Volunteer Opportunities for Pre-Med Majors

Are you a pre-med student looking to buff up your CV? If so, then you know that volunteering is an absolute must. Every medical pathway will necessitate at least some form of volunteering, so it’s important that pre-med majors know what to look out for on both the global and local stage. 

International Volunteer HQ

International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ) is an international volunteering organization that facilitates volunteering abroad in over 40 countries. IVHQ offers a fully-hosted experience, covering lodging, local transport, and meals. The organization even arranges airport pickup for volunteers from the airport to the destination, as well as all transportation within the local area during the program. The only cost to the volunteers is the volunteer package fee and their travel to the country itself; everything else is accommodated by IVHQ.

As part of IVHQ’s volunteer abroad programs, volunteers can select which project they wish to participate in, in which country, and how long their duration will be. If you’re looking to volunteer abroad but don’t want a several-month-long trip, IVHQ allows you to opt for a shorter time period, even down to 1 or 2 weeks. 

Pre-med majors may be particularly interested to learn that IVHQ offers a comprehensive list of volunteering projects. These can be related to education, health, animal care, the environment, and community development. Among the projects related to health, volunteers can choose from  medical, dentistry, special needs, sports, and elderly care volunteering. 

In addition to gaining valuable international healthcare experience, volunteers receive  a Certificate of International Volunteer Service upon completion, which would look great on a CV! Overall, IVHQ is an experience I think every student should look into for volunteering, regardless of major. 

Windsor Regional Hospital

On a more local scale, pre-med majors will inevitably look towards volunteering at Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH), the largest medical facility in Windsor-Essex County. WRH currently offers many volunteer opportunities across its two campuses. Volunteers can pick from volunteering in the emergency room, help desk, pediatric services, outpatient clinics, and more!

The application process is simple: fill out an application form on the WRH volunteer services webpage and email it to the address listed on said page. Volunteers can select which days of the week they are available to volunteer as well as which parts of the day (morning, afternoon, and evening), which allows for lots of flexibility that pre-med majors may be looking for. Volunteers also select the top three placement areas they wish to enter. Each volunteer placement is geared towards a specific area of hospital care. After being accepted into the WRH volunteer program, volunteers are expected to read the volunteer handbook as well as complete both parts of the volunteer orientation course. 

All in all, volunteering at Windsor Regional Hospital provides an essential learning experience for pre-med majors looking to gain some experience in the field they seek to enter. 

Windsor Hospice

For those looking into palliative or end-of-life care, you’ll definitely be interested in volunteering at Windsor Hospice. At Windsor Hospice, volunteers provide crucial support to terminally ill and elderly patients. These tasks include food services, patient care assistance, visiting and respite, and general administrative duties. Some short-term volunteer opportunities include volunteering at special events, tending to the hospice gardens, or joining their knitting group. Volunteers can  choose between volunteering at the Windsor campus or the Erie Shores campus. 

Evidently, this area of volunteering requires a great deal of emotional maturity and strength. Volunteers should keep this in mind before applying. To apply, volunteers first contact Windsor Hospice officials before going through an orientation, interview process, police record check, and specific training in regards to their chosen service. In short, if you feel up to the task, definitely check out volunteering at Windsor Hospice! 

Transition to Betterness (T2B)

Transition to Betterness (T2B) is a local charity that seeks to support patients in hospitals and healthcare facilities across Windsor-Essex County. T2B offers various volunteer opportunities that may appeal to many pre-med majors. Office volunteers assist in administrative work, organization, and event preparation. Event volunteers organize and execute fundraising efforts and community events. Program volunteers are part of either the Concierge and Comfort Cart programs, where they work within the palliative unit on the Tayfour campus for Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH) or the oncology unit on the Metropolitan campus for Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH). Comfort Cart volunteers offer snacks and beverages to patients and visitors while Concierge volunteers offer physical and emotional support for patients and visitors. 

To volunteer with T2B, volunteers must complete a two-step tuberculosis test, submit a police record check, provide proof of immunization records, and complete hospital orientation and training. Overall, volunteering with T2B allows pre-med majors to see healthcare from a patient-centered perspective, helping them better understand the emotional and logistic aspects of patient care. 

In conclusion, going into medicine doesn’t just require good grades or club activities. Pre-med majors should look to gain hands-on experience in healthcare, especially in the form of volunteering. Even if these volunteer opportunities aren’t geared towards the specific area of medicine you want to go into, it can definitely help to gain experience and understanding of how the healthcare system works. Volunteering can also be amazing practice for future work with patients. Pre-med majors should absolutely look into volunteering at these sites not only to boost their CV, but also their experience in medicine! 

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