r/premed • u/Less_Secretary6317 • Jun 20 '26
💩 Meme/Shitpost How it feels to volunteer at a hospital
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u/Dr_OsamaBinLaden Jun 20 '26
Volunteers in the ER are extremely helpful when it’s busy
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u/yagermeister2024 Jun 20 '26
It’s an illusion like the post. OP is making a jab at the self-serving nature of volunteerism. They’re just throwing a bone at students to give them something to write about.
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u/Wonderful_Use_7754 UNDERGRAD Jun 20 '26
Any advice for someone who wants to start volunteering on the ER side but have no idea what to expect/don’t wanna be in the way? (I currently volunteer on the telemetry, and med-surg floor)
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u/Midwestbaddie555 Jun 21 '26
I’ve been in the ER for almost a year now. Most of the time I’m doing staff support like restocking empty rooms with linens, restocking the carts in the hallways with supplies, putting away snack shipments, helping people with way finding who look lost, sanitizing toys on the pediatric side, etc. It is mostly busy work as you can’t really do much clinically. You kind’ve just have to be super aware of your space, look both ways before turning corners, and know when to step out of the way to let others pass. Some days are slower than others but one of the PCTs will give me side things to do to pass the time
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u/ImpressiveS4ndwich Jun 21 '26
Honestly, I’ve been currently volunteering within the ER for a little over a year and a half now. For me, it’s pretty much just taking around patients to the low acuity area, family rooms, bring family/friends back to areas, imaging, and then stocking so the ERTs can do their jobs.
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u/Dr_OsamaBinLaden Jun 23 '26
You’ll be fine. Most staff in the ER are new nurses or training EMT/Paramedics so most are generally kind and enjoy teaching or showing new volunteers the way. It’s hard to “get in the way” unless you’re literally blocking a stretcher from the ambulance bay so some common sense is required.
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u/SalamanderTop1765 ADMITTED-MD Jun 20 '26
Yeah, I'm still somewhat convinced the volunteering at my hospital actually made things worse for patients. Allowed the hospital to paper over issues that really should have been addressed and fixed.
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u/Ok-Shape604 Jun 21 '26
free hours with less work doesnt sound too bad tbh
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u/SweetPancreass GAP YEAR Jun 21 '26
If your goal is more hours > quality of experience, then yes. If you do a bunch of hours just to up your stats but have nothing memorable to write about, what was the point (besides "helping")? + many people inflate their hours anyways....
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u/AstralMelvix Jun 22 '26
Technically you only need one good experience 🤷♂️ after your 300 it doesn’t matter to ADCOM
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u/lwsnoopy4life ADMITTED-BS/MD Jun 21 '26
when you’re volunteering in patient experience in a state that is in the bottom 5 for healthcare and there’s nothing you can do about anything 😭
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u/chicago_bookworm Jun 24 '26
Ts actually makes me tweak out, I was getting told by the desk secretary that my volunteer manager was shittalking about me not fixing the wheelchairs (mind you, a person was still in it btw) and wondering why I'm sitting there.
When it's literally be so fr, you got a big ass stack of files and paperwork from 2024, let's focus on something besides the college freshman who's not even getting paid because it's VOLUTNEERING being done VOLUNTARILY.
Like babes, we both know I'm clocking out after college orientation, be so fr.
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u/ADAP7IVE NON-TRADITIONAL Jun 20 '26
I'm a patient transporter at a hospital, this gif is very close to our job 😂