Summer before college volunteering options?

Just looking for some input on how D goes about finding volunteering (medicine-related) opportunities this summer (before heading off to college). Is it just pounding-the-pavement, or are there more organized ways nowadays like all-encompassing volunteer-search websites?

She’ll have about 2 months free before heading out, so any good advice on what type of things she should look for (shadowing a local dr, certain things in the local hospital, etc). I checked the local rescue squad but they said since it would only be for 2 months they’d prefer to use the resources for people that would be around longer.

I’m just assuming it should be medicine related, is that a valid assumption?

Once in school she’ll have the pre-health advisors to work with, but before then I’m trying to find things to get her started on the right path.

Thanks!

There isn’t any centralized volunteer recruitment website. Students are on their own to find volunteering and shadowing opportunities.

Not really. Any kind of community service with vulnerable populations* is highly valued by adcomms and an expected EC for med school applicants.

*Vulnerable populations–elderly, mentally ill, physically disabled, non-English speakers/recent immigrants, poor/homeless/disadvantaged, etc.

If your D is interested in volunteering as an EMT (like with a rescue squad?), you may want to check if there’s a summer EMT-B class at your local community college. Or CNA or phlebotomy. All of those skills will be helpful in finding a paid or volunteer position later on.

To be honest, once college is on the horizon, my 2 older kids have been more concerned about working and saving spending money than volunteering.

^^Like @bjkmom 's kids, both my (now) doctor daughters worked in the summers, both the summers leading up to college and during college. They needed the $$$ to pay for things like car insurance & maintenance, sorority dues, travel expenses.

Clinical volunteering, shadowing etc doesn’t take 40 hours/week.

You can use this link of resources for potential summer research opps for your D: http://geiselmed.dartmouth.edu/mdphd/links/science/external/

My D was surprised at how long the process was to volunteer at a local hospital. Orientation offered infrequently, necessity of a TB test and week wait for results (and the hospital where my D volunteered required 2 clear TB tests, so it took twice as long). So if your D is planning on pursuing that route, have her begin contacting hospitals now to start the process.

FWIW, my D did not find hospital volunteering very rewarding or helpful. Four hours a week without a lot to do, but at least it was a medical floor. Some hospital volunteers are assigned the gift shop or information desk.