mr.o Posted August 14, 2011 Report Share Posted August 14, 2011 Thought to start up a thread of useful medical opportunities that are accessible to non-trads who may/may not be in uni. To start off, St. John Ambulance runs a fantastic program to train volunteers to become medical first responders. So far, I've learned how to take a blood pressure reading using a stethoscope and pressure cuff, how to deal with stroke heart attacks and a few other conditions. I can't wait to be out an event. All you need to join is a valid First Aid Certificate from any of the major providers. Additionally, not sure how hospitals are in other cities but where I am at, one must attend an orientation session before starting. Thus, I applied to volunteer three months ago and will be attending an orientation session this month. The take away message is the earlier you act with hospitals, the better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylamonkey Posted August 15, 2011 Report Share Posted August 15, 2011 I've been with SJA for 4 years, I'm now an officer and can put it as leadership on my med apps. It's all been free, I'll be taking a course soon to be an instructor, I've gotten to see community events for free, interact with all sorts of people, do group presentations, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corri Posted August 15, 2011 Report Share Posted August 15, 2011 That sounds really great. Thanks for sharing. Can you pass on details for me to look into it? Also, where is the program offered and what's the time commitment like? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockey_whiz Posted August 15, 2011 Report Share Posted August 15, 2011 is this program offered in Edmonton? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted August 15, 2011 Report Share Posted August 15, 2011 Yes - http://www.sja.ca/Alberta/Pages/Edmonton.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploughboy Posted August 16, 2011 Report Share Posted August 16, 2011 Thought to start up a thread of useful medical opportunities that are accessible to non-trads who may/may not be in uni. To start off, St. John Ambulance runs a fantastic program to train volunteers to become medical first responders. So far, I've learned how to take a blood pressure reading using a stethoscope and pressure cuff, how to deal with stroke heart attacks and a few other conditions. I can't wait to be out an event. All you need to join is a valid First Aid Certificate from any of the major providers. Additionally, not sure how hospitals are in other cities but where I am at, one must attend an orientation session before starting. Thus, I applied to volunteer three months ago and will be attending an orientation session this month. The take away message is the earlier you act with hospitals, the better! Good idea for a thread, and I hope my comments don't derail it. I had great experiences with St John before med school. Also had some really crappy experiences during med school in a different city. Currently not active with the Brigade but thinking of coming back now that I'm through most of the super-intense parts of my residency and have moved again. The training is solid, most of the people are in it for the right reasons, you can experience a lot and it looks great on a med school application. The things I did with SJA indubitably played a big part in me getting into med school and if I had to do it all over again I'd do it all over again. The problem with St John (and volunteer organizations in general) is summed up in what somebody told me when I started: "Some of the people in St John need the Brigade more than the Brigade needs them". I won't expand on that any further in a public forum, but you can probably figure out what I mean. So I guess the generalizable point regarding volunteer opportunities is know what you're getting into and don't be afraid to change to something else if it's not working out for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kylamonkey Posted August 17, 2011 Report Share Posted August 17, 2011 The problem with St John (and volunteer organizations in general) is summed up in what somebody told me when I started: "Some of the people in St John need the Brigade more than the Brigade needs them". I won't expand on that any further in a public forum, but you can probably figure out what I mean. +1 You may have a great experience, you may have a no-so-great experience. It will depend highly on the people who are involved in the exact town/city you are in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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