Christina Andux
Pitt County Memorial Hospital is one of the landmarks of Greenville. It is one of the most diverse hospitals in the state of North Carolina and has a wide range of specialties that include the now infamous Heart Center which is receiving support from the medical world due to its new and innovative use of technology and surgery. The hospital is large and can never have enough volunteers so anyone who has an interest in working there will get the opportunity.
If you are looking for a service venue that has flexible hours, a friendly atmosphere, and other benefits then the hospital is a great choice. One does not necessarily have to be interested in medicine to volunteer there though if you are intending to go into a health field the volunteer center will do their best to place you in an area that is special to your major or interests. The hospital has an awesome volunteer center located just inside the visitor’s entrance that has friendly and knowledgeable staff who go out of their way to make volunteering a fun thing to do.
I began my service with the hospital about two months ago with some hesitation. After a three hour orientation I was facing fifty hours of training that is required in order to become an official volunteer and not just a trainee. At first, fifty hours seemed like it would take forever, but in reality I will be a fully trained volunteer by then end of this year and at that point I will have the flexibility to choose an area of the hospital that suits my major which is exercise physiology.
Volunteering at the hospital has a lot of attractive benefits for a college-aged student. It has time slots from nine in the morning to nine at night seven days a week so it has times that can fit everyone’s schedule. Also, as an added benefit, they give a free meal each time that you volunteer (and in my opinion their cafeteria has really good food), will write a letter of recommendation, and there is an opportunity to do homework during down time.
Over the past two months I feel that I have really become part of the family at the hospital’s volunteer center. The friendly staff and more experienced volunteers have done a wonderful job in training me to feel comfortable in the environment and I have gained confidence in my ability to do the tasks they present to me. I plan on volunteering at Pitt for the remainder of my studies at ECU and as soon has I have completed my fifty hours I plan on working at ViQuest, an organization with strong ties to the hospital, as well. Volunteering at the hospital does not seem like work or a fulfillment of course requirements because it is fun and a chance to learn about the community, health, and the medical field in a hands-on setting. Patients, staff, and the community alike appreciate the time that students and other volunteers put in to make their life easier, and seeing the smile on the face of someone you have helped makes the job all that more enjoyable.
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