Mid-fall is a common time of year when people start preparing for the upcoming holidays and college students start dreaming about winter break. All students should take advantage of the season by volunteering with local charities and other organizations on campus or in their hometowns, but volunteering is especially helpful to students majoring in Health and Medicine. Whether you're preparing to apply to college, grad school, scholarships, or a job, volunteering has many benefits related to your future career in health care.
You'll gain skills to carry over to your career
Depending on the type of volunteer work you choose, you may develop research, writing, or math skills that could be useful in your current studies and future health care positions. If you're a Health or Medicine major, volunteering at a local hospital is directly related to building your experience level in your future career. Volunteering at the American Red Cross and blood drives can also offer great experience for Pre-med students.
Related: Give Your Nursing Career a Boost by Volunteering
Volunteering enhances your résumé
Employers and admission officials view your résumé as a snapshot of your previous work history, experiences, and extracurricular activities to determine if you qualify for a particular job or academic program. By highlighting your community service, you'll stand out among hundreds or even thousands of other applications without volunteer experience. It shows that you can work in a team and think of others before yourself.
You'll feel good knowing you've made a positive impact
Although gaining professional skills is very important, you have to recognize the need to help others. Whether you are feeding the homeless, tutoring other students, or spending time with the elderly, volunteering lets you make a difference in someone else’s life, which reaps far greater benefits than just landing a job.
Related: 3 Rewarding Health Care Careers You Haven't Considered
Volunteer work can help your grad school applications and essays
If you plan to apply to graduate or medical school in the future, most admission committees require you to write an essay (sometimes multiple!). Instead of struggling to find a subject to write about, you can share aspects of your volunteer experiences. Just like it enhances your résumé, showcasing all your community service in your applications and essays will give you an advantage over students who do not have any volunteer experience.
Where can you search for volunteer experiences?
To find volunteer opportunities in college, you should check with the office on your campus that provides opportunities to raise funds or donate food to the local food pantry. Local churches and schools would also love to have you help them with their programs. Here are a few additional resources to help you get started:
Related: The Best Opportunities for Students to Volunteer in October
Finally, don’t wait until December to decide whether you want to volunteer. Start researching now so you can take full advantage of your upcoming winter break by giving back!
Learn more about valuable volunteer opportunities and benefits with the other articles and advice under our "volunteering" tag.
