u/tinyteas

For those working in hospice volunteer services, is your hospice currently meeting the 5% volunteer requirement?

If so, I’d love to hear what has been working for your department. What types of volunteer activities are generating the most hours? How many active volunteers do you have, and what strategies have helped you consistently reach or maintain the 5%?

We have been working on increasing volunteer utilization and would love to learn what other hospice volunteer departments are doing successfully.

Any insight or ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Hi everyone,

Looking for honest thoughts/feedback on my chances for MD and DO schools!!

NY resident

cGPA: 3.4

sGPA: 3.1

MCAT: 514

Gap Years: 2

Was as a caregiver for my aunt when I was in my Sophmore - Senior year until her passing

Non-Clinical Employment

~7,000 hours as a Hospice Volunteer Services Manager for a large nonprofit hospice organization serving patients and families

~500 hours as a Violence Intervention, Prevention, and Relationship Education Student Educator

Clinical Experience

300 hours Emergency Department Intern

220 hours Gynecology Clinic Volunteer

400 hours Child Life & Pediatric Palliative Care Hospital Volunteer

100 hours Pediatric Occupational Therapy Volunteer

Shadowing

80 hours across General Surgery, Critical Care Surgery, Gastroenterology, Plastic Surgery, and Psychiatry

Research

~1,000 hours in an autism research lab focused on social competencies and social development in children

No publications or posters

Non-Clinical Volunteering

~250 hours at a pantry/soup kitchen serving underserved populations

~100 hours providing one-on-one reading support to parents of young children through a literacy nonprofit

Leadership

~2,000 hours as a leader of a cat/kitten rescue organization

LOR

1 DO, 2 anatomy professor recs from community college, Children's Hospital Volunteer Supervisor and Hospice Supervisor

Hi everyone! If you were admitted to NYITCOM NY this cycle, what were your stats? This is my dream school 🫶

I (F21) come from a very conservative Muslim family and I think I may need to cut ties with my parents soon because they want me to travel overseas this summer for an arranged marriage that I do not want. They will not take no for an answer. They are planning to book tickets for August. I’m also in a secret long-term relationship they would never accept.

My parents do not know where I live or where I actually work, although it is in the same city as them. I’ve intentionally kept parts of my life private by lying to them because I’ve feared this for a long time and I was worried about my safety if I openly refused. I’m financially independent and have my passport, ID, SSN, finances, etc in my possession. I am still on their phone plan.

The guilt from all of this has been so heavy the past few years. It has been making me suicidal. It is so painful because my parents depend on me for so much. They are immigrants and do not speak English very well, so I’ve spent my whole life helping them with finances, navigate things, translate, fill out paperwork, make calls, etc. I feel extremely guilty because it feels like I would not only be hurting them emotionally and socially, but also abandoning people who rely on me. It breaks me because I know they love me in their own way, but they love a version of me that doesn't exist.

Our relatives are already beginning to suspect I do not want to get married, and I’m terrified that if I leave, my parents will face humiliation or social isolation within the community. At the same time, I genuinely do not want this marriage and I’m scared that if I travel overseas, the pressure will become impossible to escape. Right now I feel like I have to pretend everything is okay because I know things will escalate badly if I openly refuse too early.

I’m also scared about the future. I want to pursue graduate school and a professional career someday, and I worry that even if I leave, they may look for me and find me.

I already know I need to leave. I think what I need advice on now is logistics.

How far in advance should I cut contact before the planned trip?

Should I notify my workplace ahead of time in case they try to look for me?

Should I change my phone number?

If you went through this, what do you wish you had done differently beforehand?

I feel mentally exhausted carrying this alone for so long. I keep thinking that it would be easier to just die.