Which volunteering opportunities to choose...?

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zxcv1234

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Here are some volunteering opportunities that I am interested in at a hospital. Im not sure which ones to choose - any thoughts would be appreciated. :)

-Floor Duty: Run errands for nursing staff and patients, fill patients' water pitchers, visit patients, answer call lights, discharge patients and other duties.

-Physical Medicine/Sports Medicine (rehab services): assist physical and -occupational therapists in patient treatment, answer phones, file and perform other duties as requested.

-Surgery Liaison: assist staff with errands and other duties to help patients prepare for surgery, communicate patient information to surgery receptionist.

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zxcv1234 said:
Here are some volunteering opportunities that I am interested in at a hospital. Im not sure which ones to choose - any thoughts would be appreciated. :)

-Floor Duty: Run errands for nursing staff and patients, fill patients' water pitchers, visit patients, answer call lights, discharge patients and other duties.

-Physical Medicine/Sports Medicine (rehab services): assist physical and -occupational therapists in patient treatment, answer phones, file and perform other duties as requested.

-Surgery Liaison: assist staff with errands and other duties to help patients prepare for surgery, communicate patient information to surgery receptionist.

They all seem like scut work to me. #2 looks good if you get to assist in treatment. The surgery one might be decent to if you are allowed to watch surgeries. Ask the coordinator if other volunteers have ever had that opportunity. If it isn't allowed, it might not be a good idea to do #3 then. Also, if you have a chance, talk to past volunteers and ask them about their experience.
 
remarkal3le said:
They all seem like scut work to me. #2 looks good if you get to assist in treatment. The surgery one might be decent to if you are allowed to watch surgeries. Ask the coordinator if other volunteers have ever had that opportunity. If it isn't allowed, it might not be a good idea to do #3 then. Also, if you have a chance, talk to past volunteers and ask them about their experience.

Haha, yeah they do all seem like scut work... but then again, most premed clinical contact is scut work isn't it? I agree that #2 looks most promising in terms of actual meaningful experience.
 
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Go for volunteer work in a hospice. Hospitals are sooo....2004.

If it were me in your situation, and I had to go for the hospital, my order of preference would be 2 > 1 > 3.
 
zxcv1234 said:
Here are some volunteering opportunities that I am interested in at a hospital. Im not sure which ones to choose - any thoughts would be appreciated. :)

-Floor Duty: Run errands for nursing staff and patients, fill patients' water pitchers, visit patients, answer call lights, discharge patients and other duties.

-Physical Medicine/Sports Medicine (rehab services): assist physical and -occupational therapists in patient treatment, answer phones, file and perform other duties as requested.

-Surgery Liaison: assist staff with errands and other duties to help patients prepare for surgery, communicate patient information to surgery receptionist.

Floor duty may not be bad if you are at a teaching hospital and can watch residents, attendings, med students, etc. You may even get to shadow Dr's and watch nurses perform basic care procedures.

Volunteering at a hospital is NOT scut work!! Geez you guys! Being in the hospital environment in any capacity is a chance to analyze the hospital as a workplace as well as everything else.

Be positive even if you are just following people around for awhile. Once everyone gets to know you, you'll get greater responsibility and more opportunities to be most involved. Everyone initially starts out doing whatever is available at most major hospitals. You'll progress.

Good luck!!! :luck:
 
Based on the responses so far I think Ill be a surgery liaison if I get to watch surgeries (that would be sweet).

If that does not work I'll volunteer for floor duty if it is a teaching hospital.

And then if none of the above works, Ill volunteer in rehab services.
 
Shadow a physician.
 
I would vote for #1, then #2, then #3 because it seems to me that #1 gives you the greatest opportunities to see sick patients and actually talk with them (and becoming comfortable with them) and to observe the inpatient floor setting which is where the action is (where you'll be spending a big part of m3 & m4 years). You may also get to see how physicians and nurses interact and do their jobs.

#2 is about equivalent to working in a gym except that the people working out are "rehabing" from injury or surgery. You won't see any doctors, there might be time for small talk with patients but for the most part you are going to be setting people up to do so many reps, etc.

#3 is going to be mostly running errands for staff and relaying messages between staff & receptionist. You might see patients but most won't be in the mood to talk. If you see surgeries it is going to be at a distance (scrub nurses are really mean when it comes to making sure that you do not get too close to the drapes or otherwise contaminate the field) and what you see will be a rectangle of flesh surrounded by drapes. Watching surgery is of no help to anyone at the hosptial so you'll be allowed to do it once in awhile but your usual job will be running things here and there.
 
zxcv1234 said:
Here are some volunteering opportunities that I am interested in at a hospital. Im not sure which ones to choose - any thoughts would be appreciated. :)

-Floor Duty: Run errands for nursing staff and patients, fill patients' water pitchers, visit patients, answer call lights, discharge patients and other duties.

-Physical Medicine/Sports Medicine (rehab services): assist physical and -occupational therapists in patient treatment, answer phones, file and perform other duties as requested.

-Surgery Liaison: assist staff with errands and other duties to help patients prepare for surgery, communicate patient information to surgery receptionist.

1. Phys/Sports Med (Patient Care)

2. Syrgery Liason (Partial Patient Care)

3. Floor Duty (No Patient Care)
 
LizzyM said:
I would vote for #1, then #2, then #3 because it seems to me that #1 gives you the greatest opportunities to see sick patients and actually talk with them (and becoming comfortable with them) and to observe the inpatient floor setting which is where the action is (where you'll be spending a big part of m3 & m4 years). You may also get to see how physicians and nurses interact and do their jobs.

#2 is about equivalent to working in a gym except that the people working out are "rehabing" from injury or surgery. You won't see any doctors, there might be time for small talk with patients but for the most part you are going to be setting people up to do so many reps, etc.

#3 is going to be mostly running errands for staff and relaying messages between staff & receptionist. You might see patients but most won't be in the mood to talk. If you see surgeries it is going to be at a distance (scrub nurses are really mean when it comes to making sure that you do not get too close to the drapes or otherwise contaminate the field) and what you see will be a rectangle of flesh surrounded by drapes. Watching surgery is of no help to anyone at the hosptial so you'll be allowed to do it once in awhile but your usual job will be running things here and there.

:thumbup:
 
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