Is Volunteering as a Premed a Waste of Time? | Extracurriculars Explained

[@MedSchoolInsiders]

Which extracurricular do you want us to talk about in an upcoming video? Leave a suggestion below! 👇🏼📝

[@audrey-ib8be]

Hello Med School Insiders, I would love to hear your thoughts and insight on doing phlebotomy, or radiological technology, as clinical experience. One of my big questions is, is phlebotomy seen as a competitive clinical experience in a medical school application? Also, thank you for your videos and the information you provide to pre-med students. My dream has always been to become a doctor, and for a while, I gave up on that dream. Your videos have helped me feel not so overwhelmed in the process of trying to figure out how to get on track as I've realized there's no other job I want more. Thank you so much. :)

[@dominick6131]

As an MD in the US, i view volunteering as extortion. Expecting broke college students to volunteer is demeaning and perpetuates a culture of free labour. It also further gives an advantage to the wealthy who have parents that pay their tuition and living expenses and thus can afford to volunteer as a premed compared to the majority of students who have to use student loans, thus furthering socioeconomic and racial gaps among premeds. The extortion continues in med school once again expecting medical students to provide free labour and free research. For volunteer work to be ethical, the person volunteering must have nothing to lose and is truly doing it altruistically. Dangling a medical degree in front of a student and saying "you won't get this unless you work for free' is extortion. Meanwhile Nurse practitioners can work as CNAs while in nursing school, and then work as nurses while in NP school, never having to do any free labour, and no one ever threatens to hold back your degree if you don't work for free.

[@soggychip6302]

I am currently applying to med school right now and I completely agree.

[@jlove4eva1234]

I say the same thing. The ones that kill me are hospital who want u to be a full time scribe with set hours but want u to volunteer. Like huh. Not everyone has money for free laber 40 hours. A week. Rediculous. At least be a patient care assistant or a porter

[@niccoloreiss842]

I agree completely. I personally began volunteering in harm reduction as a high school senior, and I kept up with it when I had free time. I did it because I genuinely wanted to help, and I still do. I still volunteered in harm reduction in one form or another through med school because of that, so my volunteer work is what got me into med school, but med school isn't why I volunteer. I volunteer in harm reduction and do research on pain and pain management because it's what I'm passionate about, not for any other reason. The benefits it brings to others are the goals, and the benefits it brings me are perks.

[@lanak3674]

Completely agree. Premed majors are time-consuming and challenging as is, and everyone needs money. Colleges don't pay us for studying; it's the other way around. No one can keep up straight A's, work, earn money, volunteer, and take care of family responsibilities (occuring for 99% of people) without something giving away.

[@DescentOfTragedy]

Hi, I hope you don't mind me asking. I work within the Sterile Processing Department under Surgical Services. Although we provide and distribute instruments, equipment, and supplies for upcoming cases. Would my work experience out weigh

[@sim_aware]

The passion part of where you volunteer matters in how you discuss it in the interview. How does what you did supplement your "story" is one question I always ask my undergrads.

[@DescentOfTragedy]

Hi, I hope you don't mind me asking. I work within the Sterile Processing Department under Surgical Services. Although we provide and distribute instruments, equipment, and supplies for upcoming cases. Would my work experience out weigh the need to volunteer for med school applications?

[@make725daily1]

Your resilience is truly inspiring! 💪 - "The journey to accomplishment is often fraught with setbacks."

[@christinasisk2187]

I volunteered in hospice care for a year and created a relationship with a family that led to being hired as a primary caregiver. Both persons who hired me also happened to be doctors so it was also a great way to see how their work-life balance was and I will be sure to ask for letters of recommendation. I was very lucky but also very patient and didn't quit even when I felt burnt out.

[@AudioTruyenLangQue]

Thank you so much for your help and advice, I really appreciate your job. I wish you happiness and peace under the sky of prosperity. All the best. Take care and have a good time

[@niccoloreiss842]

I’ve been volunteering for harm reduction projects since I was in HS (did my senior civics project on harm reduction), kept doing that while I was working as a paramedic in undergrad whenever I had time. I also volunteered at a supervised consumption services site for a bit. It didn’t take up a huge portion of my time, but my work in harm reduction was literally what got me into medical school. In my first year, the dean had me work with my supervisors at the harm reduction coalition to organize a guest lecturer to speak about harm reduction and supervised consumption services and their importance as well as their effectiveness.

[@MedSchoolInsiders]

Thanks for sharing your story with our community!

[@Ghost-fh3lg]

Hi , what is harm reduction ?

[@yamkelanisulani252]

I'm a from South Africa. Upgrading my results next, right now I'm doing Cyber accelerated course. Can't decide whether to be a computer science major or medicine. I love helping people , the nano tech seems promising and can help solve major problems of the world. Can you please make a on how nano tech can improve medicine. I know this sounds Sci-fi😅

[@nataliabalderas7932]

can you do medical assistant next? Thanks!

[@chief6541]

"You never know who you will meet on a bad day and remember it." Good point.

[@sebby324]

There’s a really long waiting list to volunteer with St John’s ambulance in the Uk

[@neinomodiu622]

That’s sure. It take more than 2 weeks for me to get my first welcoming interview before I even head off for my weekly meeting

[@بنتمزاجية-ن5م]

I have a question If my university does not obtain accreditation from WFME, can I work in the European Union as a doctor?

[@supunfernando2590]

Hei Guys need advice on whether there are opportunities in volunteering on online platforms rather than being physically present ...

[@HrugvediPatil-ds5cm]

Yeah! Same question

[@zerorayne4782]

Where do you find these volunteering opportunities?

[@WhdibAoqj]

Thank you professor

[@GurshaanGaming]

Do you get paid?

[@MedSchoolInsiders]

Not for volunteering

[@dranjali1]

Avi we must buy 3 plus 1 apartments in casagrand flamingo, Bangalore I need my payback profits

[@sayanpradhan17]

❤❤

[@Dylan-jn3dq]

short answer is yeah cause you can lie about it 😂😂😂😂

[@iluvamira]

that would definitely be stupid if you can’t donate your time you shouldn’t consider medicine 😅😅

[@edhcb9359]

Dr Jubbal Pre-Med: “I’d like to volunteer at your hospital”. Hospital: “Sure, can you be in charge of our entire surgery center?”. Dr Jubbal Pre-Med: “OK, I guess so”. Dr Jubbal Pre-Med quits after a month because it’s not challenging enough for him. 😂