<p>So I recently went to a pre-med info session at my college and they advised students to do volunteer work in hospitals and the medical field over anything else. Is this a must? I have been involved in a program that works with kids and I volunteer at hospitals occasionally but they said not to let other service interfere with med related service. Advice or suggestions??</p>
<p>while it is critical that you do some medical service, you definitely do not need to stop volunteering at an organization you genuinely enjoy</p>
<p>It’s good to have a long-term commitment to some of your volunteering. So if you enjoy this activity with kids, keep it up. You need to have some volunteer experience with patients as well. It does not have to be in a hospital setting. You can volunteer in a nursing home or elder care situation, as long as those you work with can be considered patients. There is a whole section in med school applications for volunteer work, so try to do as much as you can. (Without compromising your grades, of course.)</p>
<p>ANY kind of volunteering to help others can be listed on your application. You need to show that you care about others and want to actively help them.</p>
<p>If you’re doing something just (or primarily) to impress med school adcoms, you’re probably doing it for the wrong reasons.</p>
<p>You like volunteering with the kids in the program you’re already working with. As someone who has always enjoyed service for others (during hs, undergrad, and med school), I can’t imagine anything more upsetting than quitting a position you like in favor of one you think you need. I think you should stay!</p>
<p>Med schools want you to prove that you care about people and have a genuine interest in helping them improve their lives. A great way to demonstrate this is through a dedication to service. You seem to enjoy working with children, and even though it isn’t a medical thing per se, that certainly does not mean it has little/no value. </p>
<p>Do you think you could incorporate something health-oriented into your program with them? I brought a group of med students to an after school program once and we had a great time teaching kids about doctors and their health. We did fun stuff, like show them where to take their pulse and then have them take it again after racing the med students across the basketball court–boy did their eyes light up when they saw how much it changed. I’ve also worked with teen parents and their toddlers; in a few weeks, our guest speaker is a dental hygienist talking about proper oral care for toddlers. </p>
<p>There’s a ton you can do. The most important thing for you to do is to find what you’re passionate about and continue to develop it! You will create a much stronger application and have a much easier time communicating your motivations if you’re working with people you care about through agencies you support. </p>
<p>And for people who say you have to volunteer in a hospital or your application is sunk–I can think of quite a few classmates in addition to myself who have never once formally volunteered in a hospital :)</p>
<p>D. was involved in unusual for pre-med volunteering. However, it was in addition, not instead. It was a long term (at least 2 years, maybe 3) commitment that she personally enjoyed a lot. It also required training. Later she mentioned that it was one of the most common topic of discussion at interviews (and another one was also non-medical - her Music Minor). I strongly believe that tailoring your activties precisely to Med. School requirements is not a correct approach. D. did not follow this strategy, she pursued lots of her personal interests while in UG. UG is the time to do it, you will not have these chances later on, not soon, maybe never. I do not think though that anybody can advise as everybody is in different situation. According to pre-med commitee at D’s UG, she had lots and lots of EC’s, their comment was how she found time to do them all. So, yes, she could afford pursuing whatever, because she had all requirements under control. So, you basically need to assess your personal situation and see where you are. It is worthwhile doing things that you truly enjoy though.<br>
Do not get me wrong, D. volunteered at the hospitals, shadowed docs and had long term (3 years) internship position at Med. Research Lab…and she did many other things that were not related to Med. School or her major.</p>
<p>+1 for people who never volunteered at a hospital (I did volunteer at a free clinic for uninsured though - only during the year I was applying)</p>
<p>^^ I feel obliged to point out that Brown is a MD/PhD student. MD/PhD students tend to be given a bit of “pass” on the amount of medical volunteering expected from them.</p>
<p>But I will agree with kristin that if you enjoy what you’re doing, don’t give up just because it’s not medically related. Both of my kiddos tutored at risk students. One tutored from her junior year of high school all the way thru college. She still volunteers with at risk youths during her gap year. However, both also particpated in many hours of medical volunteering at hospitals. You need to find a way to do both. (And it can be done.)</p>