Fundraising is a huge part of the preparation for a trip though Unite For Sight. A volunteer has to raise $1,700 for the charity as part of their program. This should be carefully considered before you sign up, because it takes a lot of planning and effort to raise that much money. A method I am using is getting course prep materials from a company like Kaplan, Princeton review, or Testcrackers(I have myself found success with Princeton review because Kaplan is already used by the Premedical Society at UConn and Testcrackers is difficult to communicate with) and then auctioning or raffling off these to students at your school. Not only do the students get a discount, but you can contribute 100% of the money raised to your UFS page. This is a great resource. You may also have success at working with your school or local businesses. Whatever you do, plan ahead and start early!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Getting Started
Volunteering with Unite For Sight is not to be undertaken lightly. This is no vacation, and I don't expect it to be easy. I have started the Volunteer Training Module and the whole first section, consisting of multiple modules, is about thinking critically before deciding to go on this trip, as to not waste the time and effort of the host clinic by leaving early or not behaving appropriately. Unfortunately for me, especially if I wanted to not go after reading the modules about the strains and limitations of working at the clinic, this module is available after registering and submitting deposits on the trip, and for me it is far too late to back out. Fortunately I am still very excited about my upcoming trip.
There is a lot of training modules, and they take a good amount of time, especially if you are also doing research. Get started early and be prepared to put in the effort. There are quite a few past volunteer testimonials about how vital the material is, so I am definitely going to complete it all thoroughly. I found a way to get credit indirectly from my school, UConn, by having the preparations and modules incorporated into an Independent Elective that I coordinated with my Premed Adviser and the Premed adviser of the PNB department.
Deciding to do research as a part of volunteering is also something that should be done early. I did not think i would do it originally, but my adviser recommended it and Laura Reynolds, who is a wonderful resource and has been so great to work with, proposed several studies that had been requested by the clinics in the area. If you do choose research, be prepared for many extra modules, as well as extra training and general hoops to jump through with your local IRB board. Plan ahead!
There is a lot of training modules, and they take a good amount of time, especially if you are also doing research. Get started early and be prepared to put in the effort. There are quite a few past volunteer testimonials about how vital the material is, so I am definitely going to complete it all thoroughly. I found a way to get credit indirectly from my school, UConn, by having the preparations and modules incorporated into an Independent Elective that I coordinated with my Premed Adviser and the Premed adviser of the PNB department.
Deciding to do research as a part of volunteering is also something that should be done early. I did not think i would do it originally, but my adviser recommended it and Laura Reynolds, who is a wonderful resource and has been so great to work with, proposed several studies that had been requested by the clinics in the area. If you do choose research, be prepared for many extra modules, as well as extra training and general hoops to jump through with your local IRB board. Plan ahead!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)