Summer hospital volunteering dilemma

[infinic]

Hi,

 

So I’ve called a few hospitals lately (in montreal) to apply as a volunteer and, having been in many volunteering organizations during my time at high school, i was truly surprised by their applying process. I mean, it was overly complicated: they asked me for references… then I would have to do some interviews, a police check, etc.

The reference part is not really a problem since I happen to know my high school community service coordinator, but the interview and the police check is…no lol… not the police check itself, but the time that I would take to go through them: I mean i’m starting college in less then 25 days and I can’t really see how I can make any significant contribution whatsoever in so little time (and they'll need to train me too afterward…although I’ll probably come back next summer if they do so…). But at the same time, I’m also looking for some firsthand contact with patients, people who work in healthcare, doctors, etc- so some random none profitable organization with a good cause won't be enough.

 

So do u guys happen to know anything shorter that can substitute for hospital volunteering? I would hate to miss out on an summer opportunity (just because of a resurfacing tendency to procrastinate) Or should I just try again next year? (or during school… is that even possible? I mean school to hospital; hospital to home + huge workload from school and the commitment that this would involve...)

 

tks

[future_doc]

1. Go through the process, Rome was not built in a day.

2. Call Montreal Childrens Hospital, inquiry about the mini-meds program that starts in the fall I believe.

3. Call Montreal Chest Institute on St. Urbain and see if you can join their recreational therapy program, do it 3-4 hours per week throughout the academic year

4. Call City of Cote St. Luc and inquiry about when their next night courses begin leading to becoming an EMS first responder provided you are 18

5. For immediate volunteering, find a local food bank or men's or women's shelter like Salvation Army and help out

Life is complicated, applying to university, being an undergraduate, applying to med school is all complicated. It all starts with a first step. Good luck.

[Cnussey]

Hi,

 

So I’ve called a few hospitals lately (in montreal) to apply as a volunteer and, having been in many volunteering organisms during my time at high school, i was truly surprised by their applying process. I mean, it was overly complicated: they asked me for references… then I would have to do some interviews, a police check, etc.

The reference part is not really a problem since I happen to know my high school community service coordinator, but the interview and the police check is…no lol… not the police check itself, but the time that I would take to go through them: I mean i’m starting college in less then 25 days and I can’t really see how I can make any significant contribution whatsoever in so little time (and they'll need to train me too afterward…although I’ll probably come back next summer if they do so…). But at the same time, I’m also looking for some firsthand contact with patients, people who work in healthcare, doctors, etc- so some random none profitable organization with a good cause won't be enough.

 

So do u guys happen to know anything shorter that can substitute for hospital volunteering? I would hate to miss out on an summer opportunity (just because of a resurfacing tendency to procrastinate) Or should I just try again next year? (or during school… is that even possible? I mean school to hospital; hospital to home + huge workload from school and the commitment that this would involve...)

 

tks

 

It does not take that long to get a police background check--in fact, you do very little work to get it done. The police do the work.

 

It's worth it.

[tooty]

so you're already b1tching about doing school + extracurriculars being too much work?

 

you're competing for MEDICINE. what did you think this is, pre-dentistry?

[sparkles3288]

Hi,

 

So I’ve called a few hospitals lately (in montreal) to apply as a volunteer and, having been in many volunteering organisms during my time at high school, i was truly surprised by their applying process. I mean, it was overly complicated: they asked me for references… then I would have to do some interviews, a police check, etc.

 

 

 

Volunteering organisms? Clearly they made a lasting impression ........

[silvrsleuth]

well, i don't know that it's entirely surprising that they want to have a police check and references on you before they let you around sick people, and where you could have access to someone's confidential information. if you look at volunteering as 'just' volunteering, you're going to have a problem. volunteering is doing a job that should be paid for free. it's an actual job.

 

also, Cnussey is right. getting a police check isn't hard work, unless you live hours away from the nearest police station. however, if they know you're going back to college in a month, they're probably not going to take you in the first place. were you going to lie? because i can't see why they would waste time training you when there are other people who can commit more time. sorry if that sounds a little abrupt, but i've read a few posts lately where i get the impression that people are volunteering for places solely because they think it's what they should do, and not because they have any interest in the places they're working. i think that's why adcoms look to see how long you were at a place, as an indication of your commitment.

 

ALSOalso, having spent 20 days lurking around a hospital wait room is, in my opinion and understanding, not going to impress any adcom. you're not checking a 'done time in a hospital' box. i think it would be a better use of yours and everyone's time if you asked hospital volunteer coordinator if there were any doctors in hospital (or, if you want, name a department of interest to you, like emerg) who would be willing to have you shadow them for a few hours. ideally, there will be multiple doctors you can see, so that will fill up some hours in the summer. you'll probably get better experience than you would in 25 days at a hospital, PLUS you won't have made any commitments you can't keep AND you might even get to start some relationships that could end in a reference.

[Cnussey]

Exactly what S.S. said above...admission's committees are looking for people who are involved in their communities--who care about others, who care about primary health care, who care about physical fitness, who care about community spirit, etc.

 

That's the point of the volunteer work: they can see that you care about and enjoy these types of commitments and values without monetary gain.

[infinic]

Volunteering organisms? Clearly they made a lasting impression ........

 

Sorry about that lol… did I mentioned that I was also trying to learn english this summer… I take by ur response that “organismes de charité “ can’t be translated literally.

 

As for the commitment during the academic year, it’s not really a problem, but I would just think that it would be better for me to get the academics right in the first places (since it would also mean a change in teaching language for me) - I mean aren’t extracurricular activities there just to broaden my perspectives, get involve in the community and reinforce a couple of values so that I would make a better doctor if I actually get in (tell me if I’m wrong there, because that’s the message that I’m getting since many of quebec’s universities (except for Mcgill and Laval) don’t even require an autobiography letter). Oh... by the way, I am not an undergrad- we have cegep in quebec and i wouldn't be apply in at least a year and a half- and I was also planning to apply to the med-p program…

 

But shadowing, mini-med and all do seem great… I might just convince a couple of friends to go also … tks for the constructive advise guys, I was enlighten…- I’d really thought before that having a couple of well implanted IB virtues, joining a couple of clubs like medecin sans frontière, some competitions and creating some clubs during my academic year would have been enough to demonstrate my determination and involvement my community spirit... and i was kinda seeing volunteering in a hospital as a way to just get some experience and know what it would like to be in a clinical setting also...

 

so tks

[a1b1]

The volunteering application process is a long step, but it is also the first step that every med hopefull must take.

 

The process might take long, but in the end its worth it, took me 3 months after submitting the application to be asked to come for an interview. But like i said, in the end its worth it, you will find this experience to be tremendously rewarding.

 

I would recommend you fill the forms and submit them about a month or so before you winter/summer breaks.

 

Best of luck in your future endeavours and sorry for any grammar mistakes

[Prothrombin]

Sorry about that lol… did I mentioned that I was also trying to learn english this summer… I take by ur response that “organismes de charité “ can’t be translated literally.

 

As for the commitment during the academic year, it’s not really a problem, but I would just think that it would be better for me to get the academics right in the first places (since it would also mean a change in teaching language for me) - I mean aren’t extracurricular activities there just to broaden my perspectives, get involve in the community and reinforce a couple of values so that I would make a better doctor if I actually get in (tell me if I’m wrong there, because that’s the message that I’m getting since many of quebec’s universities (except for Mcgill and Laval) don’t even require an autobiography letter). Oh... by the way, I am not an undergrad- we have cegep in quebec and i wouldn't be apply in at least a year and a half- and I was also planning to apply to the med-p program…

 

But shadowing, mini-med and all do seem great… I might just convince a couple of friends to go also … tks for the constructive advise guys, I was enlighten…- I’d really thought before that having a couple of well implanted IB virtues, joining a couple of clubs like medecin sans frontière, some competitions and creating some clubs during my academic year would have been enough to demonstrate my determination and involvement my community spirit... and i was kinda seeing volunteering in a hospital as a way to just get some experience and know what it would like to be in a clinical setting also...

 

so tks

 

Don't worry about your English, some people have a lampshade up their @ss a lot. I know in Ottawa at least, it takes 6-8 weeks to get your police records check. The good thing is that the hospitals and organizations will let you volunteer even if they haven't received it yet. I don't know what the policy in Montreal is. I started volunteering with the Ottawa Hospital as soon as I filled out the application, but didn't receive the police record check for 2 and a half months.

 

Like other people have said though, you shouldn't be deterred by the commitment involved in volunteering because you need to be committed and manage time well in order to show the schools you can balance your social life, EC's and school work. If working in a hospital or other sort of health care related organization isn't an option this summer, then get involved with some organizations that relate to what you're interested in.

[mattg]

I could be wrong, but you sound like you are more interested in the medical aspect than you are the volunteering aspect, so you might want to consider just emailing doctors and finding one to shadow... volunteering is a good thing to do obviously, but it seems like you expect to do more than just getting patients drinks and conversing with them, which is what you'll be doing... also, with regards to emailing doctors to shadow, it is much much faster (in my experience) than registering to volunteer... just get a doctor to agree, and you go in whenever you two agree on (probably pretty immediately)... so that might work better based on your timeline, as well as what (I think) you are moreso looking for... just a thought:D

[Julie]

As for the commitment during the academic year, it’s not really a problem, but I would just think that it would be better for me to get the academics right in the first places (since it would also mean a change in teaching language for me) - I mean aren’t extracurricular activities there just to broaden my perspectives, get involve in the community and reinforce a couple of values so that I would make a better doctor if I actually get in (tell me if I’m wrong there, because that’s the message that I’m getting since many of quebec’s universities (except for Mcgill and Laval) don’t even require an autobiography letter). Oh... by the way, I am not an undergrad- we have cegep in quebec and i wouldn't be apply in at least a year and a half- and I was also planning to apply to the med-p program…

 

so tks

 

I think it really depends on where you want to apply. If you're mainly thinking of the french speaking Quebec schools, then you can focus on your academics and, like you said, volunteering won't be a huge issue (except for maybe Laval, I'm not sure how important it is there), and it might be better to focus on your marks (although a little bit of hospital volunteering during the week isn't going to take that much time, and it might be motivating, that depends on you). However, schools outside of Quebec tend to put much emphasis on the non-academic part of your applications. In many schools, it's just as important as your marks, and you won't get in if you don't have both the marks and the EC's. If you think you'll want to apply outside of Quebec, or if you're thinking about McGill, then having a life outside of your studies during the academic year will maximize your chances.

[p3t3r1]

Don't worry about your English, some people have a lampshade up their @ss a lot. I know in Ottawa at least, it takes 6-8 weeks to get your police records check. The good thing is that the hospitals and organizations will let you volunteer even if they haven't received it yet. I don't know what the policy in Montreal is. I started volunteering with the Ottawa Hospital as soon as I filled out the application, but didn't receive the police record check for 2 and a half months.

 

Like other people have said though, you shouldn't be deterred by the commitment involved in volunteering because you need to be committed and manage time well in order to show the schools you can balance your social life, EC's and school work. If working in a hospital or other sort of health care related organization isn't an option this summer, then get involved with some organizations that relate to what you're interested in.

 

Dude which campus of ottawa hospital you went volunteering with? General campus? I was there last summer. Btw, you know in Ottawa you have an express option? Pay like $12 or $20 and you get your record check in 5 minutes.

 

BTW, you need police record check in salivation army, at least for me.

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[DOC_Ma]

I volunteer at a Nursing Home in Ontario, they asked me for exactly the same thing that your hospital asked u to do, it did take time and energy to go through the process, I was also required to get a TB shot and mine turned out to be positive (due to my childhood vaccine to TB) so I had to recheck etc. It was a big hassle to go through them, but that's what it takes anywhere I know.

[infinic]

… yeah, I guess that I’ll just have to apply early to make sure that i have something to do when winter vacation time comes and do a lot of extracurricular activities meanwhile…

summer is pretty much over for me though, it seems that the most realistic thing for me to do right now is just to continue working on my English just to make sure that I can at least understand and communicate when it comes to college studies and surely apply for a couple of things that u guys suggested…but most certainly try to enjoy a peaceful summer before all the pain and sufferings:D (no lol... school in general... not talking about volunteering)

anyhow, have a nice summer everyone and thanks for the great advise ... I’ll definitely try them out (perhaps whence i get an idea of what college is really about- any idea how difficult it is to get a 36+ R-score with just 85+ high school overall average people in all ur classes?)

[Prothrombin]

Dude which campus of ottawa hospital you went volunteering with? General campus? I was there last summer. Btw, you know in Ottawa you have an express option? Pay like $12 or $20 and you get your record check in 5 minutes.

 

BTW, you need police record check in salivation army, at least for me.

 

My first hospital experience was with the Riverside. I applied, got my interview/placement. They asked me to bring two pieces of government ID so I used Drivers License and Passport. They let me start right away and asked me just to give them a copy of the police record when it came in. At the same time I got in with the Canadian Cancer Society doing paperwork at the main office in Nepean, did my training and got my placement in the Blood Lab at the General. They really weren't picky for the Police Check.

[p3t3r1]

who was the volunteer coordinator @ riverside? Robin? If so, she rocks!

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[Prothrombin]

who was the volunteer coordinator @ riverside? Robin? If so, she rocks!

 

Yeah Robin and Andrew. Theyre chill people but I never see them so i'd be hesitant to ask them for a reference letter for anything. I'd probably ask one of the nurses first, i'm pretty close to most of them.