Tell me about your volunteer experience.
Indiana University School of Medicine desires students who are committed to serving others. As a physician, you will provide care and comfort to others, sometimes at the worst moments of their lives. The university feels that if you volunteer in your community or abroad, you develop and build skills to help you in your career. IU School of Medicine recommends intentionally placing yourself in a role where you directly support others to gain experience listening, comforting, and helping others work through distressing or challenging situations--all valuable skills for a physician. When answering this question, the interviewer wants to hear about your volunteer experience, what you gained through volunteering, how the experience changed you, and why it was meaningful or important to you.
"Sure, I'd be happy to. I have volunteered for four years with the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network. This organization has found volunteer opportunities in the community based on my profile and the type of volunteer work I am looking for. I speak Spanish fluently and showed an interest in helping Spanish-speaking residents with health education, so that's the area I have mainly been working in every week for the past four years. I am also interested in working in mental health, so once a week, I work with an organization that helps community members with mental health issues find housing and work. These opportunities have helped me develop the listening, communication, and empathy skills needed to work as a physician and have taught me how to advocate for others. I will continue volunteering as often as I can during medical school and after becoming a physician. I enjoy learning about other people's lives and struggles and offering a listening ear and helping hand when possible."
