Newest gig

Well I'm not sure if I can call it a gig because I'm not getting paid, but I got the volunteering position I wanted at BC Children's Hospital!

I'm really excited about this opportunity because I have head that BCCH gets a lot of applications and that they have pretty high standards for their volunteers (as high as it can be for volunteering). From what I know about the hospital and about the position also is what is making me excited for it as well. I only really have a rough idea of what a Child Life volunteer does, but aside from the other reasons, I'm accepting it because the position has patient contact, which is really a must for my application, as I need to do everything possible to make up for my low grades from the past.

I don't want to get too excited about the position before I start...oh but I might as well - this seems like a dream position for me. I mean it's at BC Children's Hospital, which I'm pretty sure is a renowned children's hospital, at least in North America, I get experience on all of the wards, it's with kids, and it has patient interaction. I mean what else could I ask for. Even when I was walking from the front of the hospital to the ER, I got this feeling like it is such a special place and basically the place to be. I need to do an excellent job at BCCH and I'm going to treat it like a job and wear some dressy clothes. Nothing too crazy just a dress shirt and dark khaki pants and dress shoes. I think I should dress well also because I'm a mature student and it can be pretty easy to assume that if you've been in undergrad for 6 plus years then you are lazy or not very bright or something else negative. I just had a rough start - a rough start that unfortunately ended up lasting about 4 years. But I'm in a groove now and I'm not going to be looking back.

Also the interviewer really liked me. So pretty early on in the interview, I had a feeling I would get the position I wanted. She was really impressed with all of the experiences I've had, so it felt good to get some acknowledgement on that. I really don't consider my experiences that impressive though. I probably have more patient contact than the average  med school applicant, but my application lacks in other areas.

I have a little PSA for all of you pre-med volunteers out there. I think it is important that you treat all of your volunteer positions like a job. If you don't enjoy some aspect of it, you shouldn't be doing it. I say "some aspect" because some volunteer jobs are very intense and demanding and maybe the only enjoyable part is seeing the outcome or what not. But the point is you need to believe in what you are doing. If you are folding gowns in a hospital, then fold those gowns like nobody's business! I feel like some hospital volunteers become apathetic because they get discouraged that they are doing "minimal" roles. But the hospitals usually need those roles so they can function effectively. It is all generally a good learning experience for healthcare in one way or another.
But the reason you need to treat your volunteer positions like a job is because you need to get that professional experience. I mean volunteering is so important for so many applicants and it's because it enriches your application and makes you a more well-rounded person. Dealing with patients can be extremely tough ( I have clinical volunteer experience at hospitals but also experience as a paid caregiver for a company) and all volunteers should get a feel of what that's like. Most of the applicants for medicine have the knowledge side of things down (good grades, maybe good MCAT), but I feel like so many people out there neglect their interactive people skills. This is so important for medicine and for life! The ability to positively interact and think quickly on your feet are things that are so valued anywhere you go, and not to mention just really impressive. Yes I've failed many courses and had poor academics for a long time. But I have pretty damn good people skills. But hey you can take my PSA with a grain of salt if you'd like, but I think it makes too much sense not too. And deep down even us volunteers who are checking the clock every 5 minutes know that treating your volunteer roles like a job really is the right thing to do :P