I don't enjoy Volunteering at a Hospital

[Guest aclementine]

Hi, i've recently started volunteering at my local hospital, you know ...helping the elderly, etc, but i don't personally find this rewarding experience and i'm starting to reconsider my interest in medicine. Am i the only one to have gone though this? i'm seriously having a life crisis

[Guest jgray2]

hi aclementine,

 

medicine is so much broader than any hospital volunteering program -- and there's certainly more to it than helping the elderly. i wouldn't say that not enjoying your time at the hospital is a sign that you shouldn't be a doctor.

 

keep in mind that a "rewarding experience" depends on so many things. are your roles and expectations clear? are you working with people who you like? are you in the program within the hospital that is the best fit for you (i mean, is there an ER program instead of a geriatrics program)? is the volunteer resources staff supportive of their volunteers?

 

i've been volunteering at my local hospital now for over ten years. however, i have to admit that out of all of my volunteering activities, the hospital has been the least rewarding experience of them all (though still rewarding in the end otherwise i would have left). i would have to say that my time spent at homeless shelters or teaching kids to read english is much more rewarding. but despite that, i feel that i would be a much better doctor than a teacher or social worker and i am very confident about my choice. so no, you aren't the only one who feels that way.

[Guest 1984MD]

I totally agree. I spent time volunteering in the geriatrics unit in the hospital and I hated it. I found it so depressing and I felt like I wasn't doing anything positive for these patients. I would stare at my watch, counting down until my shift was over. For a little while, I also doubted my interest in medicine. I ended up switching to another hospital, working in the ER in the children's hospital and loved it. I think each hospital volunteering experience is really unique and it depends a lot on what unit you are assigned to, the nursing staff and what type of responsibilities you are given, your own preferences (I prefer working with children than the elderly), etc... During my interview, I actually told the interviewer that I didn't find my hospital volunteering expriences that very rewarding and it ended up stimulating a lot of discussion (and I ended up being accepted at the school)

[Guest satsumargirl]

Hello Aclementine

 

Sorry to hear you are not enjoying your experience.

As others have suggested you may need to change programs to something that interests you more. Maybe you would rather visit with kids on a cancer unit or something else.

 

Geriatrics isn't for everyone. That being said, it can be rewarding and it is extremely valuable to the pts/residents (whatever you happen to call them where you are) and sometimes even the staff.

Are you in a long-term care program? Volunteers are so important in these pograms as many don't have that many visitors anymore and are at risk of becoming socially isolated and depressed (friends and family often live far away or have died). What population are you working with?

 

I suspect you may have a decent number of people with at least some dementia on a geriatrics program. This can make communicating tough. They won't initiate so much conversation and may not follow yours. Are you visiting with pts? It can help to bing along something to talk about - a short newpaper article, a book of poems, magazine with pictures like National Geographic, the pictures the pt might have in their room etc. to take the burden off of memory for your visit.

 

I worked in geriatrics as an SLP before coming to med school. I had several volunteers and they loved it. But they had clear goals and I spent several visits with them 'til they felt comfortable with the pt (be it someone with post-stroke aphasia, Parkinsons or dementia etc...). That being said there were some I referred to other programs 'cause they just weren't a good fit.

 

If your role as a volunteer is to visit with these pts and you are finding communication a bit tough, send me a PM and I can give you some ideas that could help.

 

Otherwise...don't base your decisions about your career based on just one experience with one population at one hospital. Medicine is so broad!

 

But at the same time you have an opportunity to reflect on why you don't like this experience and that may help guide some career choices.

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi there,

 

I echo all of the above, having spent some time candystriping as a youngster and then volunteering in a retirement home. I ended up not volunteering for a few years thereafter until I found a position that was good for me: sexual and reproductive health counseling at Planned Parenthood. It took over 6 months to have my name called from their waiting list to receive an interview and then another 6 months of training before I was counseling alone, but it was a worthwhile expenditure of time. In short, I'd encourage anyone to be choosy about how they spend their volunteering time--definitely look around and try to find something that suits you then you'll be enthused about showing up and giving your time each day you're there.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest peachy]

In short, I'd encourage anyone to be choosy about how they spend their volunteering time

I just wanted to second that excellent advice! There are some volunteer positions that are fantastic, and there are others that seem to have been created because some hospitals have more volunteers than they know what to do with. The first hospital I volunteered at I hated--my position was completely useless. The second one I loved, and I still volunteer there. It's worth trying different things until you find what you love.

[Guest The Law]

Yeah definitely make sure you're doing something you find rewarding in some way. If you're not finding it rewarding and are having to countdown till you have to leave, then you should be thinking about switching to another placement.

[Guest scrubbed]

Hey there,

 

As a topic of discussion, and not a specific personal attack on anyone who has posted, I did find it interesting that in the posts thus far many of the more popular volunteering activities were with younger people whereas the less popular activites were working with older people.

 

I say this because it does seem that a lot of medicine, dependent on the speciality, of course, will be working with the elderly. With the baby boomers reaching retirement age and using more medical services, this trend will only increase.

 

I also say this because even in my brief medical career, I've noticed, and been a part of, explicit and implicit ageism. Personally, I've also had some experience with grandparents in the health care system where I think their care, because of their age, wasn't optimal.

 

As sats also said, I'm not claiming that every physician should absolutely enjoy working with the elderly, and of course the specific hospital programs can influence one's experience, but I do think that upon reflection one should find some redeeming qualities about it.

 

There have been a couple of interesting op-ed pieces in The Medical Post about this.

 

One focuses about specific experiences with the health care system.

 

The other talks about, at the end of the article, some family doctors setting up boutique practices, excluding older and more complex patients.

[Guest DimitriTheDr]

There's a wierd dichotomy that pops up when youhate where you volunteer. On one hand you're supossed to be allbenevolent and whatever but on the other you can't help but hating what you're doing. I got stuck filling histology slides in chronological order in some basement back room of a hospital. Not to mention the absolute b!tch that ran the lab techs. She would stare at my forehead when she yelled... which was often. I too mentioned it in my interview that i didn't get along with her and it started a great conflict/resolution discussion. And as 1984MD did, i got accepted (to the same school if im not mistaken)!

 

Advice: Just change departments, change hospitals, CHANGE.

[Guest Kirsteen]

Hi there,

 

In response to the comment re: working with the elderly, I think, in some cases, people do enjoy working with the elderly; however, the volunteering positions that are available to do so may not be optimum. That is, it isn't a slight against elderly folks, but instead, the actual job that you're doing for them. In my own case, I love the elderly and really enjoy having a good blether with elderly patients, or, as was the case at the long-term care facility where I volunteered, taking an older, post-stroke, aphasic patient out for a wheelchair walk. However, unfortunately, some of the other tasks available for volunteers in centers with many elderly folks may not be as invigorating.

 

Cheers,

Kirsteen

[Guest leviathan]

Volunteering in something you don't enjoy is just a waste of time. You won't learn anything, you won't enjoy it, and your interviewers will know you didn't enjoy it (and hence you will look like a phony person). That applies not just to hospitals but any sort of volunteering. Find something you enjoy, and stick to it.

[Guest Lactic Folly]

Doing something mindless and unproductive can also be valuable in that it reaffirms in your own mind how important it is that you do work that is meaningful.

[Guest satsumargirl]

Hey Scrubbed,

 

2 good articles you posted. Ageism is very real. I think one challenge is that alot of people don`t even realize the are doing it! (though unfortunately maybe some do).

 

Even just in terms of respect for older people. I remember a nurse that worked on one of the dementia units where I worked...she was very competent and loved the residents...but would walk in and say something like "oh hi, mum's here to take you to your bath". She meant absolutely no harm. But frankly, if the poor person with dementia wasn`t confused before, well she/he probably is now! My mum??? You don`t look like my mum! But a very touchy thing to try and address.

 

There are several studies that have shown health care workers faciltate dependency of residents in long-term care rather than encouraging independence. And just by referring to yourself as "mum" there is the implication that the resident is dependent.

 

I recall a story of a retired doctor and professor at a university. His entire adult life he had always be afforded alot of respect and referred to as Doctor. Once retired he had walked into a government office (to pick up some card I don`t recall what) and the person serving him referred to him as sweety...as in have a nice day sweety. He was quite offended and upset.

 

The Ontario human rights commisison has a little blurb on ageism

 

 

www.ohrc.on.ca/english/consultations/age-consultation-report_1.shtml

 

www.ohrc.on.ca/english/consultations/age-discussion-paper.shtml#_Toc488750649

 

 

 

Actually I am trying to find a link on this site that I found a couple of years ago. It talks about actual cases...in one a woman was admitted against her will to a dementia unit because she failed cognitive testing....she had done the test without her hearing aids though and it took months to get her out. And I have been witness to staff writing in the chart that a pt is disoriented or confused when all that needed to be done was help the person put in their hearing aids...or actually check their ears for wax plugs and clean them out. And even I've seen staff not bother to put hearing aids in...and explain to me that he's just old, he doesn`t need the hearing aids, he hears when he wants to hear. >: That made me so frustrated!!

 

When I find the page I will post it.

 

Working with the elderly is not for everyone...just like working with kids is not for everyone. But it is an interesting topic to think about. We will all get old one day,and wouldn`t we all expect the best care. And even as a family doc it is estimated that more than half of the pts seen will be over 60 in the coming years.

 

Hopefully I will find the link soon...I recall finding it an interesting read at the time

 

 

Here it is...on elder abuse...though not AS interesting as I remember, still interesting

 

www.ohrc.on.ca/english/consultations/age-consultation-report_10.shtml

[Guest aclementine]

Thanks for everyone's comments. Personally, I enjoy working with younger children more than I do with the eldery. However, i'm afraid of transferring to the hospital's day care section because it may not really be health-related volunteering if you know what i mean. It doesn't have the same patient-volunteer interaction from the geriatrics ward.

 

On one hand, I can take everyone's advice and adapt so I can enjoy the patient-volunteer experience in the geriatrics ward. On the other hand, I can transfer into the children's day care section and fill a babysitter/caregiver role. What are your thoughts on this?

 

ps. 1984MD and DimitriTheDr, I PMed you guys

[Guest Jochi1543]

I volunteered 20 hrs a week at a hospital for about 3 months (had a long break between my regular semester and study abroad, and I couldn't work due to some legal issues). It was a good way to kill time - definitely better than lying around the house and watching the boob tube. However, it wasn't any kind of life-changing experience or anything like that. A good part of it was just running errands around the hospital or helping out with bed-making, etc. However, I got to watch a couple of surgeries for entertainment value, and I enjoyed dropping into patients' rooms and chatting with them when there was downtime - and it seems that they liked it too. I don't regret it by any means, but it wasn't a dream come true either. If I hadn't already decided on medicine by that point, I doubt this experience would've led me to think I wanna be a medical professional. However, I really liked volunteering at a small community clinic, where I had originally started as a patient. We got a LOT of responsibility, and in addition to that, after doing some elective training, we were allowed to counsel patients with positive pregnancy test results and victims of sexual assault. It wasn't easy (my first ever pregnancy patient was a 14-yo who was there with her teacher and was bawling her eyes out the whole time - I remember talking to her and trying to cover up my knees, because they were shaking so hard), but it was definitely rewarding. It was working there that initially made me even consider medicine - I started working there purely by chance. However, this type of experience seems to be rather rare, I guess I just got lucky. Running errands and making beds is going to be more of a norm, but even then, if you play your cards right, you might get to watch/do some cool stuff. Like, as far as watching surgeries, I had to ask for that, and I did it after doing quite a few volunteer shifts there, so that the nurses got to know me and could tell the surgeons to go ahead and let me watch. It was also nice to get a chance to chat with the surgeons - the doctors at my community clinic were all FPs and ob-gyns, so it was nice to get a glimpse of what it's like for doctors in other areas of medicine. If you have questions, 3-4 hours of talk time with a doc and a group of nurses without anyone butting in (presuming the patient is under general anesthesia :lol ) can be invaluable.

[Guest satsumargirl]

Hi there!

 

I think you have to find a position you find rewarding. You are after all VOLUNTEERING your time, so you should be doing something you find rewarding.

 

IMHO I don`t think medical schools are looking for specific "healthcare" volunteer experience. They probably are more looking for community involvement, what interests you, and also just that you have experience interacting with various kinds of people. You can get that is a wide variety of volunteer positions...not just in a hospital.

 

Good luck!!

[Guest ssc427]

Thanks for everyone's comments. Personally, I enjoy working with younger children more than I do with the eldery. However, i'm afraid of transferring to the hospital's day care section because it may not really be health-related volunteering if you know what i mean. It doesn't have the same patient-volunteer interaction from the geriatrics ward.

 

I really don't think it's as crucial as many believe to have volunteer experience in health care to go to med school. As long as you can convince interviewers you understand what is involved in being a physician and why you want to do it. I never spent one single minute doing volunteer work in health care but got a few acceptances.

 

Treat volunteer work like everything else in the road to getting into meds. Pick your courses, degree, hobbies, volunteer etc… because you want to do it. Not because you think it’ll help your application.

[Guest GundamDX]

agreed and agreed. People have gotten in with zero amount of hospital experience, but ofcoz they balanced their application with other ECs.

[Guest peachy]

IMHO I don`t think medical schools are looking for specific "healthcare" volunteer experience. They probably are more looking for community involvement, what interests you, and also just that you have experience interacting with various kinds of people.

Yeah. People who think they need "healthcare volunteer experience" are conflating two requirements of the admissions process: first, the ability to show that you have thoroughly thought through what it means to be a physician, and have some experiences that show you what that involves, and second, showing that you have some interest in being involved in and in contributing to your community.

[Guest aclementine]

Thanks for everyone's feedback. I've made my decision to continue with the geriatrics ward and to try and make the best of it. Are there any goals (i.e. today, I will..., etc) or other things to keep in mind while volunteering at a hospital?

[Guest Jochi1543]

I dunno, my advice would be just to keep your eyes open in case smth interesting happens, and get chummy with the staff, so that if there's an interesting operation going on or a research study, you can get a chance to be a participant. Don't limit yourself to just the stuff *they* offer you, but seek out opportunities.

[aclementine]

thanks for your help guys, i'm starting to really like hospital volunteer work, but recently, i've come to realize that there is no physician-volunteer interaction, have any of you guys gone through this same thinking?

 

I'm still looking for the "trigger" that has me wanting to pursue medicine, and working closely with a doctor to see what a typical day is like would be awesome. But I feel that the volunteer programs at my hospital are sorta all comforting/counselling roles. Even in the ER we don't actively help patients, we do friendly visits and talk with them. Did you guys find this fulfilling? i don't know how these passive experiences can reaffirm my interest in becoming a physcian

[celeria]

I think that all too often too little value is placed on those "passive experiences" that you are talking about. Medicine is not just about healing people's physical states, but as a doctor you will also be responsible for your patients' mental states. Take this wonderful opportunity (while you have the time) to talk to patients and develop the absolutely essential skills that you will need to be a good physician. You will have more than ample time to mend bones in the future.

[Kuantum]

Hi, i've recently started volunteering at my local hospital, you know ...helping the elderly, etc, but i don't personally find this rewarding experience and i'm starting to reconsider my interest in medicine. Am i the only one to have gone though this? i'm seriously having a life crisis

 

Certainly not! That's a part of finding out if medicine is the right career for you, however, I think it would probably be important to consider other aspects of medicine as well. Also, even if you don't do something directly related to medicine, but investigate areas that would relate to skills you need in medicine. For example, volunteering at a homeless shelter, group home, or your local YW/YMCA. You could try your hands at research, student government, advisory councils. If that doesn't do it for you, just try whatever interests you and be passionate about it. You'll realize sooner or later whether or not you'll want a career in medicine...I would just not use one experience as the deciding factor.

[satyam]

I know that having a good volunteering experience at a hospital is important to get into a medical school, but how exactly important is volunteering? What I mean to say is on average how much year of volunteering experience do you need? I am high school right now, so when is it a good time for me to start volunteering. Also, how often do you need to volunteer- meaning twice per week, four times per week or 4 months during the summer break?