Volunteer Opportunities

Bryn Mawr has forged relationships with organizations in the surrounding community and Greater Philadelphia region that welcome the meaningful contributions our postbac students bring to the health and welfare of their patients. Volunteer experience will not only enrich your postbac year; it also is a powerful way to demonstrate your commitment to the delivery of health care as you apply to medical school.

Our students have gained valuable first-hand knowledge and experience at a variety of health care organizations. A comprehensive listing of volunteer opportunities in Bryn Mawr and Philadelphia can be found on Bryn Mawr's health care volunteer blog and on our health-related volunteer opportunities map. The health care volunteer blog is a collaboration between our office and Bryn Mawr College's Career & Civic Engagement Center, for use by postbacs & undergraduates. Some of the popular volunteer sites are listed below.

  • Action Wellness Continuing its legacy of providing support and a myriad of services for individuals living with HIV/AIDS, Action Wellness provides services to those living with chronic illness. Volunteers with the Buddy Program provide emotional support, companionship, and occasional assistance with the task of daily living. Volunteers receive preliminary training and ongoing peer support.
  • Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Homeless Health Initiative CHOP's Homeless Health Initiative provides free health services to families living in local emergency housing shelters. Dedicated volunteers from the HHI offer high-quality medical and dental care, health education, and more to shelter residents in the Philadelphia area.
  • Community Volunteers in Medicine is a community-based, volunteer nonprofit organization providing primary medical and dental care to low income, working people in Chester County without insurance.
  • Greater Philadelphia Health Action At 12 locations throughout Philadelphia, GPHA provides quality comprehensive services to infants, teens, adults and seniors to meet the needs of a diverse population, regardless of their ability to pay.
  • Main Line Health HomeCare Hospice and other hospice programs in the Philadelphia region Each of these hospice organizations serves patients of various ages throughout the Philadelphia region. After an initial training period, volunteers are paired with a patient either at home or residing in a hospice or nursing facility.
  • Bryn Mawr Hospital & Lankenau Medical Center, part of Main Line Health, a community-based, not-for-profit health system, BMH (a community hospital, walkable from campus) and LMC (a teaching hospital and research institution, 5 miles from campus) offer a variety of volunteer programs for postbac students.
  • Kids Smiles Dental Centers was founded in 2001 with the goal of providing access to dental care for all children, regardless of insurance type or ability to pay, and helping families develop positive health behaviors through innovative health programs.
  • Prevention Point, a non-profit, public-health organization committed to protecting the health and welfare of drug users and sex workers. PPP works to reduce the harm associated with drug use and sex industry work by offering a safe and humane alternative to the war on drugs.
  • Various Ambulance Services: Marple Township Ambulance Corp, Narberth Ambulance and Radnor Fire & Ambulance Company Opportunities are available for postbacs who already have Pennsylvania-recognized or national EMT certification. Each of these ambulance companies are operated primarily by volunteers.