<p>Do the colleges really care which department you get your hours from? </p>
<p>-Last year, i volunteered at the recreation department, which coordinated entertainment programs for the senior citizens (40 hrs.)
-This year, i am currently volunteering at Medical records (is this usefeul??) but wasnt able to volunteer at the ER (not 17...17th birthday in Nov.)
- Do you think it would be better to work at recreation again or work in another department (e.g. cardiology etc.) </p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>Eh, I'm not really sure but it probably doesn't matter unless you actually decide to list on your application all the stuff you do at the hospital, which is unecessary.</p>
<p>thanks 10 chars</p>
<p>No, not really...just as long as you had a little clinical experience and can show that you are dedicated/interested in the medical field.</p>
<p>Actually, it really does matter. That is why they specifically ask for your "MEANINGFUL PATIENT CONTACT" experiences. They don't care if you folded sheets for your primary care doc!</p>
<p>But they do want you to volunteer somewhere that you enjoy and are comfortable with as welll.....</p>
<p>does helping plan senior citizen functions, wheeling patients to functions and bed visits constitute as "meaningful patient contact"?</p>
<p>No (10 chars)</p>
<p>I think bed visits constitutes as "meaningful patient contact", if by visiting senior citizens in bed has contributed to your desire to become a physician. Does it make you sad to see them ill? Do you wish you could do something to ease their suffering? I could see talking about this experience in depth in an interview.</p>
<p>I thought he was only wheeling them to the bed.......maybe i interpreted it wrong</p>
<p>If it meant something to you, or you can explain how it changed you as a person, that does it. If you dropped off food trays and walked away, or just made copies, than you will have a tough time explaining yourself. Don't forget, sometimes you need to do some b*tch work first, or along with the experiences that will be important to you.</p>
<p>i meant wheeling patients to a bbq and talking with the residents</p>
<p>i had another question. Due to age requirements, i am only allowed to volunteer in the ER when i turn 17. My birthday is in November and i was wondering, would it be worthwile to volunteer in the ER during November? (considering that most applications are due in December)?</p>
<p>well....it's only worthwhile if you truly desire to do it.....not if youre just doing it for apps. You'll learn more if YOU want to do it. Either way, you're at the hosp, still volunteering.....</p>
<p>yea, i am really interested in volunteering at the ER and get a feeling of how a doctors life can be</p>
<p>another question (if you donbt mind) i am planning to shadow my moms doctor (not sure yet). I am not sure if i should shadow a family physician. should i shadow my mom's doctor?</p>
<p>can't you figure some of these things out with your own common sense? first off, i would say yes, even a month in the ER will enlighten you with regard to the medical field and how a hospital is run. you will aslo gain significant patient contact experience. in response to the "tell me what should i do" type questions, whatever you want. DO WHAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN, not what you think people want you to do. DO WHAT YOU LIKE. If your not interested in family practice, don't do it! If you want to learn about it, try to shadow! This is not that complicated.</p>
<p>One thing to keep in mind is what career are you thinking of? Volunteering at a hospital is all fine and good, but if you want to be an MD and all they let you do is restock empty rooms with cotton swabs...how is that helping you towards being an MD? </p>
<p>Look instead at job shadowing an MD.</p>
<p>and dont just shadow any md. why shadow an oby/gyn when your true passion is say...derm. You know? Don't do stuff just to do it.</p>
<p>i tried to shadow my pediatrician but she said she couldnt do it because of hipa(?), a new policy in which doctors arent allowed to share confidential patient information with people that are not related to the patient. i would like to practice general med but i dont know any general med doctors.</p>