is also due with our first in a week, so that along with an acceptance just added exclamation points to my decision...

congrats!!