Where Did You Volunteer

[Spiker]

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I had volunteering experience during my freshman year ~50 hours in ER room. It totally sucked, I changed about 10 bed in like 3 hours and really have nothing to do. They want you to walk around constantly, I just feel like I am getting in people's way. And it didnt help that I did time on Sunday around noon time when nothing really happens.

Now I am trying to find a new volunteering experience. Local free clinic's position was filled up like 3 months ago...figures college town. All other free clinics are 40 minutes away from both my house and my college....so I cant really go there on weekdays. I am free on friday and weekend but free clinics opens then...especially because I want to do something not just for the summer.

What do you think i should do? Find a place just for summer? (most place want you dedicate at least 4 month). Or find a non-clinical position?

 

[Shawnpremed]

Trust me, I've volunteered in the ER for over 2 yrs and it is NOT as glamorous as it is on TV. Unless if you're in a trauma ER, it's not uncommon to be changing sheets, delivering samples, transporting patients, NOT getting attention from type A ER docs.
If you find ANY community service job that you'll enjoy for a longer period of time, do that. If you enjoy cleaning beaches, go for it. As long as you get clinical exposure elsewhere, there's nothing wrong with volunteer community service that may not involve docs/healthcare.

 

[Hyperstudyosis]

I volunteered in the ER and the CVICU. I never got any attention from docs/nurses in the ER, but the CVICU was a different story. The physician's assistant in the CVICU took me under her wing and she let me work with her every time I was there. She taught me a lot about cardiology. She also introduced me to the surgeons and I got in on a bypass surgery and some other procedures. Plus I got to go on rounds with the doctors and the doctors would teach me about interpreting x-rays, medications, anatomy, physiology, etc.

 

[TexasPhysician]

Wow. I would never have changed sheets. Yall definitely got into it.

I volunteered for Big Brothers/Big Sisters, helped plan events for an organization for the mentally disabled, helped raise funds for charity organizations, etc.

Volunteering should be about doing something you are passionate about. If you are passionate about cleanliness and sheets, then I'm sure that is fine.

I would definitely NEVER volunteer in a hospital. If you are in a hospital, get some shadowing done. Decide what specialty(s) you are interested in, etc. Learn something.

Life in general should be about doing things you enjoy and IMO learning things that are interesting to me. This should apply to medical school applications too. If you don't enjoy something, don't do it. Find something you like, so that when you are in an interview, you can be passionate about your CV.

 

[SleepingJune]

Volunteering should be about doing something you are passionate about. If you are passionate about cleanliness and sheets, then I'm sure that is fine.

Life in general should be about doing things you enjoy and IMO learning things that are interesting to me. This should apply to medical school applications too. If you don't enjoy something, don't do it. Find something you like, so that when you are in an interview, you can be passionate about your CV.

My thoughts exactly. I volunteer at a therapeutic riding center because I love horses and I love the work that's done there. I think it would be better to volunteer in a place you can be enthusiastic about, otherwise it becomes just another mandatory job/line-filler on your application.

 

[gnu]

I think its ok to volunteer in the hospital. The trick is finding a cool clinic or something within the hospital. Where I went to school I found a volunteer position in a cardiac rehab center. It was basically a gym except we took vitals, monitored ECGs, and did clinical exercise tests. It was way hands on and I got tons of patient interaction with recovering patients. I've had friends look into similar specialty clinics with results like mine.

I agree the ER sucks, but sometimes thats what med school wants. Nothing shows you really want it like emptying bedpans and changing sheets. It's more about just being there and watching the docs and nurses do their things.

 

[D and D]

I volunteered at a non-profit family planning clinic (not like a planned parenthood). Because we only had one ob/gyn working in the clinic, as a counselor I was responsible for obtaining medical history, getting vitals, and simple tests like pregnancy and HIV tests (the oral swab tests not blood), as well as counseling on birth control etc.

Overall it was a pretty large time commitment b/c of the initial training, but it was well worth it. I know you said the clinic in your area already had an intern, but I highly recommend trying to work in some clinic setting, especially ones with low funding, where they can really use your help.

 

[kac714]

i volunteered in the er for about 60 hours, and then in a children's hospital in psychiatry for 8 months- that was awesome, there was a ton of patient interaction. my er was pretty nice, they let me watch procedures like bone reductions and i got to help set a 5 yr old's broken arm... i think it depends on the ER.

 

[Signaq]

A local hospital offers a volunteer opportunity in the NICU holding babies. I'm not doing this, but I would guess it would be a good opportunity to interact with families and have a little meditative time pondering the emotional toll working with such tiny/vulnerable patients.

I already work in hospitals providing direct patient care, so for my volunteering I am a Girl Scout leader, and I spend a few hours a week with my son at a animal shelter. For me, working with animals who have been abandoned or scheduled to be put down helps me manage the dread I still sometimes feel when working with patients that for whatever reason are in desperate situations. It also helps me involve my family in my premed busyness. I also hope soon to start volunteering at a GLBT telephone crisis line.

 

[TexasPhysician]

i volunteered in the er for about 60 hours, and then in a children's hospital in psychiatry for 8 months- that was awesome, there was a ton of patient interaction. my er was pretty nice, they let me watch procedures like bone reductions and i got to help set a 5 yr old's broken arm... i think it depends on the ER.

While you might have done some volunteer activities while you were there, the above is more of a shadowing experience. Of course you need shadowing experience in a clinical setting, but the OP was asking about strictly volunteer activities. If you don't get a ton of patient interaction (shadowing like experiences), usually hospitals are not good places to get volunteer experience IMO.

I do however find that "baby holding" volunteer experience worthwhile however. These are babies usually withdrawing from drugs or who don't have a family that wants them. Either way, studies have shown that interaction with people is vital at an early age. Spending your time to help children is a great experience. Spending your time folding sheets or doing clerical work in the ER doesn't really help anyone IMO.

 

[Brent8927]

I suggest looking into counseling positions--I feel these are overlooked by most pre-meds.

I volunteered at the Berkeley Free Clinic as a peer counselor. We had six months of training, and then tons of patient interaction since it was one-on-one counseling. It's a really enjoyable/fulfilling thing to do because you really get to know people (especially if you take on long-term clients) and learn about what they're going through (medical, psychological, problems related to homelessness, etc.)--and I can't say how much it'll help me in becoming a better and more understanding doctor. In particular, you learn better listening skills, which is something I often hear people complain about regarding their doctors.

Listening to someone talk for an hour, and being there completely for them, can be a very rewarding experience.

If that isn't your thing, consider volunteering for the public health department, the social services department (or social services company), Healthcare for the Homeless, or just call up some private clinics and ask if you can volunteer for them. A lot of potential great positions out there are positions that aren't listed and may not currently exist, but if you show interest and take the initiative to contact someone and ask if you can volunteer, they will often be happy to have your help.

Good luck!

 

[mvenus929]

A local hospital offers a volunteer opportunity in the NICU holding babies. I'm not doing this, but I would guess it would be a good opportunity to interact with families and have a little meditative time pondering the emotional toll working with such tiny/vulnerable patients.

I wanted to do this so badly when I started volunteering at the hospital, but they required that you be at least 21 to do it. And we don't really have a NICU at the hospital I'm near now (we have a special care nursery, but the really critical patients get transferred up to the Children's Hospital).

I worked in the peds playroom at the hospital for about a year. I loved it when kids would come in, but I volunteered around lunch and nap time, so not many did.

Most of my volunteer hours either come from random activities I did in undergrad (Relay for Life, Cool Science, Science Olympiad, etc), or from the non-profit organization I was named President of.

I agree with people above. Don't worry about finding something clinical. Volunteer doing something you're passionate about. Alternatively, try doing something you wouldn't otherwise do, like working with the homeless or handicapped, etc. That'll give you a new glimpse of the world that you might not otherwise have.

 

[sarahg]

A local hospital offers a volunteer opportunity in the NICU holding babies. I'm not doing this, but I would guess it would be a good opportunity to interact with families and have a little meditative time pondering the emotional toll working with such tiny/vulnerable patients.

All the hospitals I know of that offer this have a really long waiting list, like 1 year. You have to put your time in changing sheets before you get to do that. I won't be living in the same city for an entire year for awhile so unfortunately it's not an option for me. Good motivation for someone that stays at the same hospital for awhile though.

Those who did find cool departments in hospitals, what were they? I'm looking into volunteering at the VA hospital by my summer apartment for the next 3 months partly as a way to meet doctors to shadow (I work 9-to-5 and figure it might be difficult if I just email doctors and ask if I can shadow them during night call). Which of the open 24/7 departments is most fun?

 

[Omni]

Volunteered at a hospital in during the last two years of high school, Ever since I started college, I've been volunteering at my first aid squad. Loved it very much, but now, my passion/fire in EMS seems to be fading. Hopefully its shortlived.

 

[Ari1584]

volunteered at 2 animal shelters, at after school program for disadvantaged kids (let me tell you...this NEVER gets boring!), hospital, doc's office, and then did random event type things for habitat, babyfold, fundraisers, and threw a christams party for the boys and girls club (one of the most fun!)