Work and Volunteering

[adenine]

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I have been volunteering in an emergency department for over a year, with 150+ hours accrued. I have just started a job that is nearly full time - so far 30+ hrs/wk, 5 days a week. I feel it will be difficult to continue volunteering on a regular, weekly basis and I need to start paying off undergrad debt.

My question is this: should I continue to volunteer while working or should I stop?

 

[LizzyM]

I have been volunteering in an emergency department for over a year, with 150+ hours accrued. I have just started a job that is nearly full time - so far 30+ hrs/wk, 5 days a week. I feel it will be difficult to continue volunteering on a regular, weekly basis and I need to start paying off undergrad debt.

My question is this: should I continue to volunteer while working or should I stop?

What is the length of an average shift in the ER? Aren't ERs open 24/7? Can you volunteer for a shift every other weekend (so you still have time for fun)?

Dropping a volunteer gig if you are still living in the area makes it seem like you did it to "check the box". If you are concerned with people in need and want to help people you should feel the need to continue to give your time to the cause. If you just did it to say you did, then you've done enough and could stop now... we'll understand your motivation and judge accordingly.

 

[adenine]

I really do enjoy volunteering in the ED, especially when there is a lot of work for me to do and lots of patients to talk to, etc.

Biweekly sounds good, though. My shifts are usually only 3 hrs long at the ED. I'll have a chat with the volunteer coordinator.

 

[pfaction]

I would like to briefly hijack this thread for a very small response. How many "hours" at a hospital (non-patient oriented) or nursing home (patient oriented, by LizzyM's standards) would be considered "good"? Keep in mind I am starting THIS SUMMER, and I am applying for med school next summer......I am hoping ~50 for each. At one hospital, I think I only have around 12-15 hours...but I wrote an article for them.

 

[n3xa]

Unless you're concerned about your grades/mcat (and from the sounds of you having to pay back undergrad loans I'm guessing this isn't an issue for you), then I'd keep the volunteer gig and work around your work schedule.

Instead of aiming for a target number, try and reflect on what you learned from the experience.

 

[LizzyM]

I would like to briefly hijack this thread for a very small response. How many "hours" at a hospital (non-patient oriented) or nursing home (patient oriented, by LizzyM's standards) would be considered "good"? Keep in mind I am starting THIS SUMMER, and I am applying for med school next summer......I am hoping ~50 for each. At one hospital, I think I only have around 12-15 hours...but I wrote an article for them.

Rather than "hours", we look at start date, end date (or "to present") and average numbers per week. The least is usually 3-4 months @ 2 hours per week. Far better to have 6-12 mos @ 2 hours per week than more hours per week over a shorter period.

 

[augeremt]

Would it be looked poorly upon if I switched from volunteering in one hospital (surgery check-in then ER) to working as an ER tech at another hospital? Technically I will have only volunteered at the original hospital for a year but I haven't quit doing clinical work in a hospital setting. Instead, I just got more responsibility somewhere else.

Sorry to hijack this thread as well. It just seems like an appropriate question to ask here.

 

[LizzyM]

It's cool to volunteer somewhere for a year and later to get a job with clinical responsibilities. If you care enough about the needs of the community to volunteer, you might continue to provide service as a volunteer in some capacity as a way of continuing to help the needy. (even one day a mont or 2 hrs/wk)