Why volunteer?
Programs like Help Desk give students the opportunity to develop knowledge and specific skills that help them prepare for careers in various health professions. Volunteers gain a deeper understanding of the SDoH, speak directly with patients from diverse backgrounds and in difficult situations, connect with the community, and become more sensitive to the needs of the public. Much of the skills and knowledge that volunteers learn align with the AAMC competencies. Currently, there are 15 core competencies for entering medical students, and Help Desk addresses at least 9 of them. These include service orientation, social skills, cultural competence, teamwork, oral communication, ethical responsibility, reliability and dependability, critical thinking, and written communication.
Volunteers in the Health Service Delivery Model
While Help Desk volunteers are not medically qualified, they still offer various important skills.
The health service delivery model is: Physician to Case Manager to Help Desk volunteer and potentially back to Case Manager. The addition of a Help Desk volunteer works to directly address patients’ unmet social needs to provide integrated care, ensuring that the patient is viewed holistically with multiple facets to their health and identity.
