Which sort of volunteering would you choose?

[Geekchick921]

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I have about 3000 hours of clinical experience at a job, and about 100 hours of volunteering at a cat rescue from early in my college education. In regards to my other ECs, you can check my MD apps, though I don't think they're very pertinent to my question.

I want to start volunteering again, but I am not sure if I should look more for some clinical volunteering (of which I have none, just work experience) or community/non-clinical volunteering involving people (instead of animals). I am confident I can find something I would enjoy in either area. Which would you choose?

 

[Catalystik]

Nonmedical.

 

[FloatOn]

You have the clinical stuff down, and I don't think it matters if it was paid or not. I would do the latter (community/non-clinical volunteering involving people) in something that truly interests you, whether people here think it's "med school material" or not.

 

[BlueElmo]

Choose the latter one. You have enough clinical stuff, IMO.

 

[tixe]

I think you have most areas covered. Like others have said I would do some sort of local community work, food bank, shelter, foster care. If I had the process to do all over again I would go meet with the admin director for the school that I really want to go to and ask them how my app looks and what they look for and how to improve it.

 

[Morsetlis]

If I had the process to do all over again I would go meet with the admin director for the school that I really want to go to and ask them how my app looks and what they look for and how to improve it.

I think that's the best advice anybody could give a premed besides "high GPA/MCAT".

 

[flip26]

Without knowing precisely how much physical patient interaction you had in your jobs, I say look for a volunteer position in, say, a free clinic, as opposed to the more traditional pre med "clinical" gigs like patient escort at a hospital, etc. Free clinics give volunteers tons of face time with patients.

Otherwise, I would not go out and get a volunteer gig just so you can say "me too." Yes, med schools are looking for altruistic folks, people who serve others, serve the community, blah blah blah, but you have already done that through work and other volunteer activities.

 

[Geekchick921]

Thank you, folks. I am looking into some kind of volunteer tutoring/homework help. I think I'd really like to do that. I know PAL has a program for that, and I think my local library does, too, but they don't take new people until March or April. I am also probably going to call the school attached to my parish and probably the local public school, too. Any other suggestions about where to look?

 

[Geekchick921]

Without knowing precisely how much physical patient interaction you had in your jobs, I say look for a volunteer position in, say, a free clinic, as opposed to the more traditional pre med "clinical" gigs like patient escort at a hospital, etc. Free clinics give volunteers tons of face time with patients.

I got plenty of direct patient contact during the two years I was on an in-patient unit.

 

[J ROD]

I would do the tutoring thing and look for some nonmed stuff like feeding the poor.....

volunteering with cancer kids is also a good thing to see on an app. 😉

 

[Geekchick921]

I would do the tutoring thing and look for some nonmed stuff like feeding the poor.....

volunteering with cancer kids is also a good thing to see on an app. 😉

Aww, geez. I don't think the cancer hospital around here HAS a pediatrics division. I'm SCREWED! 😛

 

[J ROD]

Aww, geez. I don't think the cancer hospital around here HAS a pediatrics division. I'm SCREWED! 😛

🙁 it is like gold!! 🙂