Konkuk Medical School Students' Consciousness on Volunteer Activities

Lee, Kun Sei; ,

Abstract

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the medical students' consciousness on volunteer activities. What kinds of volunteer activities they had done, what kinds of volunteer activities they want to participate in, how they think about making volunteer program as school regular curriculum, and how they feel about volunteer activity.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study subjects are first, second grade premedical students and first, second grade medical students. Self-administered questionnaire was conducted at October, 1999. Finally, 119 questionnaire is collected, which is 74% of all students except 3rd, 4th grade students.
RESULTS
Study subjects had participated in several volunteer activities. 44.5% of them had participated in some volunteer activities since they had become to college student, 30.8% of them participated in summer rural volunteer activity, and 39.3% of them had donated their blood. Many students(79.66%) agreed that volunteer activities are required as college students, and if they might have some opportunities to participate in volunteer activities, they would like to(54.17%). However, Only 22.50% of subjects agreed to make volunteer activities as regular medical curriculum. Even though the percentage showed low, they intended to apply to the curriculum (40.83%). Most of them agreed there were in need of participating in hospital volunteer activities(82.50%) and community volunteer activities(78.33%). Among hospital volunteer activities, they wanted to participate in volunteer activities at supporting department(26.05%), emergency room (22.69%), out-patient department(21.01%), and in-patient department(21.01%). They wanted to have volunteer activities at institution(66.39%) rather than to individual person(33.61%). They wanted to participate in friendly supports(40.34%), out-going supports(28.57%), house work supports(22.69%). Factor analysis showed that recognition of volunteer activities had 5 latent dimensions: 'self-achievement'(16.15%), 'social exchange and the pursue of experience(13.93%)', 'social responsibility of college(13.03%)', 'leisure of worth and expert activity(12.40%)', 'passive and meeting other's expectation(9.03%)'
CONCLUSION
From above results, We found premedical and medical students had participated in various volunteer activities and they had much more intention to participate in. Before developing and designing volunteer programmes, One should consider they have various aspects on the programmes. The programmes should not be emphasized on altruistic aspect and social responsibility extremely, but rather it should be considered how the programmes could give the opportunities for the social exchange, social relationship, sense of solidarity, and usefulness of acquired medical knowledge and skill.