I’m still on the pre-med fence, and I have been lurking for awhile…I have a question though about volunteering. When I finished my own treatments, I’m planning on volunteering at the Outpatient Cancer Center here once a week as well as the inpatient unit one morning a week. This won’t involve shadowing or working with the docs or staff (except to maybe help with some filing). For the most part it will involve going from room to room and seeing if patients need anything, talking to patients, filling up waters, bring soda pops, etc.
It is what I WANT to do though. I feel that I definitely have something to offer … a positive outlook, hope, a friendly, caring ear.
If I do end up applying to med school though, it would seem silly to me to have to any other type of volunteering just to fit a certain type of volunteer experience.
Do you think the type of volunteering that I’m planning on doing will be ok? I’m going to do it…but I suppose it’s a good idea to know whether or not I’ll need to do something else on top of it if I do decide to apply.
Thanks.
kris
Quote:
It is what I WANT to do though. I feel that I definitely have something to offer … a positive outlook, hope, a friendly, caring ear.
Do you think the type of volunteering that I’m planning on doing will be ok? I’m going to do it…but I suppose it’s a good idea to know whether or not I’ll need to do something else on top of it if I do decide to apply.
Kris,
IMO, your volunteer opportunity sounds wonderful for you. I believe that volunteering should be what you want and like to do, rather than just a chore or an obligation.
That said, my recent volunteer work will consist of supervising a newbie colleague for her professional licensure, and starting/running a grief support group. No hospitals or doctors in sight of either of those.
I recently heard an admissions dean say that the reason he looks for volunteer work is to prove that you can get along with other human beings. Sounds like yours fits the bill perfectly. If you want experience working more closely with doctors, perhaps you can set up some shadowing opportunities.
Best of luck!
JLW
Absolutely, your volunteering plan should be fine. Always always always do what makes you happy. I call it my “Dancing Eye Syndrome.” If your eyes don’t dance when you talk about what you are doing, then you don’t have enough energy around it and should probably find something else.
Shadowing is fine as an adjunct to being around sick people. But AdComms want you to know that you know what it’s like to be around patients, not just be trotting around behind a physician.
Please (everyone), don’t try to package yourselves because of some pre-conceived notion of what you think a med school wants to see. Do what is right for you. If you are generally well-qualified, there will be a med school out there which will want you.
Cheers,
Judy
Sound great to me, you should include shadowing too but it does not have to be ongoing.
You will do great things. 