How do I become a medical student volunteer at the NYCFC?
How do I become an undergraduate student volunteer at the NYCFC?
What is the time commitment of a medical student volunteer at the NYCFC?
What is my role as a pre-clinical medical student volunteer (MSI or MSII)?
What is my role as a clinical medical student volunteer (MSIII or MSIV)?
Is elective credit available for clinical medical students who volunteer with the NYCFC?
What happens if there is a conflict with when I am scheduled to volunteer?
What is the appropriate attire/dress while volunteering with the NYCFC?
Q: How do I become a medical student volunteer at the NYCFC?
Volunteer rotation occurs three times a year for the Fall, Spring, and Summer NYCFC sessions. Toward the end of each session, information is posted on this website, the NYU Student Portal Calendar, and the NYCFC bulletin board regarding how to enter the lottery. If you have been an alternate before or have entered previous lotteries and not been chosen, you will be given preference for the current lottery you enter. If you are not sure when the next lottery is or have questions about how to become a student volunteer, please contact our Student Volunteer Scheduling Coordinator at volunteer@nycfreeclinic.org.
Q: How do I become an undergraduate student volunteer at the NYCFC?
Volunteer rotation occurs three times a year for the Fall, Spring, and Summer NYCFC sessions. Toward the end of each session, information is posted on the Undergraduates section of this website and the NYCFC Club email list regarding how to apply to volunteer with the NYCFC. Please contact our Undergraduate Volunteer Coordinator at
undergrad@nycfreeclinic.org with any questions.
Q: What is the time commitment of a medical student volunteer at the NYCFC?
The NYCFC operates every Saturday of the year, with the exception of major holidays, from 9am to 3pm. As a volunteer, you will be assigned to come in every other Saturday, or two Saturdays per month, for a total of 8 clinic sessions over a 16-week period.
Q: What is my role as a pre-clinical medical student volunteer (MSI or MSII)?
The role of the pre-clinical medical student (MSI and MSII) is two-fold. Of the two Saturday sessions per month that each student volunteers, the pre-clinical student is a member of a clinical team one session and switches to a non-clinical team position (Labs, Statistics, Facilitator, Referrals) for the other session. See 1st-2nd Year Medical Students for detailed clinical team and non-clinical position descriptions.
Q: What is my role as a clinical medical student volunteer (MSIII or MSIV)?
The clinical medical student (MSIII and MSIV) is the core part of the clinical team that sees patients during the clinic session. You are responsible for seeing patients, administering a history and physical exam, and developing an assessment and plan for the patient after presenting to and discussing with the attending physician.
Clinical students also are responsible for teaching their pre-clinical team member about how to conduct a history and physical and for encouraging the pre-clinical student to practice parts of the medical interview. See 3rd-4th Year Medical Students for a detailed position description.
Q: Is elective credit available for clinical medical students who volunteer with the NYCFC?
Clinical students who complete 8 sessions over the course of 16 weeks may receive 2 weeks of elective credit. It is very important to keep track of the dates you go in to clinic and how many more you may need to fulfill to receive elective credit.
See elective credit requirements and course description.
Students interested in volunteering should contact our Student Volunteer Scheduling Coordinator at volunteer@nycfreeclinic.org.
Q: What happens if there is a conflict with when I am scheduled to volunteer?
The semester's volunteer schedule is emailed to all volunteers in the beginning of the session. You are encouraged to mark your assigned dates in your planner and correlate it with your schedule.
The NYC Free Clinic depends on you to function. The medical students serve as the caregivers for our patients. Exam dates are not legitimate excuses to ask to change shifts so we encourage you to plan your studying around when you are scheduled to come in.
If an unforeseen conflict arises or a prior engagement conflicts with when you are scheduled, you are responsible for switching with a team member on another team for a different weekend. If you are a pre-clinical student and you are not able to switch with your respective counterpart on the other team, you must contact our Student Volunteer Scheduling Coordinator at volunteer@nycfreeclinic.org, who will assign your shift to the on-call alternate.
If you are a clinical student and need to switch with someone due to interview conflicts or rotation conflicts, please contact our Student Volunteer Scheduling Coordinator at volunteer@nycfreeclinic.org.
Q: What is the appropriate attire/dress while volunteering with the NYCFC?
As student-doctors, everyone at the clinic is expected to dress professionally, including your white coat. Only closed-toe shoes are permitted. Your NYU School of Medicine ID should be worn at all times.
