5 Tips for Summer Volunteering Success

Planning on volunteering this summer? Whether you’re in the midst of volunteering or considering it, our tips to succeed when volunteering will help you make the most of these crucial months.

While this post is primarily aimed at undergraduate students applying to medical school, the same concepts are applicable to anyone spending time giving back to their community this summer. This includes anyone applying for advanced medical degrees, as well as those preparing for residency.

1 | Understand Why You Are Volunteering

Don’t view your volunteer work as just another mandatory checkbox to tick off when applying to medical school or doctoral programs. It’s critical to remember that the other people involved, including the preceptors and those you’re serving, depend on you.

Only take on volunteering opportunities you’re truly passionate about so that you’ll be as interested and invested as your peers.

It’s always clear when students volunteering or shadowing are doing it for the wrong reasons. There’s a major difference between working with someone who is interested in what you’re teaching them and someone only in it to satisfy extracurricular hours.

You’re there to help the people you’re volunteering to serve, not yourself. So stay engaged, get involved, and focus on honing your communication skills and bedside manner. The more enthusiastic and professional you are, the more likely your preceptor will recognize your effort and write you a strong letter of recommendation.

2 | Manage Your Time and Mental Health

Most students experience constant stress during the school year, as they try to juggle classes, research, and the limited time they have left for themselves. So, it’s not surprising that the little time you have off during the summer is precious and goes quickly.

All the fun plans you have for your time away from classes are key factors in the battle to maintain proper mental health while preparing yourself for a long career in medicine. It is essential that you don’t sacrifice your own health in the process of volunteering to help others; after all, your ultimate goal is to spend a lifetime healing and caring for people.

If I knew I had a particularly busy week ahead, I would avoid scheduling multiple volunteer shifts and make up for it in the future. Much like those who are volunteering for something they’re not passionate about, it’s also clear when a volunteer’s mind is elsewhere.

If you cannot be fully present for the task ahead, save your energy for the next time you can come in to help.

3 | Treat Volunteering as a Job and Remain Professional

The issues above are brought about by the fact that volunteering opportunities involve unpaid work and are frequently managed by other volunteers. Volunteering opportunities can lack the organization and structure of a job or coursework.

People often become careless and treat volunteering as something that can be taken lightly or accomplished with minimal effort or attention.

Leave the checkbox mentality at the door. Those who come to volunteer work with a clear task and goal in mind are always more appreciated. Show up ready to help and make someone’s day (or life) better, even if you’re handed the most simple and menial task.

This will often lead you to find a new passion or learn a new skill—things that you can carry with you beyond the confines of that experience. I first learned how to suture lacerations while volunteering in a clinic for the uninsured population of my community.

Being present and motivated won’t go unnoticed. Your supervisors will take notice and aim to reward your professional attitude by giving something back to you in the form of teaching or recommendations.

4 | Enjoy Yourself and Lean Into the Experience

There is no reason volunteering should be a grueling task. If you’re truly dedicated to clinical medicine, volunteering is one of the few times you’ll get to help others without being weighed down by bureaucracy or meaningless paperwork. Plus, helping people will be the bread and butter of your life for many decades to come, so it’s important to learn to have fun.

You get so much more out of an experience by leaning in and choosing to enjoy it. Just like everyone else on the planet, you have so much to learn, and every person you interact with is a teacher.

Learn to enjoy working with others who need your help. Every person you meet is an opportunity to hone your people skills and, depending on the opportunity, your clinical skills. Use your enthusiasm and warmth to be the person who lights up someone else’s day.

5 | Look for Opportunities

Any time you are assigned a task, look for opportunities. You can often get more involved in patient care, regardless of your role, if you look for chances to help solve challenges.

Volunteering organizations can be understaffed or may have unresolved issues that no one has had the time to solve. Look forward to these issues as a way to make your mark.

Similarly, volunteering is a great way to build strong relationships and meet like-minded preceptors and mentors. Developing bonds with people who care about a task as much as you do but who have a slightly more advanced outlook can help propel your own education.

Most medically oriented people have an inherent love for teaching and a passion for their craft and knowledge. Use this to your advantage by finding ways to enhance your own life beyond the joy of helping others.

Some of the best learning I have experienced, as well as many of the life-defining conversations and experiences I have had, came from being in the right place at the right time. Volunteering for something you care about deeply could be the opportunity that opens the right doors and propels your journey to becoming a doctor forward.

Dive in with Enthusiasm

Don’t view volunteering as just another task to complete so that you can move on to the next step.

Volunteering can be a fun and exciting time in your life, but only if you find something you are truly passionate about. And the only way to find your passion is by expanding your mind and education by trying new things and experimenting.

Not sure how to spend your summer? Med School Insiders can connect you with a physician advisor who’s the perfect fit for your specific needs. We can help answer all your questions, from how to best use your time between studies and make ideal decisions for your unique path, to transitioning into your first year of medical school and successfully applying for residency.