Students of medicine should be volunteering in healthcare setups; be it medical camps, clinics, hospitals and the like. They need to learn everything about these setups before they start the clinical sciences program. 

They should learn some colloquial and practical basics of clinics, surgery, instruments and of great help to the medical professionals around.

The committees of medical schools often prefer checking the student’s intellectual knowledge of the field. They also need to see if they can ably communicate with their peers and seniors in the field. They need to be sure if the student starting clinical sciences is really aware of what medicine is all about.

Professionalism develops with the passage of time. It is during the clinical science programs that students learn to be professional in medical setups. They want to be sure that the student knows what it is like working in a medical/clinical/healthcare setup, how to interact with patients, colleagues, seniors and the like.

Before starting clinical sciences, volunteer work is something which the students decide on their own. They shouldn’t be just placing instruments or mopping floors in a medical setup, they need to do medical things by starting to be the physician’s assistant. This is one part of what they should do in volunteering.

Apart from that, they should be present in the operation theaters working together with surgeons. If they worked with administration and procurement, then they should not be studying medicine. Volunteering in medical research is good as well, but then again, a student studying orthopedics should be volunteering in surgery and vice versa.

What are the benefits of volunteering?

Volunteering is beneficial psychologically, physically and spiritually. It not only rids the heart of the burden of guilt and other negativity but also has other benefits. It leaves good aftereffects and brings in positive vibes. 

When students work in volunteering activities at home or abroad, they will have a very good experience. The benefits of volunteering are as under:

It gives volunteering students a satisfying effect

Volunteering helps students obtain a top-notch experience and also helps them achieve a sense of accomplishment and positivity. The work they do is fulfilling, meaningful and their actions help bring a positive difference to the lives they have touched.

Students gain an experience of a lifetime when they are involved in volunteering activities

Students obtain a valuable life changing experience in volunteering. They learn a new language, get to test their skills, learn new concepts, learn new skills and even understand a new language and culture as well. Students also get to use their intellect and be involved in activities they are most passionate about.

They learn about life from a different perspective

Students get to learn about life from a whole new perspective when they are volunteering. Apart from a new language and culture, they get to meet new people, see different socio-economic classes and the like.

It encourages positivity in students

Volunteering in healthcare helps students become positive. It also helps them encourage positivity in the lives of others as well. Satisfaction and fulfilment are what they experience. They also experience a positive change in their outlook as well.

Why should students volunteer with physicians before starting clinical sciences?

Let’s face it; no student of medicine should be volunteering for an irrelevant cause else that volunteering experience will not be of any use. A student of medicine cannot be volunteering in a cause which involves shifting sacks of food items from the ground to the truck.

A student of basic sciences can be a volunteer in any cause; like art, sports or a daytime sports school. However, this cannot be the case with a student of clinical sciences. Clinical sciences programs start teaching students the practical aspects of medicine and often conduct hands-on approach-based laboratory sessions.

Students often start receiving practical training in clinical and medical setups. They also take part in routine healthcare programs and even get to perform minor procedures on patients. This is where they start becoming physicians because theoretical learning is simply not enough.

It is best for students of clinical sciences to volunteer in healthcare programs where they get to work with physicians in real-time.