Volunteering questions

[Doctor or bust]

Hi all, so this is definitely the area that I haven't hit as hard as I would have liked to in my application despite interest in it. I've been working around 15-20 hours a week, I have research, and I'm working uphill with my grades after a rough freshman year due to medical issues. I plan on taking the MCAT this summer, becoming an EMT this fall and doing that over the winter, finishing up research and my undergrad this spring, and then joining Americorps through habitat for humanity in my area. While I think that this would be a great experience and I am (hopefully) believing that by next May that my application will be sparkling, I won't have any of those hours that I'll be putting in with Americorps until after I submit my application. Will being signed up by that point be something that I can put on my application? I'm very excited to get involved with that habitat for humanity next summer for my gap year so that I can stop focusing on bookwork for a bit but I worry that AdComs may be concerned with my otherwise lack of volunteering and community service. Is this a reasonable concern?

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[HopefulDoc91]

Hi all, so this is definitely the area that I haven't hit as hard as I would have liked to in my application despite interest in it. I've been working around 15-20 hours a week, I have research, and I'm working uphill with my grades after a rough freshman year due to medical issues. I plan on taking the MCAT this summer, becoming an EMT this fall and doing that over the winter, finishing up research and my undergrad this spring, and then joining Americorps through habitat for humanity in my area. While I think that this would be a great experience and I am (hopefully) believing that by next May that my application will be sparkling, I won't have any of those hours that I'll be putting in with Americorps until after I submit my application. Will being signed up by that point be something that I can put on my application? I'm very excited to get involved with that habitat for humanity next summer for my gap year so that I can stop focusing on bookwork for a bit but I worry that AdComs may be concerned with my otherwise lack of volunteering and community service. Is this a reasonable concern?

You'll definitely want some kind of clinical volunteering on your app when you submit. Bonus if you can do it in a medically underserved area. I think almost every secondary application I've done has asked about volunteer experience, some schools have essay questions about it too. I would try to volunteer here and there during the school year so you can have something on your app when you submit. Then send updates to schools once you have some time with Americorps.

 

[Doctor or bust]

You'll definitely want some kind of clinical volunteering on your app when you submit. Bonus if you can do it in a medically underserved area. I think almost every secondary application I've done has asked about volunteer experience, some schools have essay questions about it too. I would try to volunteer here and there during the school year so you can have something on your app when you submit. Then send updates to schools once you have some time with Americorps.

I've got shadowing down for sure, I have a good connection with a local hospital and have seen 7 specialties with a cumulative >100 hours now. Would working full-time over the winter as an EMT count as enough? I'll likely try to add some other volunteering during the semester but I definitely don't want to sacrifice grades, I need to keep that uphill trend going.

 

[HopefulDoc91]

I've got shadowing down for sure, I have a good connection with a local hospital and have seen 7 specialties with a cumulative >100 hours now. Would working full-time over the winter as an EMT count as enough? I'll likely try to add some other volunteering during the semester but I definitely don't want to sacrifice grades, I need to keep that uphill trend going.

Is the EMT volunteer or are you being paid? But you're right the grades are definitely more important but try to fit in any volunteer time you can.