Join the Voluntary Army!
You can expect to use your voluntary work experience in a number of ways. It may be important in gaining you a place on a vocational training course or degree, or it may be vital 'CV credibility' which helps you clinch your first healthcare job. You may also find that the contacts you make in the course of your voluntary experience will be of benefit in the future.
However, don't expect the doors to swing open for you simply because you want to be a medical professional . Many charity or voluntary organisations have limited opportunities at the 'sharp end' of their work, and may simply be able to offer you the chance to make tea and coffee, and chat to patients as you're doing so. Now, this won't be of immediate help to you if you want to be a neurosurgeon, but you can learn a great deal about the way patients behave or think in a medical setting.
Do expect to put a reasonable amount of effort in if you want to take the credit for it. Two weeks doing the washing-up in a daycentre will certainly not equate with a year as a Samaritan, or a prolonged period as a 'buddy' for someone who has HIV/AIDS. You may be constrained by your other commitments, but you should expect to have a least a year's part-time volunteering experience under your belt to be taken seriously when applying for work or further training.
