Why do you do volunteer work?
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I started doing volunteer work after my first son was born because I found a cause that was important to me, they needed help, and it gave me something to do from home that allowed me to stay active, and keep my brain from atrophy. I've volunteered for several different nonprofits, all related to birth/breastfeeding, since 1997 because I'm passionate about it. I want to help. I believe it enriches my life. About halfway through I found out that I could put all that great experience on my resume and it looks damn good, too.
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There should be an option for "I do it because I enjoy it." It has nothing to do with helping people necessarily, although that's an added plus.
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My parole officer says I have to.
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totalbodypain said:
haha thats what I was gonna say. I really like to clean up the sides of the interstate, oh and the fact the state is mandating it.
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Am I too drunk to read the poll results correctly? Right now it says that each of the two leading choices are coming in at 57%! And there is a third choice! much greater than 100
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nocallaochicas said:
Some loser voted for more than one choice.....Wait..That loser was me. My bad....
The American Board of Internal Medicine thinks it's important, so, to that end, (among other places) Duke Internal Medicine residents are required to do 10 hours per year of volunteering (it's certainly encouraged, but, at the end of the day, it's required).
On the other hand, in the medical community I'm joining, there is a free clinic manned by volunteers from all disciplines, so the time needed varies by the specialist (like, 4 hours for the dermatologist, and 1 hour for the EM and FM) - that is not a knock on those specialities - the extra time needed for these other specialities is often a benefit for the patients, so everyone wins.
My contract requires administrative duties, but the president says (rightly) that we are required to "do something you like", as people required to do administrative tasks that their hearts are not into do those jobs poorly.
So, to summarize this long-winded post, sometimes it's required, but, also, as DropKick Murphy states, maybe people like to do it.
On the other hand, in the medical community I'm joining, there is a free clinic manned by volunteers from all disciplines, so the time needed varies by the specialist (like, 4 hours for the dermatologist, and 1 hour for the EM and FM) - that is not a knock on those specialities - the extra time needed for these other specialities is often a benefit for the patients, so everyone wins.
My contract requires administrative duties, but the president says (rightly) that we are required to "do something you like", as people required to do administrative tasks that their hearts are not into do those jobs poorly.
So, to summarize this long-winded post, sometimes it's required, but, also, as DropKick Murphy states, maybe people like to do it.
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I started volunteering for several reasons, some not as good-samaritanly as the others.
One, it was a good place to be when I wasn't in school. I volunteered in the local hospital as a front desk secretary, and it kept me out of a lot of bad crap my friends were all getting into. And I think it helped keep me focused in school - all high school volunteers would be "relieved" of duty (read: fired) if their unweighted GPA fell under a 3.0, no exceptions.
Two, I needed 200 volunteer hours for a scholarship.
Three, it was a great place to be. The employees were fantastic, and it was good experience in a medical environment. It was partially what helped me decide I wanted to be a doctor in the first place!
One, it was a good place to be when I wasn't in school. I volunteered in the local hospital as a front desk secretary, and it kept me out of a lot of bad crap my friends were all getting into. And I think it helped keep me focused in school - all high school volunteers would be "relieved" of duty (read: fired) if their unweighted GPA fell under a 3.0, no exceptions.
Two, I needed 200 volunteer hours for a scholarship.
Three, it was a great place to be. The employees were fantastic, and it was good experience in a medical environment. It was partially what helped me decide I wanted to be a doctor in the first place!
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When I was a premed I volunteered in an ER just as a resume builder. It was a waste of time. I did nothing and learned nothing because I didn't want to be there.
Later in med school I volunteered at a free clinic, basically working as a triage nurse. Didn't need it for my resume so I took it more seriously. I loved it. I even went on call when others couldn't come in. I learned a hell of a lot and did some good.
Don't volunteer unless you can get into it. It's not worth it.
Later in med school I volunteered at a free clinic, basically working as a triage nurse. Didn't need it for my resume so I took it more seriously. I loved it. I even went on call when others couldn't come in. I learned a hell of a lot and did some good.
Don't volunteer unless you can get into it. It's not worth it.
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I volunteer to spend my limited free time in one of two places:
- with my family
- by myself
I already spend close to 80 hours/week in the hospital. The notion of doing extra work for some worthy cause is, well, extra work at this point.
As an undergrad, my volunteer work in the univ hospital ER was equal parts
- do I really like this doctor stuff enough to make a career out of it?
- something to pad the med school app
I had no delusions that my volunteer work, as an ignorant unskilled extra pair of hands vs. one more person to get in the way of the educated skilled people, was in any way significant. I bailed from that gig after the app checkbox was checked.
- with my family
- by myself
I already spend close to 80 hours/week in the hospital. The notion of doing extra work for some worthy cause is, well, extra work at this point.
As an undergrad, my volunteer work in the univ hospital ER was equal parts
- do I really like this doctor stuff enough to make a career out of it?
- something to pad the med school app
I had no delusions that my volunteer work, as an ignorant unskilled extra pair of hands vs. one more person to get in the way of the educated skilled people, was in any way significant. I bailed from that gig after the app checkbox was checked.
