In 2015, more than 1,300 people volunteered their time at OHSU to help advance the boundaries of medicine, improve patients’ quality of life and share their genuine passion for serving our community in Oregon and beyond.
There are several reasons people choose to volunteer at OHSU – to gain work experience, to help save lives, to give back to a place that’s made a difference in their own lives. Every now and then, a friendly critter also gets the calling to help make a difference!
This National Volunteer Week, I rounded up five of the top reasons to volunteer at OHSU:
1. Make a difference
One of the top reasons to volunteer is to make a positive impact in others’ lives. It’s about giving back to our community and the people in it.
2. Be part of the discovery
Year after year, there are extraordinary breakthroughs in research influenced by the support of OHSU’s volunteers. Volunteers are provided with a multitude of free training and lecture series available to grow their knowledge base and light the way to new discoveries.
3. Gain professional experience
Interested in gaining experience in research or healthcare? Volunteering at OHSU provides the perfect opportunity to gain experience in any field. Whether that experience may be observing cavity fills in the School of Dentistry, developing patient interaction skills by entertaining children in the OHSU Doernbecher waiting areas or finding patients eligible to enroll in research studies, there is opportunity for everyone to get involved.
4: Become an active member of the community
OHSU’s expansive outreach programs throughout the state of Oregon provide the unique opportunity to get involved in the community, either on OHSU’s campus or at one of our affiliate partners.
Live in the Salem Area? Check out how you can volunteer at Salem Health.
5: Develop long-lasting connections
Volunteering at OHSU provides the incredible opportunity to shape and form connections with some of the most talented professionals in the world. OHSU’s sheer number of talented students, professors, doctors, nurses and numerous other professionals help to foster an environment of professional and personal growth.
Please join me in thanking the amazing volunteers here at OHSU – we’re very lucky to have them!
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Sean Robertson is a volunteer digital marketing promoter for Research and Academic Volunteer Services and also volunteers with The P.O.L.A.R.I.S Research Team in Pediatric Hematology Oncology, as well as the Cord Blood Donation Program.
Interested in volunteering?
Find out how to get started with Healthcare or Research and Academics.
