Service & Volunteering
Meaningful service and volunteering are imperative for a competitive application to any health professions school. Service experiences can give you the opportunity to learn and demonstrate your dedication to service, as healthcare professionals require having the heart of a servant. Volunteering within healthcare is seen as health career exploration and important, but not true service. While service to the community outside of healthcare is an important opportunity to grow your professional competencies and span different interest areas. Use the suggested resources below to explore your passions and curiosity, while giving back in those areas.
Tips & Resources
- Utilize UC'S Center for Community Engagement to find all sorts of UC and Cincinnati volunteer opportunities.
- Check out the list of local hospitals, hospices, clinics, and healthcare agencies below. Students often start out volunteering but over time may be able to secure shadowing opportunities, or part-time work through these volunteer connections.
- If you are exploring careers in the medical field, check out the following resources from the Association of American Medical Colleges:
- Be sure to understand the mission of each opportunity or program as well as how to apply.
- When researching summer programs, remember that deadlines come about as early as December.
- Confirm program dates to avoid conflicts.
When Volunteering
To make the most of your volunteering experience, keep the following in mind:
- Look for opportunities that genuinely interest you.
- Read through each website before filling out an application and contacting the volunteer coordinator.
- Health related volunteering should be viewed as a means of career exploration and a way to help others, not a way to receive letters of recommendation.
- While it may not be necessary to commit to a large number of hours weekly, be prepared to commit to a few hours long-term (at least several months). This allows you to build trust and show reliability within the organization.
- Keep a log of the dates & hours that you volunteer along with a few notes about your experiences - this will come in handy when you apply to professional schools.
- Enjoy the process and be curious.
Remember that you are representing yourself as well as the University of Cincinnati. Maintain professionalism and a positive work ethic
Hospitals
- UC Health, multiple locations - volunteer
- C Medical Center Neurosurgery - shadowing program and application
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center - volunteer
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center - job shadowing
- The Christ Hospital - volunteer
- Cincinnati Veteran Affairs Medical Center - volunteer
- Mercy Health, multiple locations - volunteer
- The Jewish Hospital - Mercy Health
- Tri-Health Network, multiple locations - volunteer
- St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Northern Kentucky & Indiana - volunteer
- Kettering Health Hospital, multiple locations - volunteer
Hospice Centers
- Hospice of Cincinnati, multiple locations - volunteer
- Hospice of Southwest Ohio - volunteer
- Queen City Hospice - volunteer
- St. Elizabeth Healthcare Hospice, Northern Kentucky locations - volunteer
- Bluegrass Care Navigators, multiple locations - volunteer
Veterinary & Animal Care
- Cincinnati Animal CARE - volunteer
- Cincinnati Zoo - volunteer
- League for Animal Welfare - volunteer
- Pets In Need - volunteer
- Save The Animals Foundation - volunteer
- UCAN Nonprofit Pet Care Clinic - volunteer
Other Health Care Related Sites