There is no “exact number” of pre-med volunteer hours required for medical school. The 3 primary extracurricular activities for medical school applications are clinical experiences, volunteering, and research. Clinical experience is probably the most important of these. And it’s possible for pre-med volunteer experiences to overlap with research or clinical experiences. So exactly “how many” volunteer hours students should aim for depends on the specific volunteer experience:
How Many Volunteer Hours Do You Need for Medical School Applications
Clinical Volunteer Hours
There is no exact number of volunteer hours “required” for medical school. But it’s important to remember that long-term commitments are more valuable than short-term. The longer you are connected with a volunteer organization the better (and the higher the chances of getting a letter of recommendation).
In order of importance for medical school applications, clinical hours are more important than volunteer hours. So students often do clinically focused volunteer work (like volunteering as an EMT or in a hospital setting). To count as clinical experience though, you need to be working directly with patients. Generally, office-type work does not count. But if office work is all that is available at the hospital, it’s can still be a great way to start making those connections to learn about what kinds of opportunities the hospital offers and eventually move onto more clinical tasks. Read more about both clinical and non-clinical volunteer opportunities for pre-meds here.
It’s good to aim for about 10-15 hours a month for at least 6 months.
| Activity | Hours |
| Volunteer EMT | 6 hour shift, every other week (12 hours a month) |
| Emergency Department Volunteer | 8 hour shift, every other week (16 hours a month) |
| Hospital Inpatient Volunteer Assistant | 10 hour shift, once a month (10 hours a month) |
If students already have abundant clinical experience, non-clinical volunteer work can make you a more well-rounded applicant.
Non-Clinical Volunteer Hours
Again, the longer the volunteer commitment the better. And while clinical experience is important, medical school applications are not simply a competition for who has the most clinical hours and best grades. For students who already have clinical experience elsewhere, non-clinical volunteer experience can help make you stand-out as an applicant.
Pre-meds are notorious for seeing everything in life as simply a box to check. Volunteering with an organization you’re really passionate about, even if it’s not related to medicine, helps to humanize you and shows admissions boards who you are as a person. Read more about unique volunteer opportunities for pre-meds here.
| Activity | Hours |
| Girls on the Run Volunteer Coach | 2 hours a week, twice a week (16 hours a month) |
| Animal Shelter Volunteer | 3 hours a week, once a week (12 hours a month) |
| Children’s Museum STEM Summer Camp Volunteer | 20 hours a week for 8 weeks of summer (160 hours) |
Students should still aim for at least 10-15 hours a month, for at least 6 months. If it is a summer only activity, that’s okay. Consider participating more than one summer, if you can.
No Volunteer Hours
It’s important to note that you do not need volunteer hours for medical school. And many medical schools are beginning to realize how this expectation puts students from poorer financial backgrounds at a disadvantage. Not every student can afford to volunteer so much of their time, and instead need paying jobs to support themselves.
If that’s your situation, that’s okay. There are plenty of paid opportunities to get clinical experience and help your community. Read more about paid clinical opportunities for pre-meds here.
And if you are comfortable, it’s perfectly appropriate to mention why you were not able to volunteer in medical school application essays. Consult a pre-med advisor to find the right wording, but there is nothing wrong with making note of this.
Final Thoughts
Medical schools want well-rounded applicants with passions and interests both within and outside of medicine. Volunteer experiences can be a great opportunity to showcase those passions and interests and can set students apart as unique and compassionate applicants. They are also a great opportunity to obtain a quality letter of recommendation. Try to find something unique, even if it’s not clinically related. But remember that volunteer hours are not required, and schools are aware that there will be students who cannot afford to volunteer so much of their time. Students who can’t afford to volunteer or who can’t find the time between their paid jobs should not be discouraged from applying to medical school. Read more about the pre-med and medical school application timeline here.
