Idealist.org

Nonprofit Careers:  Provides guidance to people starting or changing careers, with advice on everything from resume writing to sector switching.

Volunteering:  Offers advice and leads for people interested in volunteering, whether in their own communities or in far-off places.

Volunteering Abroad:  Provides advice and tips for anyone interested in volunteering abroad, whether on their own or through a volunteer-sending organization.

Grad School:  Contains a wealth of advice and tools for people considering graduate school and its connection to their future social change careers. 

VolunteerMatch.org

VolunteerMatch strengthens communities by making it easier for good people and good causes to connect. The organization offers a variety of online services to support a community of nonprofit, volunteer and business leaders committed to civic engagement. Our popular service welcomes millions of visitors a year and has become the preferred internet recruiting tool for more than 92,000 nonprofit organizations.

Newton-Wellesley Hospital Volunteer Opportunities

At Newton-Wellesley, Hospital staff and volunteers make a mutual commitment to give quality service. Volunteers are asked to commit three to four hours per week for a period of three to four months. Volunteers are asked to fill out an application form and come in for an informal meeting to discuss options. A one and one half hour volunteer orientation is also required.

Brigham and Women’s Hospital Volunteer Opportunities

Brigham and Women's Medical Career Exploration Volunteer Program (MCEP) is designed to give college pre-medical, first year medical, and post baccalaureate students an opportunity to gain exposure to the hospital environment in order to help them make informed career decisions. The program features a rotation of assignments which build experience and culminates in a letter of reference and a set of rounds with a physician. Those enrolled in the BWH MCEP are expected to make a minimum commitment of 9 months and 140 hours (60 hours of ambassador service and 80 hours in a department role) to volunteering at the hospital.   They encourage participants to stay longer than 9 months to maximize professional and educational relationships. 

Massachusetts General Hospital

The minimum requirement for volunteering is three hours a week for at least three months. Each placement has a distinct training and start-up procedure. Some placements require that you attend a second orientation in the department you will be volunteering in before your training.  Other placements require that you "shadow" a seasoned volunteer in the placement that you are entering to learn the skills that are needed to perform the job.

Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Volunteer Services

Application for Summer volunteer deadline:  March 15. Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital Volunteer Services offers volunteer opportunities in both clinical and non-clinical settings in over 50 different departments throughout the medical center.

Boston Children’s Hospital 

Application for Summer volunteer deadline:  February 13.

The volunteer commitment is for one year or for two consecutive summers at a minimum of 8 weeks each summer. Summer Volunteers must do two (2) consecutive summers keeping to a set schedule.  A summer consists of 8 hours once a week during the daytime, weekday (not nights or weekends) and a minimum of 8 weeks each summer.

Dana Farber Cancer Institute

Volunteers at Dana Farber Cancer Institute must commit to at least one four-hour shift each week for six months (Mon-Fri from 7am-5pm).  They select volunteers for placement based on availability, time commitment, interests and skills.

Tufts New England Medical Center

Due to a limited number of open volunteer positions, Tufts Medical center is accepting applications from non-students only. Tufts welcomes volunteers who can commit to a minimum of one shift per week and complete at least 40 hours of total service. The majority of volunteer assignments are for mornings and afternoons, Monday through Friday as well a few limited evening and weekend openings.

Schweitzer Fellows Volunteer Guide

This guide is used by numerous health professional schools, health professionals, and students to locate volunteer opportunities in the Boston – Worcester area.

Northern California

• Links via Stanford premed advising

Southern California

• Links to other area hospitals (via Santa Monica College)

If your geographic region isn't represented and you can't find hospital resources, try pre-health advising offices' webpages for schools in your region. If you're still unsuccessful, contact us and we will try to help!

Norwalk Hospital Volunteer Services

Volunteers work throughout the hospital in over eighty assignments. Our Volunteer assignments offer positions with intense, little, or no patient contact. 

Yale - New Haven Hospital Volunteer Services

Volunteers generally give a minimum of four hours a week for at least six months. There are a variety of volunteer roles to fit individual time schedules, abilities and interests. Volunteers may work directly with patients or choose work behind-the-scenes.

Montefiore Medical Center

Volunteers at Montefiore work in both patient and non-patient settings in more than 200 departments. Every effort is made to match each individual with an appropriate and satisfying assignment.

Mt. Sinai

As a teaching hospital, Mount Sinai is dedicated to providing opportunities for college students and allied health trainees to gain skills and experience in their area of study. Mount Sinai has a solid relationship with many local colleges and schools and opportunities for clinical and non-clinical students. Please contact the volunteer office at (305) 674-2080 for availability and any special requirements for each department.

New York University Langone Medical Center

Application for Summer volunteer deadline:  March 31. Commitment time lengths vary from program to program (4 – 12 months). NYU Langone Medical Center encourage students to volunteer and understand that the time commitments of their volunteer programs do not always mesh well with high school or university semester schedules. They offer a select few programs that may be able to make accommodations, depending on the time of year and volume of applications. Please let them know if you need to work volunteering around a school schedule and they will see what is available.

New York Cares

New York Cares is a non-profit that matches area volunteers with projects by location, availability, and areas of interest. There are some listings that provide opportunities for patient interaction.

Penn Med Premed Volunteer Program

As a volunteer at Penn Med, you will assist clinical staff in caring for our patients. You will interact with nurses and physicians, visitors, patients and families in addition to learning about the important ancillary departmental interactions between nursing units and other departments. This is an outstanding opportunity for pre-med, post baccalaureate, PA and nursing students.

The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Volunteers compliment professional services in our patient care areas and provide support to our patients and families to make their experience at CHOP better. Our mission is to provide volunteers with a rewarding experience while meeting the needs of the hospital's patients and families. Volunteers are asked to commit to a minimum of 100 hours of service annually and to commit to a regularly scheduled shift.

Jefferson University Hospitals

Most volunteers give an average of 3 to 4 hours once a week or more. Flexible schedules include daytime, evening and weekend hours. Volunteers may choose from the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital location, or the Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience location, both in Philadelphia, PA. 

Philadelphia VA Med Center Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteer opportunities are found in the Medical Center, Nursing Home Care Unit, and our Community-Based Outpatient Clinics.  Our goal is to meet the needs of our veterans while meeting your interests, skills, and talents as a volunteer.

Volunteer Opportunities at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center

Minimum time commitment:  100 hours of volunteer service within a 6-12 month time period. Volunteer assignments may exist in nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy or hospital administration. Other assignments may be available if your request is appropriate and the assignment is available. 

Cooper University Hospital Academic Associate Program

This is a competitive program for students who are serious and motivated about pursuing a career in the medical field. You should be able to commit to at least one 6 hr shift per week. You must attend the orientation and both lectures.

St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children

Minimum time commitment:  four hours per week (for most programs). At St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, volunteers are an important part of the special care given to their young patients and their families. Some give only a few hours a week of their valuable time and others volunteer several days a week. Volunteers may select the work setting they desire: some may work directly with patients, while others may volunteer in a service department that supports patient care.

St. Mary's Pre-Med Program

This program is available for college students who have completed their second or third year of college with a GPA of at least 3.2 in a course of study that qualifies them for medical school entrance. The pre-med students must commit to 10 weeks during the summer to observe in the Operating Room, Emergency Department, and other ancillary departments. They are also able to shadow doctors in their daily activities. Applications are available in January. Interviews will be held during spring break. The program runs from June through August.