Join Our Medical Clinic Assistant Volunteer Team
Apply to be a part of our medical clinic assistant volunteer team at Grace Health Centre if you are interested in a healthcare (medicine, psychotherapy) career and learn what patient care is about. Come and gain robust clinical healthcare experience within a passionate family medicine and psychotherapy clinic! We are recruiting for volunteer positions starting Winter 2024 with a commitment of 1 year.
You will be working with our team of staff and volunteers to assist our group of family physicians in the daily operation of this clinic. Under close and ongoing supervision, you will receive comprehensive training from physicians, staff, and other volunteers to perform hands-on patient care, clinical or digitalization healthcare management tasks.
Successful applicants will have a unique opportunity to not only contribute to the care of and form meaningful relationships with diverse patient populations, but also gain invaluable communication, teamwork, and leadership skills whilst working alongside experienced physicians and medical staff.
We welcome students enrolled in or recently graduated from undergraduate and graduate programs to join our team with a minimum commitment of 10 hours per week. Located in Downsview, we welcome applicants from Toronto and across the GTA, including North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham, and Pickering.
We are proud of our many volunteers who have successfully been accepted into medical schools and other healthcare-related fields.
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Volunteers will gain practical clinical experience by:
- Performing patient care and clinical duties such as taking vital signs, organizing and ordering medications, maintaining a vaccine inventory, and administering vaccinations. Additional tasks and projects include educating patients, booking and confirming appointments, and improving the clinical care of patients.
- Participating in cancer screening and diabetes management projects which positively impact community health, save lives and improve individual health.
- Utilizing the latest software to manage medical records. You will develop expertise in updating and interpreting electronic medical records by scanning documents, inputting patient information, preparing diagnostic tests, designing and coding customized forms, and implementing software features. Through this experience, you will be at the vanguard of medical record management and will be an expert in using electronic medical records.
- Managing local and remote internet networks, clinic cybersecurity data backups, and electronic medical record systems. Additionally, volunteers will provide technical support for clinic hardware, VOIP systems, and the clinic website to support daily business operations and improve clinic management.
- Supporting the optimization of clinic operations for enhanced digitalization, business, IT support, and streamlined patient experiences.
This position is a rich opportunity to learn about and become exposed to medicine in a clinical setting. It allows one to observe how the principles of medicine are put into clinical practice. You will observe how a caring therapeutic relationship with the patients and scientific evidence-based medicine work together to improve the health of patients. On numerous occasions, you will be invited into one of the doctors’ offices to learn something unique and/or observe a medical procedure involving a consenting patient.
Valuable skills: Analytical, Communication, Critical Thinking, Leadership, Collaboration, Organization, Data Management, Interpersonal, Clinical Management, Hardware and Software Management, Website Support, Coding
Volunteer Testimonials
Many of our volunteers are successful in the application, interview and subsequent admission process to graduate programs and/or professional careers in their field of training across Ontario, Canada, and abroad. They often cite this experience as a significant stepping stone to their accomplishment.
“I came to GHC with the goal of gaining patient experience and it did not disappoint! I was given the liberty to interact with patients and play a significant role in managing their health. I appreciate the doctors and the rest of the team for being super supportive in helping me gain confidence in taking patient vitals and administering flu shots. In addition, I was also able to meet other students with similar aspirations and it is great to know that you are not alone on this journey. Overall, the skills I developed at GHC have laid a solid foundation for me to build upon as I head off to medical school. I will forever be grateful to GHC for sowing the seed of patient-centered care in me and I will continue to practice this quality as a health clinician.” – I.R. 2023
“Volunteering at GHC is no ordinary extracurricular activity to supplement your application for graduate or professional programs. The roles and responsibilities of a GHC volunteer are diverse and also not commonly found in other healthcare settings. You are extensively trained to conduct vital sign check-ups; educate patients on accessible screening tools to detect early signs of cancer; and so many more! Furthermore, you will learn how to utilize electronic patient records, and interact with physicians that will be delighted to provide mentorship opportunities. This is a rewarding experience to give you clinical exposure in a primary care setting, and can even strengthen your resolve to become a future health care professional! I highly recommend volunteering at GHC. Volunteering at GHC is more than a simple experience to add on my CV; it helped me connect with like-minded individuals whom are working towards a common goal, and helped me realize I am not alone in my academic struggles in applying for medical school and ultimately getting into medical school! Long-lasting friendships were made, and in turn I grew to become a better version of myself. In my future endeavors I will periodically reflect upon my experience volunteering at GHC, and take pride in the impact I’ve made for others, as well as the growth and maturation I’ve received.” – J.F. 2022
Please visit here for more testimonials given by former volunteers.
Commitment & Application
Required Commitment:
Volunteers who are regularly involved for longer periods are most engaged, learn the most and are offered leadership positions. This produces a higher quality experience for all, including fellow volunteers, staff, and patients. Thus, we are seeking dedicated individuals who are able to commit to 10 hours per week for a minimum of 12 months. Many volunteers find this to be such an amazing learning experience that they volunteer for many terms to maximize their learning. Priority will be given to applicants who are available for the most hours and who have flexible schedules.
It takes time to learn and master the different skills taught at our clinic. We require a minimum commitment of 400 hours, which may be spread out over multiple school terms. For those who will be asking for reference letters, it takes time for us to know you and what you are capable of.
Note: Application is NOT recommended if you cannot commit a minimum of 10 hours per week. Volunteers who reduce their committed hours after onboarding will risk losing their opportunity.
Qualifications:
Applications for our volunteer positions are very competitive since these are unique opportunities not available anywhere else. Due to the extensive use of electronic devices, applications, and websites in our clinic, troubleshooting skills and experience are highly valuable assets. We serve a diverse group of patients from different cultural communities and we value the various language skills and cultural sensitivities you may bring to support our patient care.
To be successful, we require post-secondary applicants to maintain a minimum average of A- (>3.70 GPA). Applicants from the University of Toronto’s St. George campus may apply with a minimum average of B+ (3.30).
How to apply:
Please complete the volunteer application form to be considered for an interview. You will be required to enter information regarding your time commitment and background/qualifications, as well as upload your resume, cover letter, and most recent transcript(s). You should tailor your application materials based on the position you are applying for. Incomplete applications without all of the required information will not be considered.
We thank all interested applicants, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Due to the volume of applicants, we do not respond to inquiries.
If you have already applied but have not heard back from us in previous school terms, we encourage you to apply again this school term.
We look forward to receiving your application today!