Why is Volunteering In A Hospital Beneficial?

[ribbondino]

Everyone always says that volunteering at a hospital will boost your chances of getting in to a good medical school... I would understand that if you were spending time with patients / anything to do with patients, but in the area I live the only volunteer opportunities at our hospital are working at the gift shop and sorting paperwork. Is that really going to be beneficial to me?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[La Presse]

Volunteer at a hospice.
Ask doctors to shadow if you truly want patient contact.

Certain hospitals do not allow you to shadow until after a period of time--in my experience, at least.

 

[ribbondino]

Volunteer at a hospice.
Ask doctors to shadow if you truly want patient contact.

Certain hospitals do not allow you to shadow until after a period of time--in my experience, at least.

I didn't think of the hospice.
Our hospital here is really big and impersonal, their shadowing only lasts one day and you can only do it x amount of times in a year....they reserve internships and etc primarily for the nursing students and tech students.
Thanks for your reply!! If you have any other suggestions I would be happy to hear them also!

 

[WildEMDoc]

Hospital volunteering is useless a lot of the time. Better to do clinical volunteering in nursing homes, hospice, free clinics, and children's hospitals (if its playing with the patients etc).

Just my opinion though, I may have just had a very very bad experience with hospital volunteering.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile app, forgive my typos!

 

[911 Turbo]

Hospital volunteering is useless a lot of the time. Better to do clinical volunteering in nursing homes, hospice, free clinics, and children's hospitals (if its playing with the patients etc).

Just my opinion though, I may have just had a very very bad experience with hospital volunteering.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile app, forgive my typos!

what happened

 

[WildEMDoc]

what happened

I just never did anything. All I did was get in the way. I can't remember ever even saying two words to a pt.

I can't elaborate too much since I'm on my phone. But I'll tell you that I gained so little through the experience that I decided not to even put it on my app. I had absolutely nothing to say about it if it came up in an interview.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile app, forgive my typos!

 

[anon3]

Volunteering isn't about you.

IMO I doubt it matters where you're working at the hospital for you or for the adcoms unless you come up with some revelation that won't bore a doctor (most of your interviewers) or adcom (who've probably read thousands of essays with some variant of the sick patient that changed an applicant's life.) The only benefit to a volunteer i can see is that it dispels some myths and preconcieved notions some people without any experience in a clinical setting may have.

You volunteer and keep at it because you want to (or you just want to give the appearance that you're an altruistic dedicated person interested in healthcare.) If you're really interested in doing something, you'll find a way to bypass the lines of the average pre-med waits in or you weren't interested enough.

 

[NickNaylor]

The "right" answer: it exposes you to the hospital environment, which you will presumably be spending significant time in, and it also demonstrates your "interest" in service

The actual answer: pretty much nothing

 

[Geebeejay]

The "right" answer: it exposes you to the hospital environment, which you will presumably be spending significant time in, and it also demonstrates your "interest" in service

The actual answer: pretty much nothing

+1. I always felt useless and in the way as a volunteer, but the one thing it does allow you to do is put your foot in the door.

 

[ShenanigansMD]

+1. I always felt useless and in the way as a volunteer, but the one thing it does allow you to do is put your foot in the door.

👍 Good way to get shadowing gigs.

 

[circulus vitios]

It saves the hospital $7.25 an hour or whatever minimum wage is in your area and it gives admissions committee members an excuse to be even more out of touch with real life.

 

[Skull Pell]

I work in a hospital as a tech - this gig gives me a lot of pt contact and paper. That's the better route IMO. As a volunteer, you'd only be stocking gloves, isolation gowns, masks, stack boxes, cut suction tubing. I never found the fun in that. With pt contact, you'd see the human behind the disease. You'd have a lot to talk about when it comes to having this kind of exp firsthand.

I'm still new at sdn, and I dunno how to quote on the mobile app, but i agree with the comment above mine - I had pretty good shadowing gigs too 😉

 

[typicalindian]

Because who else will get patients blankets and pillows?????

 

[ribbondino]

The "right" answer: it exposes you to the hospital environment, which you will presumably be spending significant time in, and it also demonstrates your "interest" in service

The actual answer: pretty much nothing

Yeah... I got a lot of answers I expected. I have shadowed a bit for various surgeons, and I agree that volunteering would open doors to more shadowing.

I wonder why volunteerism is regarded so highly if it means nothing. When I picture volunteering in my head I think of people spending time with patients and bringing them food/medicine(po of course)/reading material and etc.

Could someone tell me more about volunteering in a hospice? Someone told me that you have to sign contracts to do it, and that you have to come at specific times. This wouldn't work for me too well because of changing class schedules...

Tell me your experiences in a hospice! (Nursing homes too, if you have any of those.)

 

[JorgeWashington]

Yeah... I got a lot of answers I expected. I have shadowed a bit for various surgeons, and I agree that volunteering would open doors to more shadowing.

I wonder why volunteerism is regarded so highly if it means nothing. When I picture volunteering in my head I think of people spending time with patients and bringing them food/medicine(po of course)/reading material and etc.

Could someone tell me more about volunteering in a hospice? Someone told me that you have to sign contracts to do it, and that you have to come at specific times. This wouldn't work for me too well because of changing class schedules...

Tell me your experiences in a hospice! (Nursing homes too, if you have any of those.)

I've volunteered in a couple of hospitals since starting college. It's been a meh experience, as I don't have too many responsibilities. I've volunteered at a hospice for one year. It, on the other hand, has been one of my most valuable experiences! It required a lot of training, 30 minute bus ride, but I get incredible interactions with patients. I feed them, transport them, help them with personal care, visit with them, hold their hand, read to them, and have sat with patients alone as they have passed away. It really is incredible.

Also, in my 6 med school interviews, hopsice came up 5/6, whereas my hospital volunteering came up 1/6. This is partially because I listed hopsice as one of my most rewarding experiences, but it is apparent that my interviews thought it was an incredible clinical volunteering experience.

So, if you can get that type of interaction in volunteering in a hospice near you (compared to working in a gift shop), make sure to do hospice!!!! Or do both like I did.

 

[Anathema]

Most volunteering just seems bland to me. I don't know where people get off saying, "You need real patient contact to know you are the doctor the people of the world need." Yeah ok, I'll restock your tissues Mrs. O'Reilly. Hopefully that'll teach me how to become a better doctor.

Honestly, it seems like at most hospitals you'd be better off touring for patient contact than actually volunteering. Being a hospital volunteer can look extremely cookie cutter unless you're actually devoted to it. I decided to volunteer at a veteran's hospital because it was important to me in some ways (not to say other hospitals are less important) so I have a reason there.

 

[circulus vitios]

Most volunteering just seems bland to me. I don't know where people get off saying, "You need real patient contact to know you are the doctor the people of the world need." Yeah ok, I'll restock your tissues Mrs. O'Reilly. Hopefully that'll teach me how to become a better doctor.

Honestly, it seems like at most hospitals you'd be better off touring for patient contact than actually volunteering. Being a hospital volunteer can look extremely cookie cutter unless you're actually devoted to it. I decided to volunteer at a veteran's hospital because it was important to me in some ways (not to say other hospitals are less important) so I have a reason there.

I don't get why reading to patients or holding their hand has anything to do with being a doctor. Doctors manage and treat disease. Obviously doctors can't be cold, calculating robots, but come on.

 

[HSUReddie]

Maybe I'm being too idealistic (well, I know I am), but in an ideal world, volunteering would prove that we're all selfless, great human beings who care for others. 🙄 Seriously though, I think people should find something applicable to volunteer with that they love. Yeah, maybe loving it doesn't matter for listing it on an application, but when it comes time for interviews, I feel like people can really tell when you're being genuine.

I'm volunteering in the teen room right now at a children's hospital. I basically get to hang out and play video games. Not a bad gig at all. 🙂

 

[bearofthesnow]

I volunteer in my local hospital's NICU. My only real responsibility is to hold babies that need calming or just human contact. It varies in intensity depending on who I am holding, but it's great exposure to nurses, doctors, and family. The patients are pretty adorable too. I would totally do this even if I wasn't applying to Med School 🙂

 

[maaza1]

Wow I guess I'm really blessed.

The hospital where I volunteer at allows me to go talk with patients in their rooms. I go to three different wards and just hang out with each patient, converse with them, and get them stuff like books, pillows, and etc.

The ER is also pretty cool. I get to transport patients, answer call lights, transport them around the hospital (main building, OR, etc.). I also get to watch traumas...I just stand in a corner, watch and listen. Oh, and I train people too.

Fortunately, It's been a really rewarding experience for me!

 

[ribbondino]

Wow I guess I'm really blessed.

The hospital where I volunteer at allows me to go talk with patients in their rooms. I go to three different wards and just hang out with each patient, converse with them, and get them stuff like books, pillows, and etc.

The ER is also pretty cool. I get to transport patients, answer call lights, transport them around the hospital (main building, OR, etc.). I also get to watch traumas...I just stand in a corner, watch and listen. Oh, and I train people too.

Fortunately, It's been a really rewarding experience for me!

First of all, thank you everyone for your replies!! Keep them coming 😉

I think you are EXTREMELY blessed. The hospital around here is nothing like that. I don't know if it is because it is so big and busy or what, but blah. I also live in a college town, so I'm sure many people want to volunteer.

If everyone has the idea that volunteering is really a worthless experience, why do applications want so much of it? I feel like people must make things up...
If I could get a semester internship with a physician or surgeon, do you think that would look great or just okay?

 

[notbobtrustme]

Wow I guess I'm really blessed.

The hospital where I volunteer at allows me to go talk with patients in their rooms. I go to three different wards and just hang out with each patient, converse with them, and get them stuff like books, pillows, and etc.

The ER is also pretty cool. I get to transport patients, answer call lights, transport them around the hospital (main building, OR, etc.). I also get to watch traumas...I just stand in a corner, watch and listen. Oh, and I train people too.

Fortunately, It's been a really rewarding experience for me!

I think that's pretty normal (save for the trauma part, that's actually kind of cool). But you described is basically a bunch of stupid scut work and a waste of time. I had access to all that (save for the trauma part, but we never got any trauma anyways) and after about 2 sessions, it just gets old.

 

[anon3]

The "right" answer: it exposes you to the hospital environment, which you will presumably be spending significant time in, and it also demonstrates your "interest" in service

The right answer is that it isn't about you. You'd volunteer in your spare time anyways even if you weren't applying for med school. of course why not combine your altruistic self with your interest in healthcare *wink* *wink*

Didn't 'teach for america' or something (i forgot the exact name) become a fad for weaker apps to take a year off when med students started reporting a couple were in each med school class? what did teaching inner city kids for a year have to do with being a better doctor? But applicants got wind of this and when I was a student interviewer, half the applicants who take a year off sounded to me like they were adlibiing lines from Michelle Pfeiffer in 'Dangerous Minds.'

 

[NickNaylor]

I don't get why reading to patients or holding their hand has anything to do with being a doctor. Doctors manage and treat disease. Obviously doctors can't be cold, calculating robots, but come on.

But how else can you demonstrate your love for patients?!?!?!?! 😕😕😕

 

[Dmr6186]

I think it depends on what you make of it. I started off volunteering at my hospital as a patient transporter. Really my job was just following an employed transporter and helping him push the wheelchair or stretcher to a test. Glamorous right? Not really. I mean the patients liked how fast I pushed them, so that was fun. But after 6 months I was hired as a part-time employee transporting patients, giving me more personal patient contact and interaction with staff. Soon I became good friends with the ED staff and transferred to become an ED tech. Now I'm getting a lot of patient care experience and performing basic diagnostic tests like EKGs and blood draws. And this all started following some dude around the hospital??? Never would've dreamed it.

It really depends on what you make of it and who you're friendly to. Because when they're looking to hire someone, you would wanna hope it's that person they saw working so hard giving blankets or pillows 😉 Trust me, we look at the volunteers!

 

[rangoon1984]

I wonder why volunteerism is regarded so highly if it means nothing. When I picture volunteering in my head I think of people spending time with patients and bringing them food/medicine(po of course)/reading material and etc.

This is actually exactly what my volunteering is like. I volunteer on a general inpatient floor in a hospital, it's not like the ER where you offer someone a blanket and then never see them again. There's some patients that I see week after week (and their families as well), and I get to know them.

Obviously, being a volunteer, what I can offer is limited (water, blankets, magazines, word puzzles, visiting), but it's actually been a good experience so far.

 

[pkwraith]

It's beneficial for the hospital so that they can get a source of free menial labor grunts without having to pay minimal wage. This allows the C-level suite to get slightly higher bonuses, and then that money trickles into the local economy to stimulate growth.

 

[Anathema]

Wow I guess I'm really blessed.

The hospital where I volunteer at allows me to go talk with patients in their rooms. I go to three different wards and just hang out with each patient, converse with them, and get them stuff like books, pillows, and etc.

The ER is also pretty cool. I get to transport patients, answer call lights, transport them around the hospital (main building, OR, etc.). I also get to watch traumas...I just stand in a corner, watch and listen. Oh, and I train people too.

Fortunately, It's been a really rewarding experience for me!

Same stuff that I do, I guess you just have a better attitude about it. I see how volunteering is important, but I don't get how it's the backbreaker in applications if someone is severely lacking in it.

 

[Planes2Doc]

Same stuff that I do, I guess you just have a better attitude about it. I see how volunteering is important, but I don't get how it's the backbreaker in applications if someone is severely lacking in it.

I second this. Unless you are volunteering for a hospital that provides FREE healthcare to patients, such as Shriners, then you are being taken advantage of. I don't know where people get the impression that non-profit hospitals are charities. If I'm not mistaken, a non-profit hospital needs to provide some level of charity care. I'm guessing this "charity care" would be low-income patients in the ER that the hospital knows they can't collect on. Having to treat someone by LAW does not equate to treating people out of the goodness of their hearts.

I don't understand why so many people, especially the elderly, throw themselves at the hospitals to do volunteer work. Okay, exclusively spending time being with patients is one thing, but how exactly does doing administrative or otherwise paid work directly benefit a patient? The hospital isn't going to start throwing things or giving FREE care to these patients (unless required by law). The money saved by not hiring an additional secretary, gift shop employee, or tech will go to the hospital's bottom-line. This will help provide for the salaries of the board of directors, or other employees. If it is a for-profit hospital, it will be given to share holders.

Therefore... Non-profit hospital =/= Charity

I had a handful of cool patient interaction moments when I did hospital volunteering. But more often than not I was treated like garbage and forced to do scut work. It sucked providing free-labor to mostly benefit the salaries of the board of directors.

/rant

 

[tiedyeddog]

Everyone always says that volunteering at a hospital will boost your chances of getting in to a good medical school... I would understand that if you were spending time with patients / anything to do with patients, but in the area I live the only volunteer opportunities at our hospital are working at the gift shop and sorting paperwork. Is that really going to be beneficial to me?

I am digging the extra sized barney the dinosaur purple font, OP. When you get to medical school make sure you send all of your e-mails in the same font/color theme. The attendings will dig it and you will be a boss.

 

[angemon89]

Cause I can get a $3 voucher for cafeteria food and 10% off in the gift shop (20% off during volunteer appreciation month 😱).

 

[maaza1]

I second this. Unless you are volunteering for a hospital that provides FREE healthcare to patients, such as Shriners, then you are being taken advantage of. I don't know where people get the impression that non-profit hospitals are charities. If I'm not mistaken, a non-profit hospital needs to provide some level of charity care. I'm guessing this "charity care" would be low-income patients in the ER that the hospital knows they can't collect on. Having to treat someone by LAW does not equate to treating people out of the goodness of their hearts.

I don't understand why so many people, especially the elderly, throw themselves at the hospitals to do volunteer work. Okay, exclusively spending time being with patients is one thing, but how exactly does doing administrative or otherwise paid work directly benefit a patient? The hospital isn't going to start throwing things or giving FREE care to these patients (unless required by law). The money saved by not hiring an additional secretary, gift shop employee, or tech will go to the hospital's bottom-line. This will help provide for the salaries of the board of directors, or other employees. If it is a for-profit hospital, it will be given to share holders.

Therefore... Non-profit hospital =/= Charity

I had a handful of cool patient interaction moments when I did hospital volunteering. But more often than not I was treated like garbage and forced to do scut work. It sucked providing free-labor to mostly benefit the salaries of the board of directors.

/rant

I volunteer at a not-for-profit hospital, 100% of their profits go back into the hospital itself and it's actually pretty big. You may very well be right about the money use, but atm I don't really mind (I'm also thinking of getting a job there next summer). And yeah, we do have a lot of elderly volunteers. They are really nice and I like talking to them lol.
The ER I work at is pretty tight knit. We literally have parties in the break room at least twice a month. I do some scut work, but the nurses never really "use" me to do stuff they don't want to do. My hospital really stresses patient satisfaction and my primary goal is to be patient advocate rather than pick up the slack of the employees. I just offer to help them, and in return they teach me random stuff. You gotta give a little to get a little lol.
But yeah I'm VERY blessed and fortunate. I'm positive not every hospital is like this, and if I were volunteer in a hospital similar to the ones you all are describing then I definitely would want to quit.

Same stuff that I do, I guess you just have a better attitude about it. I see how volunteering is important, but I don't get how it's the backbreaker in applications if someone is severely lacking in it.

Thank you!

 

[ribbondino]

This is actually exactly what my volunteering is like. I volunteer on a general inpatient floor in a hospital, it's not like the ER where you offer someone a blanket and then never see them again. There's some patients that I see week after week (and their families as well), and I get to know them.

Obviously, being a volunteer, what I can offer is limited (water, blankets, magazines, word puzzles, visiting), but it's actually been a good experience so far.

I am digging the extra sized barney the dinosaur purple font, OP. When you get to medical school make sure you send all of your e-mails in the same font/color theme. The attendings will dig it and you will be a boss.

I feel like I should just get a ton of shadowing hours in as opposed to volunteering....

I'm not sure if you are serious or not about the font, but I think I'm cool. 😎

I left messages with two hospices today, I read a bit about them and it sounds better than being at a huge hospital. I also called the hospital but their volunteer coordinator is on vacation. 👎

I just worry too much!

 

[duress]

The problem on SDN, from what I've seen, isn't that people are saying hospital volunteering will get you into a good med school, but that people are tenaciously holding on to the idea that you MUST HAVE VOLUNTEERED IN A HOSPITAL TO GET IN.

This is more annoying because you have people who are getting paid experience in an ER, or volunteering in some other way, or shadowing frequently, or scribing, or whatever, and someone will invariably still tell them they need to check off hospital volunteering in a WAMC or advice thread.

Anyway, all manner of the "talk to patients, restock linens, etc" volunteering is useless to you after a few visits (at best). I think it only makes sense to continue if it quiets your neuroses when applying.

 

[ribbondino]

The problem on SDN, from what I've seen, isn't that people are saying hospital volunteering will get you into a good med school, but that people are tenaciously holding on to the idea that you MUST HAVE VOLUNTEERED IN A HOSPITAL TO GET IN.

This is more annoying because you have people who are getting paid experience in an ER, or volunteering in some other way, or shadowing frequently, or scribing, or whatever, and someone will invariably still tell them they need to check off hospital volunteering in a WAMC or advice thread.

Anyway, all manner of the "talk to patients, restock linens, etc" volunteering is useless to you after a few visits (at best). I think it only makes sense to continue if it quiets your neuroses when applying.

How much did you volunteer? I would rather spend my time shadowing... what were your stats when you got into school, if you don't mind?
Btw, thank you for that post! It calmed me a bit.

 

[Aerus]

How much did you volunteer? I would rather spend my time shadowing... what were your stats when you got into school, if you don't mind?
Btw, thank you for that post! It calmed me a bit.

I think you misinterpreted what he meant.

Volunteering isn't necessary for admissions to medical school, but some sort of direct patient interaction is. They want to know that you've dealt with patients and can stand them. Shadowing is a bit different, since it's hands off. You don't have to directly deal with patient BS; the doctor does. You're just uselessly sitting in the corner.

Clinical volunteering/job/etc. on the other hand is different in the sense that your patience with dealing with sick people will be tested. You are investing over 200k for this job while the medical school is investing one of their precious seats. It is to your best interest and the medical school's best interest that you have some direct patient contact, be it volunteering or an actual job.

 

[duress]

How much did you volunteer? I would rather spend my time shadowing... what were your stats when you got into school, if you don't mind?
Btw, thank you for that post! It calmed me a bit.

My main volunteering was as an EMT for a few years after deciding ER volunteering wasn't working. I also shadowed only about 20 hrs. Even though I put both down, neither shadowing nor *hospital volunteering was asked about me during my interviews (EMS came up on a few, however). I had above avg MCAT, and ~avg GPA for the allopathic schools I got in to.

Don't get me wrong, I think you could obviously benefit from some form of clinical experience on top of shadowing, I just don't think it has to be volunteering in an ER/gift shop, especially if you don't want to do it. Someone can correct me if they really think the "standard premed volunteer experience" is necessary.

 

[Aerus]

The problem on SDN, from what I've seen, isn't that people are saying hospital volunteering will get you into a good med school, but that people are tenaciously holding on to the idea that you MUST HAVE VOLUNTEERED IN A HOSPITAL TO GET IN.

This is more annoying because you have people who are getting paid experience in an ER, or volunteering in some other way, or shadowing frequently, or scribing, or whatever, and someone will invariably still tell them they need to check off hospital volunteering in a WAMC or advice thread.

Anyway, all manner of the "talk to patients, restock linens, etc" volunteering is useless to you after a few visits (at best). I think it only makes sense to continue if it quiets your neuroses when applying.

Bolded is not necessarily true. Long term volunteer commitments also show that you are dedicated to taking care of patients, that you aren't just volunteering 50 hours in two months, then quitting because the experience sickens you.

Thus, in a way, it DOES make a difference.

 

[ribbondino]

I think you misinterpreted what he meant.

Volunteering isn't necessary for admissions to medical school, but some sort of direct patient interaction is. They want to know that you've dealt with patients and can stand them. Shadowing is a bit different, since it's hands off. You don't have to directly deal with patient BS; the doctor does. You're just uselessly sitting in the corner.

Clinical volunteering/job/etc. on the other hand is different in the sense that your patience with dealing with sick people will be tested. You are investing over 200k for this job while the medical school is investing one of their precious seats. It is to your best interest and the medical school's best interest that you have some direct patient contact, be it volunteering or an actual job.

I know this is an extreme noob question, but how do you get a position doing clinical volunteering? What is the difference between that and normal volunteering? I am really un-knowledgeable about this...

 

[ribbondino]

My main volunteering was as an EMT for a few years after deciding ER volunteering wasn't working. I also shadowed only about 20 hrs. Even though I put both down, neither shadowing nor volunteering was asked about me during my interviews (EMS came up on a few, however). I had above avg MCAT, and ~avg GPA for the allopathic schools I got in to.

Don't get me wrong, I think you could obviously benefit from some form of clinical experience on top of shadowing, I just don't think it has to be volunteering in an ER/gift shop, especially if you don't want to do it. Someone can correct me if they really think the "standard premed volunteer experience" is necessary.

What is the average MCAT and GPA?? And what school did you get into? I definitely see what you mean.

 

[Aerus]

I know this is an extreme noob question, but how do you get a position doing clinical volunteering? What is the difference between that and normal volunteering? I am really un-knowledgeable about this...

Clinical volunteering = involves patients of some kind. The word "patient" can be applied broadly to many situations.

Normal volunteering = generic volunteering, like food bank, tutoring kids, or even helping out at a marathon table.

Finding clinical volunteering or a clinical job really depends on the area you are in. Why not ask the school? Any premed advising office, health office, research center, or even career services center might have more information on what you can do.

Remember, the key is clinical experience, which can be volunteering or an actual paid job.

 

[gtbROX]

Well, you just need to find a volunteering program that puts you in direct contact with patients. Even if you're not the one treating them directly, you need to be dealing with them and talking to them. Med schools need to know that you can handle patient contact, they need to know that you have the patience, and they need to know that you actually enjoy patient contact. That being said, I think it's extremely sad that there are tons of premeds in my school that would love to do paperwork and gift shop at the hospital over patient care.

 

[duress]

Bolded is not necessarily true. Long term volunteer commitments also show that you are dedicated to taking care of patients, that you aren't just volunteering 50 hours in two months, then quitting because the experience sickens you.

Thus, in a way, it DOES make a difference.

Yeah, definitely. Someone who's volunteered for X years is demonstrating (at least on paper) they are committed and dedicated.

But with regards to your own edification, I think, for the most part, that the benefits are more likely to die out quickly with volunteering in a hospital (e.g. ER/patient transport) because the dynamic just doesn't seem to support much personal growth.

 

[Aerus]

Yeah, definitely. Someone who's volunteered for X years is demonstrating (at least on paper) they are committed and dedicated.

But with regards to your own edification, I think, for the most part, that the benefits are more likely to die out quickly with volunteering in a hospital (e.g. ER/patient transport) because the dynamic just doesn't seem to support much personal growth.

That's true, but it also depends on how closely in contact you are with the patients. When I volunteered at a hospital in high school, I literally would have to talk to the patients lying in the hospital beds. Many of them had wonderful stories and experiences to tell. It might seem intuitive to think that you will eventually "hear them all" and it would become the same, but that wasn't the case. Each week was a brand new experience for me, albeit doing the same repetitive rounds.

 

[deleted451730]

Hospital volunteering is useless a lot of the time. Better to do clinical volunteering in nursing homes, hospice, free clinics, and children's hospitals (if its playing with the patients etc).

Just my opinion though, I may have just had a very very bad experience with hospital volunteering.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile app, forgive my typos!

Nope. I agree. Hospital volunteering is an utter waste of time. You do and learn nothing.

Better to find a certified job in the hospital instead. Or at least volunteer in a clinic or similar.

 

[lobo.solo]

Is for you to see if you can tolerate sick people. This can be challenging for some.

 

[Narmerguy]

I think it's pointless to try to generalize hospital volunteering experiences across all hospitals in all departments. This will very much depend on where you volunteer.

 

[tiedyeddog]

I think it's pointless to try to generalize hospital volunteering experiences across all hospitals in all departments. This will very much depend on where you volunteer.

I agree. Either way, It is a good idea to spend time in a hospital before applying to medical school. Volunteering is just a good way to do it. Many times when premeds shadow doctors that don't really interact with patients, they just act like a fly on the wall. It is nice to be able to talk to adcom members about actually dealings with patients, not say "oh, yeah, I love patients but no, I have never dealt with any".

You'd be surprised how many people end up in m3 and m4 and hate patients, no joke.

 

[NickNaylor]

I agree. Either way, It is a good idea to spend time in a hospital before applying to medical school. Volunteering is just a good way to do it. Many times when premeds shadow doctors that don't really interact with patients, they just act like a fly on the wall. It is nice to be able to talk to adcom members about actually dealings with patients, not say "oh, yeah, I love patients but no, I have never dealt with any".

You'd be surprised how many people end up in m3 and m4 and hate patients, no joke.

Obviously each experience will be different, but IMO shadowing provides a much more realistic and interesting look at what being a physician is like. In contrast, working as a general hospital volunteer doesn't provide that experience, at least based on my hospital experiences. You may not have to deal with patients directly, but you do get to see how patients interact with physicians, which can often be just as valuable.

(sent from my phone)

 

[circulus vitios]

What is the average MCAT and GPA?? And what school did you get into? I definitely see what you mean.

https://www.aamc.org/download/270906/data/table24-mcatgpagridall0911.pdf
https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/app...mcat-gpa-grid-by-selected-race-ethnicity.html
https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/