Guest benjibert Posted June 16, 2004 Report Share Posted June 16, 2004 Anyone volunteered there? Wanna share the positives and negatives, if any, of doing so? Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mymomthinksimacatch Posted June 16, 2004 Report Share Posted June 16, 2004 I've been volunteering there for coming on 2 years now. Great place, great experience. There are a variety of opportunities to participate, although they only run the family volunteer training once a year (family volunteers work directly with the kids). CP treats their volunteers very well, although its not really the place to go if you're looking for a life-altering experience (its more about providing practical support/interaction for kids with life-limiting illnesses, in my opinion). Take a look at their web site if you haven't already. www.canuckplace.org/ I HIGHLY recommend being involved with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ssup Posted June 16, 2004 Report Share Posted June 16, 2004 I was at Canuck's Place as well for 1.5-2 yrs before getting into med school at U of A and I can tell you that Canuck Place is an AMAZING place to volunteer but it isn't for everyone...first off, although everyone thinks they're good with kids, Peds isn't everyone's cup of tea. And remember, this isn't your ordinary children's hospital....it is after all a palliative care hospice! Having said that, I found that these kids are at the end of the day just that...kids! They interact, play and are incredibly naughty just like all other kids so don't expect that Canuck Place is a dark, depressing place to work because despite the underlying connotation, it's quite an upbeat, uplifiting place! Also, Susan (the volunteer director) has a quite a strict criteria for who she takes as volunteers and not everyone is invited to take part in the family volunteer training that was mentioned. Do note that if you do not have this training, you are not allowed to go off-grounds with kids unless there is a family volunteer present. I found the 30 hours of training extremely helpful even for your medical career since it helps you deal with issues that you will encounter for the rest of your life (if you choose a medical career). Ssup med 2007 u of a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest benjibert Posted June 16, 2004 Report Share Posted June 16, 2004 Hey you two, Thanks for the input. Guess I should be glad to get the nod from Susan for the training this September. I am more concerned about scheduling of things. How many hours have you put in on average per week? Were there times that you put in more weekly hours than others? Curious Thanks! benjibert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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