Volunteer & Research Info

Experience is the way you personally check out a career field to see what it’s really like and volunteering is a great way to gain that experience. It is required for many health careers – and it’s highly valued by the admissions committees for all health professional schools. The right kind of experience can help you observe the qualities that are needed to be a good health care provider and find ways to strengthen your own skill set to give you the best possible preparation.

Gaining Experience FAQs:

Do I need some volunteer experience before applying a program in the health sciences?  Why is it important?
Some programs do require an individualized hands-on experience as part of the preparation for admission -- all programs strongly recommend it. There are at least 2 critical reasons why you should plan for extra-curricular experience:

1) It will help you evaluate your decision to prepare for a  health career. You will get a feel for the workplace and the role of health professionals. Through your own experience you will get an idea of the skills and personal qualities needed to be successful in this field. You'll get a chance to see how you "measure up". Do you really enjoy working in this field? What do you have to offer the profession? Where might you need additional work and skill development?

2) It is a chance to demonstrate your maturity and commitment to a future in health care. Evaluations of your supervisors will provide information about your interpersonal skills, ability to communicate, knowledge and compassion for people.

What kinds of experiential opportunities are offered for students?
Opportunities are available in a variety of formats. Even though advisers often reference "volunteer" activities as if they are just one singular type of pre-professional experience, there are actually many ways to acquire the experience you need to prepare for a health career.  You should look into volunteer opportunities, paid work, internships, shadowing, undergraduate research, community service, and study abroad programs for students. All have the potential for getting you connected with a great experience.

What kind of experience would be best for me? Does it matter what kind of health field I want to apply to?
There is not one type of experience. The best is the one that best meets your needs. So before you choose,  be clear about why you are seeking experience, and what you hope to gain from it. If you are specific about your goals, you will find the best match for your needs, and that will help you in making the most of the experience. It's a mistake to regard experience just a "check off" on the list of admission requirements. Choose well and the experience will be all you want it to be and more!

Is it necessary for my experience to be directly related to the health sciences?
Not always. Be sure to check with your program to find out what kinds of experience are actually required. If there is no specific requirement, or suggestion for what the program values, then think carefully about the admission process. What will the admissions committee need to know about you in order to make the right decision about your application? How will you provide the convincing evidence needed to show your skills, knowledge and personal qualities sought in their students?

Does length of the experience matter? Is it better to plan for a few short-term experiences or commit to one long-term kind of involvement?
It depends upon where you are in the career decision-making process and how well-prepared you feel to begin your training. 
Short-term experiences often:
• Give you an “observational” view of a career field - which is helpful if you are feeling somewhat undecided.
• Show you the breadth of experiences available to professionals across a variety of settings.
• Allow you to explore your options without making a significant time commitment.
Long-term experiences often:
• Show you the depth of a career field – which is helpful as you affirm your career decision-making process.
• Allow you to work on skill development in a field you plan on entering as a professional.
• Give you an opportunity to network effectively with future colleagues.
• Demonstrate your ability to make a significant commitment – which will reflect positively on your application to a health profession program.

How can I find out what options are available? How do I get started with getting involved?
The Health Careers Center hosts an annual Step Into Health Careers Fair, in which community organizations, government agencies, local hospitals / clinics, research facilities and non-profit agencies come onto campus to meet with students about the opportunities available within their organization. This fair is held each February and is a great way to connect with an experience. Find last year’s participants in Volunteer & Other Opportunities.

Find job postings and volunteer opportunities, post your resume, and research companies through the University's new GoldPASS system.

Also, check with your college’s career services office to find out how they can help you. If you don't find what you are looking for there, think about the great number of places where you might make connections for yourself. For starters, here in the Twin Cities, there are a number of hospitals (including Children's Hospitals and other specialized facilities like Shriners, for example.  Of course there is also University of Minnesota, Fairview, right here on our own campus.)  There are also many community clinics, nursing homes, and hospice programs.  If you are looking for specific population-based experiences, there are many community organizations serving immigrant populations, the homeless, and AIDS communities, (amongst many other specifically defined populations) for example. 

Be sure to talk over your plans with your academic adviser - as they can be very helpful as you arrange your schedule between school, volunteer experiences, and possible work or other commitments.   

Finally, as you plan your experience, it is good to think about setting up a learning contract or set of objectives with your site supervisor, so that you have a mechanism for clarifying expectations and tracking progress toward your objectives.  This will also be helpful in going back and documenting what you gained from the experience as you prepare to apply to your health profession program.

When is a good time to participate in an individualized experience?
Anytime. When you have found the right experience, the qualifications needed for participation, and have time in your schedule to dedicate yourself to the experience -- jump in! It's never too early, or too late!

I don't know if I'll have time in my schedule to work in a volunteer experience. I need to carry a full course load, and I have to work, too. What can I do?
Don't undertake an experience that you won't have time to do well.

Many experiences that you enter into as an upcoming health professional require you to be in contact – to varying degrees – with patient or client populations.  As a consumer of healthcare yourself, you wouldn’t want somebody involved in any aspect of your care who wasn’t committed to your well-being.  Also, the people you work with  (or for) in these settings will often be people you approach for writing letters of recommendation – so it is important to carry yourself professionally in all aspects of your volunteer experience.

Keep in mind that there are a variety of ways for you to become involved. If you need to work – as do many college students, great experiences are may sometimes be available through paid work:
• Hospitals and nursing homes sometimes are good first places to look.
• A local organization called Student Experience matches students with paid internships that provide direct health-experience.
• Many undergraduate colleges at the U have scholarship and stipend programs to help offset the costs of unpaid internships.
If you are looking for credit-bearing experiences:
• The Learning Abroad Center. offers all sorts of study abroad, service learning, or internship abroad opportunities, which are typically credit-based experiences. There is also some funding available through the Learning Abroad Center and many of the U’s undergraduate colleges to assist students in paying for all of these types of experiences abroad.
• You might also consider a credit-bearing experience that could be arranged with a U of M faculty member.

Finally, if you just cannot work an individualized experience in during the regular school year, summer is sometimes the best time to gain some experience.