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Volunteer Opportunities and Internships

Volunteer

  • For all health professional schools, clinical volunteering is a must. Admission committees want to know that you are truly dedicated to the health professional field, and a way that you demonstrate that interest is through volunteering. Community volunteering is certainly a welcome addition to your application, just make sure that you also volunteer in a clinical setting, whether that be a hospital, clinic, hospice, etc. Listed below are a few volunteer sites in the local USF area. Feel free to look into additional volunteer sites.
  • There is no set number of how many volunteer hours you do before applying to most health professional schools. Admission committees want to know that you are dedicated to your volunteering, so do not feel the need to collect a few hours in many areas, but rather show dedication to the places you do decide to volunteer.
  • Above all, keep in mind that volunteering, along with shadowing, is met to help you decide whether the career track you have embarked upon is indeed one that is of interest to you. If during the volunteer and shadowing process you decide that you are not passionate about what you are doing, then consider other health professional careers that might interest you. Your career should be something you are passionate about and interested in, so do not stick with something you do not enjoy!

James Haley Veterans Hospital and Nursing Home
Contact Diane Laymen
(813) 972-2000 ext. 6579

H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Institute on Campus
For information about volunteering as a college student Program, please visit their website.
Contact Debbie Amory
(813) 745-1661

Hospice of Hillsborough County
Students have two opportunities for volunteering. Students can volunteer in an administrative setting for the hospice, and a level 1 background check is required in order to volunteer. Students can also care for patients that are terminally ill in a hospice or the patient's home, and a level 2 background check is required to volunteer. Orientations are also required for all volunteering for the Hospice of Hillsborough County. Internships are also available for those who are interested.
Contact the Volunteer Department at (813) 352-5351

Shriners Hospital on Campus
Contact Maria Bataclan
(813) 975-7159

St. Joseph’s Hospital, Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue
Preference is given for pre-med Juniors and Seniors. In order to volunteer, one must give a 6 month commitment to the hospital, and work four hours a week.
Application process is online at: www.stjosephstampa.com

BigCat Rescue and Stearns Zoological Rescue & Rehabilitation Center are looking for Pre-Vet volunteers.

Camp Boggy Creek is looking for Pre-Med volunteers.

How to prove your volunteer experiences

Unlike volunteering in high school, there is NO official paperwork that is required for proving volunteering experiences. Therefore, it is important that you keep track of your volunteer experiences for yourself. The recommended way to do this is through a journal. Some information that you need to keep track of is:
  • Where: List the name and place your volunteering experience occured.
  • When: List the dates and hours spent volunteering.
  • What you did: Write a short synopsis of what you did during that day.
  • What you learned: Often admissions committees care more about what you learned from your experience that what you specifically did. How did this volunteering experience impact you? How might it make you a better health care provider in the future?