Hospital or Healthcare Volunteering
Support patients and staff in a healthcare setting
Why It Matters
Near-essential for pre-med, nursing, pharmacy, and health sciences applicants. McMaster Health Sciences and UofT Medicine specifically look for meaningful patient-facing healthcare exposure.
How to Start
Most Canadian hospitals accept volunteers aged 14+ through a formal application. Search your city and 'hospital volunteer program'. SickKids, Ottawa General, and Vancouver General all have active programs.
Commitment
- Medium commitment: a few hours most weeks during the school year.
- Best starting grade: G9
- Apply in G9 (age 14-15) - start accumulating hours as early as possible. By G12 you want 100+ hours.
Programs It Supports
- Medicine
- Nursing
- Pharmacy
- Health Sciences
- Kinesiology
Majors it supports
- Nursing (BScN) – high 80s to low 90s - very competitive at McMaster, UofT, UBC
- Pharmacy (PharmD) – high 80s for prerequisites; GPA + interview for PharmD admission
- Health Sciences – 95%+ average plus strong supplemental - Canada's most competitive undergrad
- Kinesiology – high 80s at most schools
Universities where it fits
Our profiles for these schools suggest Hospital or Healthcare Volunteering as a good fit for their applicants.
- McMaster University – Hamilton, ON
- Queen's University – Kingston, ON
- University of British Columbia – Vancouver, BC
- McGill University – Montreal, QC
- Université de Montréal – Montreal, QC
- Dalhousie University – Halifax, NS
- University of Manitoba – Winnipeg, MB
Similar extracurriculars
- Food Bank Volunteering – Support food security in your community
- Peer Tutoring or Academic Support – Help classmates or younger students succeed
- Seniors Centre / Long-Term Care Volunteering – Provide companionship and support to elderly residents
- Environmental Conservation Volunteering – Protect and restore natural ecosystems
- Youth Mental Health Volunteering – Support mental health awareness in your school and community
- Local Food Bank Organizer – Coordinate school-wide food drives for the local community
- Community Garden Manager – Convert school or local land into a vegetable garden
- Blood Drive Ambassador (Canadian Blood Services) – Recruit students and teachers to donate blood