Learning from Non-medical Volunteering

After years of volunteering in different medically related fields, I discovered that you shouldn’t only volunteer in medical settings. In fact, it is encouraged to gain experience in non-medically related fields so you can have a well-rounded skill-set. I thought this was great because as a busy premed student with commitments to research and high involvement with school activities, I was afraid to spend my limited time on activities that wouldn’t “count” toward extracurriculars on my AMCAS application.

I thought for a while of hobbies I wanted to spend some time on so I could grow and show progression. I dabbled in amateur painting and reading but that didn’t seem to fit. I was at a loss to find something meaningful yet, non-medical to do. However, I kept finding stray dogs around my neighborhood so I brought them into my house, bathed them, groomed them, and kept them for a few days as I posted on different Facebook pages to see if the owners would see my posts. This worked a few times but other times I had to find homes for the dogs as I refused to take them to the pound since, at that time, it was not a non-kill facility. After several more times of this occurring, I decided I was going to make a Facebook page designated specifically for lost and found pets in my area since there was no page like it at the time. It has worked great and has grown immensely since I opened it more than a year and a half ago. People have been using it to post found or lost pets and I post helpful pet advice for pet owners to keep in mind.

This inspired me to keep working with animals since I love them and it provided me with an activity that helped me relax during times when I have felt tense or stressed. Soon after, I saw a volunteering post from my school to work with cats at a local rescue. At the time I began working with the rescue cats they had eight full time adult “residents” who are cats who were considered unadoptable due to previous abuse and trauma. I go every week and take care of their basic needs like food and water, clean their areas, and spend a lot of time working with them. I also pet them, play with them, treat them gently to make them feel safe again and gain their trust. My greatest achievements have been rehabilitating three cats who were extremely uncomfortable around people. Fortunately, after a lot of work, two such have been happily adopted. I have also taken more responsibility and help foster cats when the rescue isn’t able to accommodate them.

It has been almost a whole wonderful year working with the rescue and a year maintaining my page for lost and found pets. I have learned to value animals even more and have met extraordinary people at the rescue who care just as much about these animals as I do. I have cultivated the art of patience and to not get disappointed when the cats don’t want anything to do with you that day. Persistence and patience is key in my volunteer work and these qualities have been useful in my journey to become a physician. Patience has been of most importance to me, especially during my MCAT preparation, and I’m sure as a future physician I will be dealing with situations where these qualities will be put to the test.

I highly encourage other premeds to find something that can help them grow and learn different lessons than in a medically-related volunteer or work experience. I’ve learned it’s important for me to have several activities that fulfill my needs and help me become a versatile individual with interests other than medicine like my experience with the rescue cats.