Volunteering...?

[JustK]

As I am a highschooler myself, of the ones who have volunteered at a hospital, could you tell me if it was beneficial and would still do it again? What were the pros and cons? Did you like the work?
-If you volunteered, where at?

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[NickNaylor]

It really depends. I think each hospital and even each person at a hospital have different experiences.

Pros include being "in the action" so to speak (though not really), getting at least a limited glimpse of how a hospital works, and getting the opportunity to interact with patients. You may also get to see procedures and shadow doctors, but this varies between hospitals.

Cons include the possibility of being totally ignored and boredom. This has been my experience.

If you're interested in trying it, simply go to a hospital's website and see if they have a page on volunteers. You can probably get contact information for a coordinator or a link to an application. I would say that you really have to try it to see how it is. Everyone's experiences are probably going to be pretty different.

 

[xnfs93hy]

It really depends. I think each hospital and even each person at a hospital have different experiences.

Pros include being "in the action" so to speak (though not really), getting at least a limited glimpse of how a hospital works, and getting the opportunity to interact with patients. You may also get to see procedures and shadow doctors, but this varies between hospitals.

Cons include the possibility of being totally ignored and boredom. This has been my experience.

If you're interested in trying it, simply go to a hospital's website and see if they have a page on volunteers. You can probably get contact information for a coordinator or a link to an application. I would say that you really have to try it to see how it is. Everyone's experiences are probably going to be pretty different.

It really sucks when you are volunteering by yourself.

 

[CScull]

Bring a friend along... if you have someone there that you know and like the time'll pass a lot quicker if the work is dull. Even if you don't have a friend going with you I would do it just for the experience, at the least you'll get some good community service hours. I just had orientation today, I'm really excited.

To all you Debbie Downers out there if you try and burst my bubble I will act very childishly and take personal offense.

 

[Pr0digy]

When you usually volunteer at a hospital at high school age they throw you on the computers and do paper work or your keeping stocks of equipment etc. Theres a difference between shadowing at a hospital and voltenteering there. When you volunteer you are pretty much free labor and you don't really get to see anything that you wouldn't if you just visited there, but you get to write off that you spent XX amount of hours volunteering at a hospital which always looks good. Shadowing you get to see a more and find out what medicine really is and get a feel for that specific profession. Shadowing isn't important on the high school resume it only is if you trying to get into a honors medical program.

 

[Silverman780]

I've been volunteering in a hospital Emergency Department for the last year or so. For the most part I like it, I mainly do odd jobs assigned by admission clerks and the lead nurse. But I get to see some procedures, and even better I get to see the doctors interact with patients.

The biggest factor that will determine how my shift goes is the mood of the staff. Sometimes they have low patient volume and are the funniest people in the world to be with.

Other times they can be at full capacity with a full waiting room and just waiting for someone to make a mistake so they can vent. (I witnessed this happen to anther volunteer who tripped with a big stack of completed patient charts. lol)

 

[xnfs93hy]

Bring a friend along... if you have someone there that you know and like the time'll pass a lot quicker if the work is dull. Even if you don't have a friend going with you I would do it just for the experience, at the least you'll get some good community service hours. I just had orientation today, I'm really excited.

To all you Debbie Downers out there if you try and burst my bubble I will act very childishly and take personal offense.

Where are you volunteering?

I actually agree with you here but some people don't have friends that want to spend their summer volunteering (even if it is just a few hours).

I still do it but it gets boring because the crap I do is really tough.

FYI, my hospital is huge and has literally like 200 different positions you can work. And, actually, only about 20-30 are ones where you REALLY just do clerical/busy work crap.

Some positions are actually pretty awesome and you at least learn SOMETHING.

 

[JustK]

jefgreen..where do you volunteer?

 

[xnfs93hy]

A hospital

It is a decent sized medical center. I guess you could call it smallISH/medium. idk.

Specifically, I volunteer in Radiology, a research lab, and a cytology lab.

It's cool but I am always the only volunteer there. Like the shift after me, three people volunteer .

And in radiology, I basically do what the rad techs do. They even buy me lunch.
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Honestly though, volunteering in hospitals is great but understand that in some jobs, especially maybe gift shop, you probably aren't going to be doing crap.

Don't listen to people who say it won't help you out in college. For the most part, yeah they are right, but seriously, volunteering in the lab in the hospital actually taught me stuff I can actually take away and apply in medical school and in college. Basic stuff, but good information.

I would try to see if you can do that OR maybe volunteer in an Emergency Room. Both great places to volunteer.

At least if you are the only volunteer there, you will keep busy.

 

[xnfs93hy]

Oh and I hope you aren't one of those people who black out when they see blood.

The ER is scary sometimes but I deal with it.

 

[mathlegend]

Volunteer in OR? I havent heard of any high schoolers or college kids volunteer in OR...that seems like a place where volunteers wont be allowed

 

[Future Doc1]

Volunteer in OR? I havent heard of any high schoolers or college kids volunteer in OR...that seems like a place where volunteers wont be allowed

True.

That probably interferes with the patients privacy.

 

[xnfs93hy]

Actually, I mean the work "or" like as in

this OR that.

Yeah...

 

[xnfs93hy]

Volunteer in OR? I havent heard of any high schoolers or college kids volunteer in OR...that seems like a place where volunteers wont be allowed

I know that at my hospital they let you organize stuff and clean and stuff in the OR.

 

[mathlegend]

Oh haha, OR as in the preposition (right? I'm not sure, I have terrible grammar) not as operating room. Wow seems like your hospital got alota stuff for volunteers

 

[xnfs93hy]

Oh haha, OR as in the preposition (right? I'm not sure, I have terrible grammar) not as operating room. Wow seems like your hospital got alota stuff for volunteers

Yes to the former.

and yeah, I think we offer a lot actually. Always a good thing .

 

[JustK]

I don't mind blood. Never did. Thanks for the tips.

 

[Pepipanda]

I started volunteering at a large children's hospital last Friday, and I work in the Activity Center, so I mostly do things like cleaning toys, filing movies, fetching toys and board games, setting up crafts, and playing with the kids. I'm not allowed to do many things involving the patients (I can't even take kids to the connected bathroom), but it's still interesting to see the kids.

I don't think I'll get to see anything really medical (well, I glimpsed an IV being put back in), but it is one of the better ways, I think, to get my community service hours for school.

 

[Ivana Snoday]

I loved volunteering as a Child Life Volunteer at our local children's hospital so much I'm back again this summer for another 10 weeks.

It's true that "volunteens" often end up behind a desk with mundane paperwork, but it really depends on what department you work in. That's never happened to me. I work in the general pediatric, ICU and oncology units assisting staff with recreational activities, answering call lights, playing with the patients, rocking the babies (my fav!) and whatever else is needed at the moment. I am out and about the hospital and am with people all the time. It's never boring.

 

[synapsefire]

Volunteered last summer and during school at pediatrics. Very fun especially when I got to play and watch the kids. I was able to help nurses put in IV's (poor kid cried like crazy; made me want to cry). Helped a nurse in the procedure room. Delivered stuff to the lab ('twas fun because the lab staff were humorous and would joke around with me). The docs at the hospital were great and always got to chat with a few while in the elevators. I did many discharges and made several friendships when speaking to these patients especially when their ride took forever to come. I did a ton of stuff and now am planning to go to ER this summer.

 

[Silverman780]

Oh and I hope you aren't one of those people who black out when they see blood.

The ER is scary sometimes but I deal with it.

ER's can be intense at times but never scary
No the upstairs inpatient is 10x more scary!

 

[xnfs93hy]

Haha, true.

I beg to differ, I've def. gotten scared a few times in the ER.

 

[Doc Giffy]

Pros:I was able to observe and EM Doc and follow him around for awhile as well as help him with minor tasks

Cons: Extremely boring

 

[samrath30]

dude volunteering at a hospital is bull****. I am volunteering at a huge hospital called Sinai. It has like 1000+ rooms so you can imagine how big it is. So i joined the volunteer program and they had my interview, essay and all kinds of fancy stuff. Then i finally got accepted. Now i'm in a 100-kid volunteer team in which each kid is assigned a different unit and all you do is go to your assigned unit and sit and stare at the walls. They give you no work!!!!!! It is extremely boring and I would never recommend it!

 

[xnfs93hy]

dude volunteering at a hospital is bull****. I am volunteering at a huge hospital called Sinai. It has like 1000+ rooms so you can imagine how big it is. So i joined the volunteer program and they had my interview, essay and all kinds of fancy stuff. Then i finally got accepted. Now i'm in a 100-kid volunteer team in which each kid is assigned a different unit and all you do is go to your assigned unit and sit and stare at the walls. They give you no work!!!!!! It is extremely boring and I would never recommend it!

Okay. My hospital volunteering experience has been the polar opposite of that.

 

[bigwill11205]

Hey jef, I think I spotted you on CC (college confidential).

 

[Future Doc1]

dude volunteering at a hospital is bull****. I am volunteering at a huge hospital called Sinai. It has like 1000+ rooms so you can imagine how big it is. So i joined the volunteer program and they had my interview, essay and all kinds of fancy stuff. Then i finally got accepted. Now i'm in a 100-kid volunteer team in which each kid is assigned a different unit and all you do is go to your assigned unit and sit and stare at the walls. They give you no work!!!!!! It is extremely boring and I would never recommend it!

Not every hospital uses the same methods...

 

[JustK]

Would volunteering or shadowing be recommended or which is better?

 

[xnfs93hy]

Hey jef, I think I spotted you on CC (college confidential).

You probably did man.

I have the same username over there

 

[xnfs93hy]

Would volunteering or shadowing be recommended or which is better?

I'd recommend shadowing.

Shadowing is better.

 

[Moxess]

fdfd fdd

 

[bigwill11205]

You probably did man.

I have the same username over there

Cool beanz. I thought that was you!

 

[Sweeti8286]

I did my volunteering /shadowing when I was in undergrad. If you have the connection to shadow someone while you're still in high school why not?! Then I would do it again when you're in undergrad- it will add you your resume/ personal statement when it comes to applying. I did it consistently for one summer...like 1/2 day a week at one hospital and 1/2 a week at the other hospital. But I was a bit more focused in the dental department/hospital dentistry. If you don't really know which area you want to spend time in, it'd just take you a bit longer to find the place where you want to shadow / volunteer more. Speak with the volunteer coordinator. Good luck.

 

[candice351]

I've volunteered at St. Mary's Hospital in Tucson for a year now.
It's a great experience and to everything there are cons.

Pro's:
you're helping people
you get to be in the hospital
you interact with doctors and nurses
wide variety of places to work: i work at the gift shop, icu, information desk and want to get trained at the ER desk.

Con's:
i do patient desk and i get some really angry people sometime who think because they're family is sick they have the right to beat you down and scream and yell and throw tantrums but at the end of the day you're there to help
i've even had hospital workers flip at me over buying a chocolate bar
sometimes you just dont feel like you're getting the "experience" answering phones and transfering calls.

Before chosing a hospital make sure you do a bit of research or ask around.
I got stuck at St. Mary's because my parents work there.
and i get stuck there for 12 hours most saturdays but i get a free meal and 2 drinks to keep me going.

But go for it and find out what else they offer.
Like will they help you get a part time job there?
will they write you letters of recommendation?
will they help you get a shadowing opportunity?