To be completely honest, when I first decided to pursue a career in medicine, I was immature and selfish. I believed: "Volunteering isn 't benefitting me, so why should I spend my valuable time doing it?" Now, after 4 years of life-changing experiences, I have a whole new perspective about serving others. My experiences volunteering have made me not only more passionate about pursuing such a beautiful, self-rewarding career but more prepared to tackle the many daily challenges of a physician.
My volunteering journey all started when I asked my physician, Dr. Vincenzo Visconti, if I could shadow and volunteer at his clinic. To my surprise, after only my first week, patients already began thanking me for making their experience better and less
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After my rewarding experience at Dr. Visconti 's clinic, I was hooked and I looked for other volunteer opportunities. Since then, I have coached competitive youth soccer, I volunteered at Capital Care which is an Alzheimer 's and dementia retirement home, I joined the University of Alberta Shinerama club as an executive to raise money for cystic fibrosis research, I have volunteered in the emergency department of a hospital, and more.
These experiences have been important in molding me into the person I am today. Coaching has improved my teaching and mentoring skills, volunteering at Capital Care has instilled me with patience and non-verbal communication skills, through Shinerama, I have advanced my organizational and management skills, and my empathy, compassion, and medical awareness have improved during my volunteering stint at the hospital.
Presently, I view volunteering as an activity that is both beautiful and unique. There are not many activities, like volunteering, where you can improve yourself while also having a positive impact on someone else 's life. I am very grateful that my initial perspective on volunteering has changed because I would have missed out on many lifelong memories and lessons that will undeniably be important in my career as a future