Clinical Volunteering

Brief Description:
Free-Clinic Volunteering - Health Fairs, health networking, mentorship

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Student Comment:

1. “APHC works with the underserved Asian Pacific Islander community in Los Angeles by providing free health fairs. APHC also has a health career networking night (open to all pre-health students at UCLA), and offers lots of resources and mentoring for its members. Non-selective club. APHC (and many free-clinic volunteering clubs like it) are great for learning about the social determinants of health and developing cultural competency. You get some hands-on experience working with underserved patients, many of which don't have health insurance and don't consistently see a primary care provider, and therefore it gives you a more well-rounded knowledge of healthcare outside of the hospital. Many of these types of clubs train you to do blood pressure and BMI and you get to help out at different screenings and learn about those as well (osteopathic manipulative medicine, diabetic foot check, stroke, bone density, glucose and cholesterol, etc.) It's also awesome to be surrounded by other pre-health students and have a support group as you get through your UCLA pre-health experience.”

Brief Description:
Ronald Reagan Hospital volunteering experience

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Student Comments:

1. “Helps you get accustomed to the hospital environment in one of the top hospitals in the nation. Each rotation is about 12-14 weeks long. For your first rotation, you are usually assigned to a nursing floor and a greeter shift. Afterward, you can list preferences for which floor you would like to rotate on. Personally, I enjoyed the ICU floors as there were more procedures going on, more opportunities to connect with physicians, and the ability to have a meaningful impact on patient's lives. From when I applied, the recruitment process has changed a bit, so I can't say for sure what it's like now.”
2. “Care extenders have many pros and cons. The pros include the variety of departments and experience you get. However, coming with that pros is the discrepancy in experience as well. Often, the responsibilities you have will mostly be clerical and patient support (water, food, conversation etc.). From my experience, I had the most patient interaction on a regular unit or Non-ICU floor. ICU is good for procedure observation but depending on when you start your shifts. Later in the day shift (nighttime) entailed less procedures from what I recall. The application and recruitment process is likely the most intense of all consisting of a form + an interview, which for me was surprisingly in MMI format so I guess another pros here is that you will be exposed to MMI med school interview much earlier!”
3. “Former CE here as well. Definitely the experiences can vary based on my conversation with many fellow CEs as well. Things generally get better however, and it is really cool to be able to work inside a hospital (and see what your future life might be like, and whom you will be working with). I still keep in great contacts with many hospital staff whom I used to work with on the floor. When you start out, definitely recommend the morning shifts if you can. Then, as you get into later rotations, consider rotations such as: ICU, ER, Radiology, etc. but hey if you stay in one department long enough and know the staff really well, that's also a plus. And being a CE Staff is also a plus and super fun experience as well.”
4. “Former CE here, and I also was part of the CE staff. CE is very much what you put into it is what you get out of it. With that said, it's a great introductory look into the hospital, as you are literally placed into a real hospital with real patients. If you've never played a role in the hospital, this is a great way to ease you in. You get to choose from all sorts of departments (options are limited at first, but they open up the longer you've been in the program). If you try out different departments, you might even find that you like Med-Surg or Radiology, when you would have never thought of them before. In general as a volunteer, there's only so much you can do, and a lot of your experience will also depend on the department you are in and the staff/patients that are there during your shift. You have to be really proactive to see how you can help out. However, a little bit can go a long way. Talking to patients and their loved ones, especially when staff are busy, can make a world of a difference not only in their day, but in your own patient skills (very important as a doctor). I've done CPR a couple times in different departments, watched procedures, helped with casting and even suturing. However, like I said, it depends on day/department/staff/how proactive I wanted to be, because there were definitely days when I was just walking circles because there wasn't much to do. But that's hospitals sometimes; not always a Grey's Anatomy episode. You also get a sense of how the entire hospital works and meet not just doctors and nurses, but techs and assistants; everyone plays an integral part in the hospital setting. Some of the EMT's I met during my shift later led me to pursue being an EMT myself. And then being on staff is awesome because you get to guide new pre-health students through the program and have the opportunity to mentor and help shape their experiences. It's a great leadership opportunity if you want to stick around for it.”
5. “Former CE here and also echoing a lot of what everyone else has said. Care Extenders is really what you make of it, and how much you're able to get out of it depends a lot on how much you put into it. In the first few rotations, the shifts can definitely feel a little more mundane- a lot of restocking, bringing food/water/blankets, etc. However, if you are willing to put in the effort, there is a lot to be gained from CE as well. There are so many opportunities to talk with patients and their loved ones, and in a busy hospital like Ronald Reagan, many patients often can feel neglected and lonely if staff are busy. Your presence as a CE and your availability to talk with them can really make a world of difference to them, and you may not even realize it at the time. (Some examples off the top of my head include: spending time listening and talking with an elderly patient with dementia, who had no family who could visit her in the country. On that day, the patient was nervous/anxious, and kept walking into the hallways to try to talk to someone but the nurses were busy and their shift was understaffed, so they didn't have time to talk with the patient. I went to talk with the patient in the room, and ended up talking with her for the rest of my shift. She seemed to feel a lot better as she shared her story with me too. In another case, a 16-year-old was in the ER after a suicide attempt, and also needed someone to talk and just sit with her, so I was able to stay late after my shift ended to be there with her until someone else came.) So even though the written job description of CE's is often to restock or run simple errands, there is so much more to be gained if you are willing to put in the time and effort to really be there and care for the patients. Additionally, as you volunteer longer as a CE, there are more privileges and knowledge that you are able gain. I probably learned the most as a CE by volunteering for multiple rotations in the ER- I came to know the department and the nurses well, was able to shadow trauma cases, had residents show and teach me about various procedures, etc. At the Santa Monica hospital, there is a rotation that can be done (only if you've volunteered for long enough), where you can shadow internal medicine residents, so that was an incredible learning experience for me too.”

Brief Description:
Health fairs, blood pressure screenings, & youth English lessons in Mexico

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Student Comments:

1. “FISH taught me to think critically about the ethics of global health and sustainability of community-based interventions. Huge focus on community partnership and empowerment. Great for students with any sort of interest in public health work (both pre-med and non pre-med). Emphasis on addressing upstream factors related to health disparities.”
2. “This experience taught me so much about global health, ethics of sustainable service, and how to develop community partnerships. Amazing opportunity to learn about social determinants of health and to serve an underserved community in a more collaborative and ethical way.”

Brief Description:
Clinic trips to Mexico

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Student Comments:

1. “Incredible opportunity to explore various healthcare careers while contributing directly to care in Tijuana, MX! I was a club member for 1 year and board member for 2 years. The community was very welcoming (no cuts) with the flexibility to get involved as much or as little as you wanted. For example, you could join the Public Health committee and conduct field projects in Tijuana, join the Pharmacy committee and dispense meds on clinic days, or simply volunteer at clinics and learn about healthcare to underserved populations. You are placed into groups of 3-4 to interview patients and scribe the encounter, with student translators in each group. As a member, the more you participated, the more points you earned to enter the "lottery" for clinic attendance. 40+ students and providers went every month so there were plenty of chances. Students I met in the club were premed, pre-PA, pre-nursing, pre-pharm, pre-public health etc so the mission brings together a variety of perspectives.”
2. “I tried joining this org my first year, but I found that there really weren't that many spots for students to join for each clinic trip, and priority was mostly given to students who had cars or spoke spanish. If you don't have either of these, the chances of you going on a clinic trip really isn't high at all (maybe once a year?), and the way they picked ppl was also based on how many meetings and events of theirs you went to.. and at that point, I don't really see whether attending all those weekly meetings is worth the time.. just my two cents! I'm sure some ppl had great experiences in it as well.”
3. “Great first exposure to rural medicine, awesome organization of students genuinely dedicated to the organization's cause”

Brief Description:
Observe patient safety protocol on different floors (4hr/week)

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Student Comments:

1. “Was super useful for being able to observe different floors, specialties, etc. Great way to get exposure to the various departments rather than just being assigned to 1 department. Was helpful for me in deciding which specialties I liked more than others/whether I liked ICU or not, etc.; you don't get much exposure to working directly with physicians unless you ask; if you see them walking around, just ask if you can join them in the patient room and then you can shadow them!”
2. “I joined this my freshman year and it was a great way to first get exposure to the hospital floors. What you are basically doing is observing whether the healthcare providers are sanitizing their hands when going in/out of each room. For you to get substantial shadowing opportunities though, you had to be proactive and approach nurses/doctors and ask whether they'd be open to having you shadow them, but whether this was well received is highly variable. Because of this, the experience you had with each shift largely varies and really depends on how proactive you are. Most shifts definitely were more just walking around the icu floors outside of the patient room though, and I didn't really get to see that much honestly. But it is an easy way to get hospital volunteer hours, but other than that, I don't think it's an experience that I would have recommended for others to continue after your freshman year. The shadowing experiences that actually pair you with physicians are much more rewarding usually in my experience.”

Brief Description:
Free clinic caring for unhoused clients in Hollywood and Santa Monica

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Student Comments:

1. “As an undergraduate caseworker, you'll work closely with DGSOM medical students and public health students to take social histories and provide referrals to local social and medical care for individuals experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles. Learn more about streetside medicine, interdisciplinary care, and issues regarding homelessness”
2. “Easily the most rewarding and formative pre-med experience I was fortunate enough to have at UCLA! Being a caseworker was an incredible learning experience from a medical/public health standpoint but sitting beside individuals experiencing homelessness on a sidewalk to hear their life stories and the adversities they endure was truly special. MCP gives you a humbling glimpse at health and social inequities as well as the humanistic facet of medicine in a unique setting. I had the opportunity to be a board member, specially one of the two Chairs of the Outreach Committee, during my second year with MCP as well which was also a fulfilling experience! We organized clothing donation events, fundraisers, established a social media presence, and orchestrated Homelessness Awareness Week, a weeklong event dedicated to spreading awareness of the issue of homelessness. Currently a DGSOM med student!”

Brief Description:
Free-Clinic Volunteering - promotes sustainable development of a village in rural India

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Student Comment:

1. “Project RISHI is a great org that aims to help the development of a rural village on the other side of the world. There are four committees (clinic & pharmacy, environment, education, and women's empowerment), so you can be sure to find some aspect of grassroots health/education/sustainability that interests you! As a member of the clinic & pharm committee, our initiatives included supplying the clinic with oral rehydration salts to combat diarrhea, spreading emergency health information through posters, and arranging summer medical camps for the villagers. Our work culminates in an annual trip to the village, often during the summer or winter break, which is an amazing opportunity to first hand witness the progress made by our projects and assess the work that still needs to be done. Also, our village is in Tamil Nadu, so bonus if you speak Tamil!”

Brief Description:
Clinic Volunteering – Provide resources to patients

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Student Comment:

1. “PHA equipped me with a thorough understanding of social determinants of health and provided me direct means to address them in the clinic. PHA sites exposed me to Peds, Med/Peds, IM, and IM subspecialties like GI. I learned to talk to patients and address their concerns. I was also able to follow up with some patients and address additional concerns that they had. Through the process, I shadowed excellent pediatricians, internists, hospitalists, and GI specialists and was able to make an informed decision to pursue medicine.”

Brief Description:
Hospital Volunteering at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center - keep geriatric patients company, help feed them, order their food, help them take phone calls, get them blankets, help set up tea/deliver tea/coffee, do anything else they might need your help with (even reading out a book or some activity like coloring or games), listen to their AMAZING stories, gain a bigger perspective on life

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Article Regarding the Program

Student Comment:

1. “Geriatric patients are sometimes the most lonely and neglected patients. I can't believe this program has not been put on this list yet! It is definitely underrated. I loved meeting these patients because it really put life into perspective. I got the best advice from these patients who kept telling me to make sure I follow what I want to do in life. I would be worried about exams and then I would talk and listen to these patients and I would just be so thankful and humbled. The trip to Santa Monica is worth - there is a shuttle from Reagan to Santa Monica or an easy bus ride (the big blue bus 2 or 1 if I recall correctly) with a student discount with your student ucla id badge! I think after a certain number of hours, the volunteer services also let you go to different floors, but I would double check on that!”

Brief Description:
Free-Clinic Volunteering- Supports underserved communities in Orange County -- patient demographics include significant Vietnamese, Hispanic, elderly immigrant populations

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Student Comment:

1. “In 2006, Vietnamese Community Health (VCH) was founded by five UCLA students with the words, Sức khỏe là vàng (Health is gold), in mind. Years later, VCH has exponentially grown to over 60 members. Like its founders, those who are a part of VCH aim to improve the health and overall well-being of the underserved communities in Orange County (O.C.) and strive to solve the health disparities faced by these communities. Though Vietnamese immigration began decades ago, the Vietnamese people continue to struggle. Many lack health care access and insurance due to financial, language, and cultural barriers. Thus, it is essential that VCH alleviates some of these barriers and works hard to show that we empathize with and understand our patients and their needs. VCH easily is the reason why I decided to enter medicine. If you ever have any hesitation and talking to a gung-ho VCH advocate would help, hit me (Michael) up at mmle@mednet.ucla.edu”