Volunteer Work?

It's certainly valuable to have some medical experience under your belt. It helps you to better relate to your patients, get accustomed to the operations of the hospital/nursing facilities and the jargon, plus it tests your ability to handle 'guts and gore'.

When do you apply to NS?

Volunteer work is a bonus. But your application will be impressive and tells a lot by your g.p.a., test scores, and often times they look at the dedication you have to whatever kind of work you do.

If you don't have any classes in the summer, see if you could volunteer a few hours then. Plus the kids should be out of school then. Also you could possibly find a volunteer site where you could take the kids along.

Volunteer work makes you look good if you have nothing else, but you have something... 4 kids!

If you would really feel better being able to include some volunteer time on your application, you might want to check out some local nursing homes. Volunteers, and expecially children, are always welcomed. Your kids would also benefit from expousure to older people. The volunteer time doesn't have to be time spent doing "medical" things, helping with arts and crafts, and listening will be time well spent. They need people to listen to them, to let them know they aren't forgoten. Call and see what needs to be done, a nursing home where I live required me to fill out basic forms and have a background check done.

This would also give you a few extra people to use as references if you run short on those. (I was really short, I had to use my Tupperware sales leader;))

I had no extra "goodies" on my application, just a nontraditional student, mom of 2, with her GED.

Good luck.

~BlueBug