Since freshman year of high school, I have been volunteering at a variety of medical-related programs to connect with students like me who are interested in pursuing a career in medicine and to expand my understanding of the niches within the medical field. I know the process of searching for these opportunities was very time consuming and sometimes confusing.
Hundreds of questions flooded my mind during application season. How did the application process work? What are the qualifications for these programs? Where do I find volunteer programs that work for me? Hopefully, with this article, I can alleviate some of your anxieties regarding your summer activities!
Please note that most of these programs are for Georgia residents, and this is the current information as of 2024! Although application deadlines are likely past at this point, the application for the next year should open around February and March for most programs.
VolunTEEN Program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
- General Info:
- For ages 15-18
- 8 week program (June-July)
- Must attend a mandatory orientation if accepted into the program
- Must fulfill a 3 hour shift once a week, and you can only miss up to 2 shifts
- There are 3 choices of campuses/hospitals you can pick to apply for: Egleston, Scottish Rite, Hughes Spalding
- Must submit to a TB screening if accepted
- Application
- Although they are no longer accepting applications for 2024, this is how my application process looked during the 2023 season: First, I filled out the application form linked on CHOA’s website, which consisted of a few short essay prompts, my medical release form, and a letter of recommendation. A few weeks later, I received an email regarding my application status. Then, because I made it past the first round, I got an interview. The interview process is the final round before you receive the final decision on whether or not you are accepted into the program.
VolunTEEN Program at Wellstar MCG Health
- General Info:
- For ages 15-18
- 8 week program (June-July) – students are expected to participate in at least 6 weeks of the program
- accepted students may be able to volunteer during the school year with approval from their Volunteer Service team
- 4 hour shift, once a week
- Must attend orientation if accepted
- Must submit to a TB screening if accepted
- Application
- The application consists of a short essay, a school counselor recommendation form, a recommendation letter from a NON-family member, and a medical release form. It will likely be released in February of the year you are looking to participate in. Interviews will be during March, and final decisions will be sent out during April.
Emory University Hospital Summer Teen Volunteer Program
- General Info
- For Ages 16-18
- 6 week program – must volunteer for at least 4 weeks and complete 24 total volunteer hours
- Minimum GPA of 3.0
- Must participate in a virtual interview if you past the first application round
- Required TB screening. Vaccine requirements: MMR/Varicella and Hepatitis
- If accepted: must purchase a $20 uniform and attend a mandatory orientation
- Application
- The application consists of a short essay explaining why you want to be a volunteer at Emory University Hospital, general information about yourself, a recommendation letter, high school transcript, and a signed check list (this is simply to show that you have your parents’ consent to apply).
- Note: Emory has a couple campuses in Georgia, so if this location is too far for you check out this link for volunteer opportunities and applications at other locations.
Northside Hospital Forsyth Auxiliary
- General Info
- For Ages 16-18
- 6 week program – volunteers cannot miss more than one shift or the first week of the program
- Volunteers must also attend the “Lunch and Learn” event
- Applications must be mailed to the address below by the deadline date
Dianne Baker, VolunTeen Coordinator
Northside Hospital Forsyth
1200 Northside Forsyth Drive
Suite 110
Cumming, GA 30041
- Application
- As the deadline has passed for this year, the application is no longer available for viewing, so I cannot give a description for the application itself. However, to supplement the writing portion of the application, volunteers must submit a VolunTeen agreement form, parent/guardian agreement form, two teacher recommendations, and absence request form.
Piedmont Columbus Regional
- General Info
- For Ages 14-18
- 8 week program (1 day a week, 9 am-3 pm)
- There are 3 locations at which you can volunteer:
- Piedmont Midtown- 710 Center Street, Columbus, Ga 31901
- Piedmont Northside- 100 Frist Court, Columbus, GA 31909
- John B. Amos Cancer Center- 1831 5th Ave, Columbus, Ga 31904
- Must purchase a uniform ($35)
- Mandatory Orientation (usually occurs in late May) and Service Training
- Application must be emailed as a PDF to Nancy.Williams@piedmont.org and Kelsey.Kean@piedmont.org
- The application is due in early April
- Application
- This application consists of a 200 word essay about why you want to volunteer at Piedmont. Volunteers must also submit required health records (visit their website for more specific information), recommendation forms filled out by two references, a parent/guardian agreement, and two forms of ID. Interviews will take place in mid to late April.
St.Joseph’s/Candler
- General Info
- For Ages 14+ (must be at least going into 9th grade)
- 7 week program (volunteers can only miss up to one week)
- Application
- As the deadline has passed for this year, the application is no longer available for viewing, so I cannot give a description for the application itself.