How to volunteer at a hospital in Toronto, Canada?

How would I go about volunteering at a hospital in Toronto. I am 14, 15 in August and was wondering how I would do it and what to expect when i get there. I need volunteer hours for school and since I am considering a job in the medical Field i want to see if I could tolerate the atmosphere, and jobs.How to volunteer at a hospital in Toronto, Canada?
Well, if the hospital is part of the University Health Network (Toronto General, Princess Margaret, or Toronto Western) they have different volunteer programs. There's a summer program for high school student volunteers (usually you'll have a couple shifts a week), but you have to be 16. There's also regular volunteering, where I suspect there's also an age requirement, but they don't state it. To find out, you can ask them at: volunteering@uhn.on.ca



You can get all this info from here:



http://www.uhn.ca/Careers_at_UHN/volunte鈥?/a>



SickKids Hospital also has a 16-year-old age requirement for summer students, and an 18-year-old age requirement for regular volunteers.



St. Michael's Hospital takes 15-year-old volunteers, but only in their Gift Shop.



http://www.sickkids.ca/CareersVolunteeri鈥?/a>



http://www.stmichaelshospital.com/volunt鈥?/a>



So basically until you're sixteen, there aren't really volunteering opportunities in hospitals. However, if you're interested in the medical field, you should consider related places that are more welcoming of younger high school students:



- senior/elderly homes

- hospices / palliative care (people who are terminally ill)

- intellectual or physical disability organizations



I know they aren't glamorous places, but if you're considering working with patients one day, they can give you some great experience on what you'd be in for.



Good luck!!