Volunteering
Health professions programs look for applicants who demonstrate a sustained commitment to serving and helping others, both in healthcare settings and in your community.
Volunteering in hospitals, clinics, and other health care settings gives you a chance to work with patients and health care teams. Volunteering outside of health care settings gives you a chance to serve your community in other ways that are meaningful to you. For example, you might be interested in music, enjoy working with older people, or have an interest in policy issues. Get involved in what interests you — in clinical settings and otherwise — so your experiences tell a cohesive story about who you are!
To discuss specific service requirements for a health profession, meet with a Pre-Health Advisor at CPHA.
Clinical Volunteering & Shadowing
Spending time in clinical settings gives you a chance to gain patient care experience and explore your interests in health care.
Free/Reduced Cost Clinics
Discover local clinics.
Hospitals
Explore opportunities at local hospitals, including UW Health and Meriter.
Specialty Care
Volunteer in specialty areas, like adapted fitness and wilderness medicine.
Non-Clinical Volunteering in Madison
Everything you do outside of the classroom – your interests, your hobbies, your campus involvement, your jobs, and volunteering – is valuable for your health professions application. Spend time volunteering in your local community in ways that are meaningful to you. Explore volunteer service hubs or explore by your interests below. This list of examples is not exhaustive, but is meant to spark your thinking about how to focus your search to find opportunities that really excite you!