Work Experience vs. Volunteering

[booradley5]

I am applying to post-bacc programs for the fall and have a question about the importance of volunteering versus relevant health care experience in a job.

My jobs over the past 5 years have provided good health care experience and provided my the opportunity to shadow and/or work directly with physicians, hospitals, and other professionals. But the hours are often erratic or late and I haven't really took any health-related volunteer job since college (1999).

After reading some posts on here recently, I realized that post-bacc programs are looking for volunteer experience and ask about it on their applications to varying degrees. I assumed at first that my college volunteering would be enough, but now I am not so sure.

So how much do post-bacc programs weigh work experience versus volunteering?

I was planning on doing volunteer/research stuff during post-bacc, not BEFORE!!!! I am trying to save some money for the post-bacc effort with a high paying job in health policy (as a lobbyist for a law firm ) that I have to make my first priority for now so I can afford the program next year!

If volunteering is a necessity pre-post-bacc, I could get involved at a hospital or clinic in the spring and tell interviewers that I am. But that seems like too little too late...

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[N1DERL&]

My post bac also asked about my volunteer experience during the interview. I believe it was just to gauge how committed I was about going to med school and making sure I wasn't in a "phase". If you can convince them that you are serious about this change in your life I wouldn't sweat it too much. We are encouraged to volunteer while in the post bac program.

 

[Trismegistus4]

I have no advice to give; I just popped in here to commiserate. I asked this question a lot around here when I first started posting, and was never able to get a real answer.

Since July I've been volunteering a few hours a week in a local community hospital ER. It's a lot of fun and I greatly enjoy being in a hospital setting, but it's mainly just sitting at the triage desk checking patients in and escorting them back to rooms; there's NO contact with doctors or observation of procedures and treatments, so I guess I'm not getting that fabled "see what it's like to be a doctor" experience. I plan on applying to post-bacc's for summer '05 admission, so I hope this is enough for them. What else can one do?

 

[Johnny_D]

I also volunteer in a hospital ER. I agree, we don't get any patient contact, but a med school consultant I used told me just to volunteer in a hospital setting. I do get to watch procedures, including traumas.

The importance of volunteering depends on the circumstances of the individual. If your full-time job entails healthcare-related work in contact with doctors, a couple of hours a week should be fine. If not, then you should volunteer more hours to show the committees you are serious and well-informed. Also, even though you may think it is too little too late for post-bacc admission committees, it won't be for med school committees in a year or two, so look at it that way.

Hope this helps.

 

[Dr.Mantix]

Hi everyone.

I'm looking to apply to a post-bacc myself and after reading this thread am starting to wonder if what I've done is enough.

- 6 yrs. as an EMT both paid and volunteer
- 1 yr. as a BME (Biomedical Engineer) after graduating 2003 (then they laid me off)
- Hopefully, will be starting a per-diem job as a nursing asst./patient care tech. at a local hospital (floating to different units etc. etc.)

Be honest...would this be enough for a post-bacc?

Thanks!

 

[iamgoaloriented]

I am applying to post-bacc programs for the fall and have a question about the importance of volunteering versus relevant health care experience in a job.

My jobs over the past 5 years have provided good health care experience and provided my the opportunity to shadow and/or work directly with physicians, hospitals, and other professionals. But the hours are often erratic or late and I haven't really took any health-related volunteer job since college (1999).

After reading some posts on here recently, I realized that post-bacc programs are looking for volunteer experience and ask about it on their applications to varying degrees. I assumed at first that my college volunteering would be enough, but now I am not so sure.

So how much do post-bacc programs weigh work experience versus volunteering?

I was planning on doing volunteer/research stuff during post-bacc, not BEFORE!!!! I am trying to save some money for the post-bacc effort with a high paying job in health policy (as a lobbyist for a law firm ) that I have to make my first priority for now so I can afford the program next year!

If volunteering is a necessity pre-post-bacc, I could get involved at a hospital or clinic in the spring and tell interviewers that I am. But that seems like too little too late...

I think work experience is better. Like others have said, when you have a job you tend to have a lot more hands on work, have actual responsibility, and get much better experience.

Even if volunteering was favored, which I am 99.9% sure that it isnt, if you need a job and have to support yourself that is reason enough to work an extra 10 hours at McDonalds as opposed to passing water pitchers at the hospital. If med schools ask why you didnt do something, and you said that you had to work to get by and your schedule didnt allow anything else, they will not be able to hold it against you (and if they do they are unbelievably stupid and unfair).

When people ask you about your service and volunteering, and your jobs have been clinicaly related, just talk about your jobs (if youve done volunterring also mention that). I did and people have loved it so far. A lot of people who have a lot of volunteering experience as opposed to paid work and the ones who are getting a free ride.

 

[sidewalkman]

- 6 yrs. as an EMT both paid and volunteer
- 1 yr. as a BME (Biomedical Engineer) after graduating 2003 (then they laid me off)
- Hopefully, will be starting a per-diem job as a nursing asst./patient care tech. at a local hospital (floating to different units etc. etc.)

Be honest...would this be enough for a post-bacc?

Dr.Mantix, that is definately fine for a post-bacc.