Premed Volunteer Opportunities During Covid 19
Given the COVID19 challenges, volunteer and clinical work is going to look a little bit different. Look around your community and see what needs to be done and do it! Make a difference. Be a leader. Take this opportunity to make your community stronger due to your creativity and dedication. This is exactly what medical schools are looking for in a competitive applicant. If you can’t find a position in a medical setting, do general volunteer work in your community. Be a self-starter! Take time to learn about the medical profession through readings, podcasts or courses. Almost every medical school is now hosting virtual information sessions so take time to browse the admissions websites of target medical schools and sign up for a session.
Either on your secondary application or in an interview, you are going to be asked the following questions: “How has COVID impacted you? How did you make a difference in your community during the COVID-19 pandemic?“ How will you answer these questions?
Check out the following suggestions to keep you busy.
Teach a technology class at a senior center to help families better unite through technology. Check out Telehealth Access for Seniors.
Start a tutoring program for children who fell behind in school due to closures.
Contribute to your local food bank by collecting canned goods in your neighborhood.
Give blood and write a blog post to encourage others to give blood. Check out opportunities through Red Cross.
Encourage more people to register with the bone marrow registry.
Be a COVID sitter for a front line worker (children and pets).
Be a virtual medical scribe or shadow a doctor who conducts telemedicine.
Train then work for a crisis, suicide or domestic abuse hotline. Many have set up crisis text lines too.
Take the Johns Hopkins COVID Tracer class then find a job as a contact tracer.
Get your CNA or EMT certification or become a phlebotomist.
Conduct informational (virtual) interviews with doctors then perhaps shadow them in the future.
e-Shadowing with Dr. Gray at Medical School Headquarters. Every Monday at 8pm, but you need to sign up. Recordings are available.
Check out Newport’s reading list for suggestions
Virtual shadowing. Although not as good as in person shadowing, take what you can get at this point. Check out this April 2021 article about what med school think of virtual shadowing.
StudentSphere, a virtual volunteer opportunity, pairs K-12 children with college students to help tutor, work on homework, learn new skills and mentor to help alleviate the stress caregivers have keeping up with schoolwork. For further questions, please contact studentsphereinfo@gmail.com
Check out the following sites:
NAAHP has a great page: NAAHP Prehealth Opportunities During the Pandemic Ideas Summary
25 Volunteer Jobs to Do from Home from Operation Warm
Volunteer suggestions from FSU (They offer some creative recommendations.)
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Pre-Health Advising has a great summary of suggested activities for premeds during the pandemic. Check it out!
This site highlights 9 Ways to Help Others During the Coronavirus Pandemic
Volunteer Your Skills Virtually from Catch a Fire
Volunteer with people who are blind and low vision individuals (virtual opportunity) with Be My Eyes.
HEAL Clinical Education Network (a partner of Passport Admissions) hosts FREE clinical case presentations facilitated by a physician, a resident, or an advanced medical student. Checkout the platform here: public.reeldx.com
Time: Wednesdays at 5 PM PST / 8 PM EST Enroll here to receive the meeting information.Take a summer class (science or non science) or a public health class
An Examination of Coronavirus COVID-19 class from St George’s University: An open-to-all course and forum that examines the emerging threat of the COVID-19 Coronavirus.
Community Change in Public Health from Johns Hopkins
Take a global health class from Yale professor through Coursera (70 hrs., virtual, free)