Guest skiboot Posted January 8, 2004 Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 Here's another question, I just started volunteering in an ER, but have found that there is an absence of patient contact. Basically, my job consists of photocopying, transporting files, etc. Speaking to other volunteers, I've learned that it is difficult to get any experience in contact with patients. Speaking to the admissions advisor, I've been told to gain some volunteer experience in a hospital, preferably experience that allows for patient contact. I've thought about volunteering in a third world country this summer, but Im not sure yet if this will be possible. Any advice on where one could go to get such experience. I've got a ton of volunteering experience, although, to this point, none of it is health related. I live in Calgary. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 007 Posted January 8, 2004 Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 I find that you get more patient contact if you are working with seniors or child life. Often, major hospitals have child life volunteer programs that allow you to work with the kids. Or you could look into a place like Extendicare (a home for seniors who have a lot of medical needs). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mydream88 Posted January 8, 2004 Report Share Posted January 8, 2004 or maybe you could look into a summer camp or after school program for children with disabilities/other health concerns. check with local schools/care facilities to see if their is such a program. If your local children's hospital does not have a patient contact program, you could try approach them with an idea about a program to run. I was once eager to volunteer at the Hospital for sick children (where I did eventually manage to get involved and highly recommend it ) however, they were full for the summer. So I proposed an idea for a program that I offered to run. Unfortunately, I was informed that this program had already been started..by Stephen Spielberg:o :rollin !!!!!! You've gotta laugh. anyways, long story short, it's worth a try to make phone calls, show up and offer yourself as a volunteer, I am confident you will find an opportunity by being persistent. mydream88 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest skiboot Posted January 9, 2004 Report Share Posted January 9, 2004 Thanks, I guess I'll have to look around a bit and see what other oppotunities are out there. Volunteering in an ER does give exposure to the atmosphere that one is likely to encounter, although I'll have to look a bit further or even to try to create my own opportunity. Thanks for the feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest aneliz Posted January 9, 2004 Report Share Posted January 9, 2004 I volunteered at a nursing home...not quite the same type of environment as an ER but you do get a lot of contact with the residents and can learn quite a lot about patient care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tanya24 Posted January 9, 2004 Report Share Posted January 9, 2004 How about meals on wheels? Having inner-city hospital experience isn't the be-all to the end-all. In my interview, they didn't care that I spent plenty of my hospital volunteerism behind a desk. What they asked about were my team work, co-operation skills and my attitude. Actually, they seemed even more interested in the fact that I taught myself how to play the piano for my church. Don't worry! The fact that you're taking initiative to contribute to your community will get you further than you're giving yourself credit for. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest blackbox Posted January 12, 2004 Report Share Posted January 12, 2004 Just a thought... i'm in nursing myself (at MUC), and this year i am going to Vietnam for a month to do some volunteer nursing with 9 other students. i know that adventures like mine are popular throughout nursing education. i would seek out the nursing faculty at your school to see if there are trips like that taking place, and if it would be appropriate for you to go with them. it would be a priceless experience! good-luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest skiboot Posted January 12, 2004 Report Share Posted January 12, 2004 Hey Blackbox, That sounds really interesting. The only problem I have right now is that I'm planning to write the MCAT in AUGUST. I guess it would depend on when the MCAT prep courses start for the August MCAT. I spent 10 days in Vietnam last winter, while backpacking threough SE Asia. Since I've returned, I wish that I would have tried to work in a volunteer program into my trip. The thought came into being a little too late...:| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest klukyboy Posted January 12, 2004 Report Share Posted January 12, 2004 Which hospital are you at? If it's the Foothills, ask Helen about volunteering on a ward instead. I worked in neuro-rehab last summer and all I did was interact with patients. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest UWOMED2005 Posted January 12, 2004 Report Share Posted January 12, 2004 I volunteered as a premed with a patient feeding program. We helped feed patients who couldn't feed themselves, for whatever reason. Great patient contact. But no, it didn't really give me an idea of what medicine was about. There are few volunteer positions that do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest skiboot Posted January 13, 2004 Report Share Posted January 13, 2004 Thanks again, When I signed up, there weren't any volunteer shifts available in any of the wards, but I managed to work myself into the ER. I guess it's sort of hit and miss in sone cases. I never realized that there was such a demand for volunteer positions. While some people have said that they didn't benefit much from volunteering on the wards, others said that it was much more rewarding than volunteering in the ER. I'll probably check back every so often to see if anything opens up, or may also look outside the hospitals as was also mentioned. Another thought I just had... Can anyone relate any positive volunteer experiences in a more rural area, or of any experiences, say in a third world country as was mentioned earlier? I heard of one account of a person volunteering in Bolivia, who actually worked hand in hand with the medical staff. I still may try to pursue that route next summer or fall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HP Posted January 14, 2004 Report Share Posted January 14, 2004 Echoing klukyboy, the wards at FMC are a great place to interact with patients. The neuro-rehab unit in the SSB (PCU 57 I think) is great, as is the long term care unit I'm in right now, PCU 46, on the floor below. It can be stressful at times, but really rewarding at others. You get really up close and interactive with patients, because that's really all you're there for. My understanding is that the ER has the largest waiting list of all (I'm thinking about moving there to get some different experiences), so keep asking Helen about ward openings or (not sure if there is precedence for this)maybe you could find someone who wants to switch into the ER and is on a ward right now. Maybe if you matched up with someone like that, Helen could make the switch, although both the ER and the wards require the orientation/training, and who knows when you'll get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ollie Posted January 14, 2004 Report Share Posted January 14, 2004 Hi there, I started hospital volunteering in an area that didn't have a lot of patient contact, because I didn't have a lot of experience with adult patients (I had lots of experience with kids). This helped to ease me in and make me feel more comfortable in the hospital. After about 6 months I asked to be moved to another area, and volunteer resources was very helpful. I now volunteer in renal dialysis, and if your hospital has a dialysis unit that needs volunteers, I would highly recommend this area. I get tons of patient contact. The thing I like the most about it is that I see the same patients every week, and have become quite close with a number of them. Mostly I just chat with them because they are usually quite bored when dialyzing for 4 hours. I think at this point that it's the closest I can get to knowing what being a physician is like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chemgirl Posted January 14, 2004 Report Share Posted January 14, 2004 Ollie, Are you at the U of A? I volunteer on the renal dialysis unit there and it sounds like we are having the same experiences, so I was curious as to your whereabouts! Kathleen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ollie Posted January 14, 2004 Report Share Posted January 14, 2004 I'm in Vancouver, and I volunteer at VGH. In fact, I'm just about to head out for my shift! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest skiboot Posted January 15, 2004 Report Share Posted January 15, 2004 Klukyboy, Answering your previous question, yes I am at FMC. I'll have to try and work some time in on the wards if a shift opens up, probably not till end of April, as I committed to my ER shift until then. I've got a heavy course load this term, so 1 shift a week is likely all that I'll be able to handle for now. Thanks for the insight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest islandmed Posted January 17, 2004 Report Share Posted January 17, 2004 Try hospice! You basically go into hospitals or long term care facilities and talk to patients. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kirsteen Posted January 22, 2004 Report Share Posted January 22, 2004 Hi there, For anyone interested in cardiovascular issues, here's a wealth of volunteering information and a few available positions too: Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kanayo101 Posted January 23, 2004 Report Share Posted January 23, 2004 Hmmmmm.... I volunteer at RCH in BC in Emerg (well, triage) and I get tonnes of patient contact! I guess it sort of depends on how much contact YOU want to initiate. Considering I am the first person that emergency patients and visitors will see in the hospital (and probably sit with for a while until the triage nurse is ready for them), I always talk with people, they share their stories problems and whatnot. Lots of patients are in real pain and/or elderly and they need some more comforting than others. Because I'm bound by the same confidentiality rules as everyone else, the triage nurses will sometimes give me diagnosis tidbits and I always inquire about decisions they made and stuff like that. It's pretty cool. Some of the other people are correct though, different departments allow different levels of patient contact. Our hospital has a TLC program that is direct volunteer-patient contact and you can bring in your pet and be part of a paws n whiskers program... !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cptn med Posted January 24, 2004 Report Share Posted January 24, 2004 My first station at the hospital was an OR pager. It was good to talk to patients every once in a while, but it gave me way too much free time. I moved into ph. therapy in second semester due to my schedule change and found it to be much more hands on. Although it is not an emerg room or typical hospital floor it is great for being able to learn about the needs of the injured and get acquainted with some equipment. Plus tons of social interaction. I also work with a youth group quite a bit which allows for lots of community activity and gives the ability to lend a helping hand to children etc... I think the idea is not so much where you volunteer, but rather how productive it is and what you get out of it. Has it helped you mature and grow? Has it given you an idea of how to handle stressful situations or the mental or physical pain of others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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