Essay about Volunteering Experience

During my undergraduate studies in the medical sciences program, I had the opportunity to study the human body from a biochemical, physiological, and histological perspective. My interest in the clinical anatomy program was piqued while I was studying mammalian histology in my third year. This course was fascinating as it was a perfectly balanced combination of human physiology and anatomy where I learned the function of different types of cells that make up complex organ systems. I was also able to deepen my understanding of concepts through the visual exploration of histological slides.

My interest in teaching was sparked by Dr. Sarah McLean who taught me in several courses including mammalian histology, medical science lab, and diseases of inflammation. I was inspired by her efforts to introduce more interactive and web-based learning to enhance the delivery method of complicated concepts. As well, I was exposed to the flipped classroom technique in her courses, which I found to be an effective and engaging method to solidify my understanding of difficult material. Experiencing different teaching styles throughout my undergraduate studies fueled my desire to enter the field of teaching where I hope to have the opportunity to educate students in a non-superficial manner to ensure students get the most out of their education.

My research experiences come from the medical science lab courses I have taken throughout my third and fourth years where I had the opportunity to learn many lab techniques such as PCR, western blotting, and cell cultures. I am currently enrolled in fourth-year courses where I am learning to critically analyze scientific research articles and assess the validity of novel research findings. I will also learn about the process of developing and defending a thesis, from which I will gain valuable knowledge and skills that will help me succeed in my clinical anatomy research project.

Upon completion of an MSc in Clinical Anatomy, I hope to continue my research in this field and ultimately obtain my Ph.D. in Clinical Anatomy. After my Ph.D., I want to pursue medical education with further specialization in geriatrics. My interest in geriatrics stems from my experience volunteering for the Hospital Elderly Life Program at the Bluewater Health hospital in Sarnia. The purpose of this program is to prevent patients over the age of 65 who have been hospitalized for long periods of time from entering a state of delirium. My purpose as a volunteer was to develop trustworthy connections with patients and engage them in mentally stimulating activities as well as provide social support for patients and their families. Additionally, I documented any signs that indicated changes in the patient’s behavior or cognition. I also addressed patients’ concerns during their time in the hospital in order to alleviate their anxiety. My detailed reports were then reviewed by my supervisor for the purpose of developing a plan of care that is tailored to each individual’s needs. I gained a great sense of fulfillment from this volunteering experience as I was able to positively impact patients’ lives during their recovery process.

I believe that pursuing a career in geriatric medicine and clinical anatomy will fulfill my desire of working directly with elderly people to improve their health while being able to teach students at universities and medical schools. I envision myself using the research training I receive through this program to conduct my own research in the prevention and management of chronic diseases that negatively impact the elderly population, such as COPD and Alzheimer’s disease. I also hope to become affiliated with a teaching hospital where I would be able to take advantage of my teaching skills to educate residents and future physicians about geriatric medicine. Having a strong skillset in teaching, along with my medical knowledge will be of great importance as a medical educator.

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The skills I have developed through my undergraduate courses, work, and volunteer experience are highly transferable to the clinical anatomy program. My communication and interpersonal skills were greatly enhanced through direct interactions with patients while volunteering for the hospital. I also developed teamwork and leadership skills through my work experience as a supervisor of my family’s restaurant. I learned to delegate tasks and ensure that the staff is always working together as a team while working with other members of the management to develop strategies for improving staff communication and collaboration. The interdisciplinary nature of my undergraduate courses taught me the importance of collaboration with individuals from different educational backgrounds and expertise. Overall, I believe that my leadership and teamwork skills will allow me to successfully fulfill the expectations of the MSc in clinical anatomy program.

One accomplishment that I am most proud of is becoming a supervisor at my family’s restaurant business, where I began working at the age of 16 as a waitress. During summers, I invested my time in understanding the core operations of the business and strived to improve the management by developing policies that resembled those of larger franchises. I quickly became involved in the decision-making process regarding wages, employee benefits, and workplace safety. I am now in charge of supervising employees as well as recruiting and training new employees. I also play a major role in integrating our restaurant business into the community and developing relationships with organizations to support a variety of charities within the city.

Another accomplishment I am proud of is my involvement in the hospital's elderly life program as previously mentioned. I gained a unique hospital volunteering experience as I developed the ability to communicate directly with patients in the intimate environment of their hospital room. It was challenging, in the beginning, to convince patients to participate in the interventions, however, as I practiced and devoted more hours in the hospital setting, I was able to learn new techniques to increase patients’ participation. I also developed a strong relationship with my supervisor who allowed me to explore the program further and understand the process of assessing patients’ cognition to determine if they were fit for the program. I also had the opportunity to train new volunteers and extend my knowledge to others.

The third accomplishment that I am proud of is my ability to continue to improve academically during my undergraduate education, while dedicating my weekends to working at the restaurant in Sarnia, ON. Despite working approximately 30 hours on weekends, I promptly met deadlines and sufficiently prepared for my exams on time by learning to work efficiently and managing my time wisely. I have turned these challenging circumstances into motivation that helps me work harder to achieve my goals. I developed time-management skills and coping mechanisms such as creating and following strict schedules that allow me to focus on one task at a time. Although my situation posed a great challenge during my university career, it has also instilled strength in me as I continued working towards my goals while enduring such circumstances.

Overall, I believe that I will be able to make a valuable contribution to your program using my interdisciplinary science background and I hope to one day be able to teach research findings to students as well as translate them into a clinical setting.