Volunteer Opportunities

UNM AMSA Pre-Med strives to create/find opportunities that will allow you to volunteer on a long-term basis. Medical schools look for quality over quantity when reviewing your community service and medically-relevant experience. While one-time volunteer events at lots of different organizations are great (we will offer these occasionally), pre-meds should look into volunteering with a few organizations over a long period of time. This shows that you are not “all over the place”, but rather committed, and that your experiences were meaningful.

Thus, it is our hope to offer opportunities that are meaningful, relevant, and sustainable. The following are a few that have been established, or are in the process. Please take advantage of them! Please note that you must be paid UNM AMSA Pre-Med member.

Like something you don’t see here? Please let us know!

2009-2010 School Year

Volunteer opportunities to be updated. For an application to shadow a healthcare professional, go to Resources.

Asthma Allies

Asthma Allies, an ABQ-based asthma education organizaton, has an opportunity that some of you might find beneficial. Asthma Allies is searching for 8-10, pre-medical
students to volunteer with us in some of our programs. Available opportunties address a variety of age groups in several settings (home, school, medical offices and asthma summer camp). In all of the programs, students will work with a team of healthcare professionals (providers - adult and pediatric pulmonary and allergy, respiratory therapists, certified asthma educators) and will include the following experiences:
- asthma intervention development & implementation
- patient education in group and individualized settings
- patient-centered asthma education and management in a team approach
- asthma management techniques and tool training
- healthcare project evaluation
- asthma diagnosis/treatment/management education

Depending on the program, students must commit to volunteering a total of 10 - 25 hours/mo (on avg). This time will be spent in a combination of patient contact and "office/planning/training" time. The office/planning/training time is somewhat flexible, outside of any organized, mandatory training time.

Any interested students should immediately contact Gerri Rivers, via email at gerri@asthmaallies.org . All students MUST be interviewed and have a background check conducted. Because of a couple of the programs which are currently running or due to begin running with in the next few weeks, the deadline for student applications is October
23, 2009; 5:00pm. Interested students should apply as follows:

1. Contact (via email) Gerri Rivers with interest

* Please provide complete contact information (name, address, phone, email)
* Please indicate program interest (identify any and all areas of interest)
o adult asthma education
o pediatric asthma education
o asthma summer camp

2. Email the following documents by deadline date:

* Application form (see attached online form - complete, save, send)

* Short bio (no longer than 1-page, 12pt Arial, double-spaced) that shares your interests, hobbies, and reason for going into a medical career.
* 2 character reference letters
* Resume

3. Students will be contacted prior to October 30 regarding their application status and interview schedule. Volunteers will be placed as early as November 9, 2009

505-259-6277 Phone
505-205-1462 Fax
www.asthmaallies.org

PO Box 3948
Albuquerque, NM 87190-3948

2008-2009 School Year

Shadowing program: physicians and other health professionals

Is medicine the field for you? Get first-person experience by shadowing a health care professional!

Professionals from a variety of disciplines participate in AMSA’s shadowing program—physicians, nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, etc.

Shadowing can be on a long-term basis with one doctor/nurse/etc., or you can rotate between different disciplines.

You MUST be a PAID AMSA member in order to participate. If you are interested, fill out an application for the shadowing program and return it to us.

Want further details? Email us :)

Mentoring and/or tutoring students

AMSA Pre-Med is working on a tutoring/mentoring program, but we need your input! We are looking for individuals who are committed to doing this on a long-term basis (i.e. for a semester or longer).

If you are interested, email us with your name, contact information, and availability/time preferences. In addition, please mention if you have a preference for working with elementary, middle, or high school students (or no preference).

Visiting retirement homes

Details to follow. In the meantime, feel free to email us with ideas, comments, etc.

Do you have ideas that you want us to put into action?

AMSA exists for its members, and without you, AMSA really is nothing.

If you have an idea about an awesome volunteer/fundraising/etc. opportunity, let us know! We want AMSA to be an organization that you would feel proud to say that you are a part of. Please help us improve!