Looking for Hospitals to volunteer for in Toronto

[Raparama]

Hey everyone, I'm a 2nd-year Biomed student living in Toronto.

I'm looking to volunteer at a hospital to get a feel for the environment, healthcare and patient interaction.

Does anyone have any suggestions on good hospitals for volunteers, preferably near the North York/Rexdale area? I'm not sure what defines good as I have no previous experience but im thinking of lots of responsibility, having more patient interaction, being involved with the actual healthcare and whatnot.

Thanks for the help.

[robclem21]

12 hours ago, Raparama said:

Hey everyone, I'm a 2nd-year Biomed student living in Toronto.

I'm looking to volunteer at a hospital to get a feel for the environment, healthcare and patient interaction.

Does anyone have any suggestions on good hospitals for volunteers, preferably near the North York/Rexdale area? I'm not sure what defines good as I have no previous experience but im thinking of lots of responsibility, having more patient interaction, being involved with the actual healthcare and whatnot.

Thanks for the help.

Any hospital accepting volunteers is a good hospital to get involved in. In NY/Rexdale you could consider William Osler, Humber River, Etobicoke General, North York General, Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital.

Hospital volunteering is generally not required in Canada to get accepted into medical school. This is often because patient interaction and being involved in "actual healthcare" is not feasible as a volunteer with no training in a hospital. Volunteers are often helpful for directing patients to appointments/parking, grabbing equipment (wheelchairs, etc.), fundraising. There are some hospitals that use volunteers to keep patients company who have cognitive disorders and no family. This would vary by hospital though. What type of activities were you hoping to get involved in?

[Raparama]

1 hour ago, robclem21 said:

Any hospital accepting volunteers is a good hospital to get involved in. In NY/Rexdale you could consider William Osler, Humber River, Etobicoke General, North York General, Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital.

Hospital volunteering is generally not required in Canada to get accepted into medical school. This is often because patient interaction and being involved in "actual healthcare" is not feasible as a volunteer with no training in a hospital. Volunteers are often helpful for directing patients to appointments/parking, grabbing equipment (wheelchairs, etc.), fundraising. There are some hospitals that use volunteers to keep patients company who have cognitive disorders and no family. This would vary by hospital though. What type of activities were you hoping to get involved in?

Thanks, gonna send in an application to all of these!

In terms of what type of activities, I'm not sure to be honest, but anything that directly impacts healthcare and involves patient interaction. In an ideal situation, I don't want to be stuck bagging garbage bins but Id be happy changing the sheets on hospital beds, I rather not be a lobby attendant directing visitors to where the washroom is but Id be happy talking with patients to keep them company and help them through their isolation.