Volunteering

My main question is how much volunteering is necessary/recommended for med school. I know everyone is busy, but I would like to know when and how to prioritize it over working full time and school and family. I am sure someone else has been in my shoes, any recommendation is greatly appreciated. Currently my experience is that I have EMT certification, I have 3+ years of experience as a full-time professional firefighter, and should be starting a job as an ER tech soon. I like to think that i’m good on work experience as I have had a lot of patient contact and will continue to throughout my undergraduate education. Thanks!

I got in with zero recent volunteer activity. There are others who have short volunteering resumes as well. I’m not trying to dissuade you from doing it, but I think that getting clinical exposure (your ER Tech job will be great for that) and doing well in your coursework/MCAT will serve you better than hundreds of hours of volunteering.

@bennard wrote:

I got in with zero recent volunteer activity. There are others who have short volunteering resumes as well. I’m not trying to dissuade you from doing it, but I think that getting clinical exposure (your ER Tech job will be great for that) and doing well in your coursework/MCAT will serve you better than hundreds of hours of volunteering.




Thanks Bennard,

Geaux Tigers :slight_smile:

LS Who???



Signed, a GATOR alum!!!

@bennard wrote:

I got in with zero recent volunteer activity. There are others who have short volunteering resumes as well. I’m not trying to dissuade you from doing it, but I think that getting clinical exposure (your ER Tech job will be great for that) and doing well in your coursework/MCAT will serve you better than hundreds of hours of volunteering.


Bennard, did you have paid “clinical” exposure?

@Dullhead wrote:

Bennard, did you have paid “clinical” exposure?




I did. I worked part-time as a scribe for a while.