When it comes to volunteer experience for medical school applications, it’s important to remember that quality is more important than quantity. 3 years of volunteering with the same organization in the same community is more valuable than multiple random short excursions. This is why it’s best to start looking for volunteer opportunities early in the pre-med years, so that students have time to really commit to the organization. Read more about the pre-med timeline here.
It’s also important to note that volunteer experiences do not have to be clinical in order to include them on medical school applications. Finding something that you’re genuinely passionate about and committed to, even if not related to healthcare, can make students stronger, well-rounded, and more interesting medical school applicants. But if a student is interested in gaining more clinical experience as well, learn more here.
Volunteer Opportunities for Pre-Meds
1. Summer Camps for Children with Special Needs
There are dozens of summer camps for children and adults with varying degrees of mental or physical disabilities. Some focus on specific special needs such as children with autism or children with Down syndrome. But all are an excellent opportunity to volunteer and help provide campers with a life-changing experience. See a list of 25 summer camps here.
2. Local Hospitals
Hospitals usually offer multiple roles for volunteers to choose from. Family liaisons often volunteer in emergency or intensive care waiting rooms to provide support and to keep families informed of their loved ones progress. Inpatient volunteer floor assistants help nursing teams stock supplies and help with non-clinical patient care. Emergency department volunteers help with similar tasks in the emergency department. There are also opportunities to volunteer in psychiatric units, assisting with non-clinical tasks and recreational activities for patients such as art therapy.
Each hospital has different opportunities and their own volunteer coordinators who can help pre-med students best identify areas that would be a good fit for them. Read more here about what counts as clinical experience for medical school.
3. Children’s Museums
Children’s museums often offer several different roles for volunteers. Some may focus on sustainability while other roles may focus on areas of the museum that teach health and wellness, but all involve interacting with kids and helping to teach them basic science. For students that don’t have time during the academic year, many children’s museums have summer science camps- a perfect opportunity for pre-meds to help introduce kids to STEM.
4. Animal Shelters
Local animal shelters are often in desperate need of volunteers to assist with the animals. Responsibilities can include walking, feeding, and bathing the animals as well as cleaning the shelter and assisting with paperwork. Many shelters also host adoptions fairs for those seeking to adopt a pet. Volunteers are able to really get to know the animals and help them find a good home.
5. Blood Donation Ambassadors
The American Red Cross has volunteer opportunities for students interested in assisting with blood donors. University campuses usually have student run clubs that help to organize blood drives on campus, and getting involved in these clubs is a great opportunity for pre-meds. But the American Red Cross has information on how volunteers can get involved in community and city-wide blood donation events as well. They also have information about other volunteer opportunities in disaster response and shelter services. These positions become active in the case of natural disasters or other emergencies, but volunteers register in advance to ensure they are in the Red Cross system if their services are ever needed.
Final Thoughts
Not every student will have the time or resources to volunteer, and that’s okay. Read more about volunteer hours for medical school applications here. Volunteering is not required for medical school applications and in recent years, medical schools have become far more aware of the socioeconomic challenges faced by so many of their applicants. If a student needs valuable experience, but cannot afford to volunteer their time in lieu of a paid position, there are paid clinical opportunities as well.
If a student is able to volunteer, these are some of the best and most valuable volunteer opportunities for pre-meds. But it’s important to find an opportunity that fits your unique interests. If there is a local or national organization of particular interest to you, feel free to reach out about your interest in volunteering. Finding something personal that a student is committed to is more important than finding something healthcare-related. Pre-med students can volunteer in any area from ocean conservation to human rights advocacy.
Volunteer experience is a great opportunity to make your application stand out and showcase what you’re really passionate about (besides getting into medical school). These experiences humanize you as an applicant and make excellent topics of conversation in future interviews.
