Volunteer & Healthcare Experience

For the preprofessional student, obtaining valuable experiences is a critical piece of their pre-professional journey.  Students interested in healthcare professions must obtain clinical experiences, and our goal is to help direct students to opportunities.  Within this resource you will find some information about paid and volunteer healthcare opportunities, as well as some non-healthcare service opportunities. 

Additional volunteering and healthcare experience resources can be found on these sites:

Healthcare Training & Certifications

Looking for a healthcare training or certification to develop your professional skills?  Here are some common entry level healthcare roles that can be obtained through additional training and certifications.   

Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) work under the supervision of a Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) to give personal, hands-on care to patients, residents, or clients. CNA's provides assistance with taking vitals and essential daily tasks such as dressing, eating, toileting, and personal hygiene. 

To find a full list of approved Nurse Aide Training Programs in the State of Michigan visit the state's Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (bottom of the page has a list of programs organized by county).  Below are some training programs offered in the West Michigan area.

Note: Some companies hire for nurse technicians which may not require a CNA, or may include CNA certification as part of their benefits for employees.  

Grand Rapids Community College

Goodwill Industries of Greater Grand Rapids

Thompson M-Tec

Emergency Medical Technicians provide basic emergency medical care and transportation for critical and emergent patients who access the emergency medical system. EMT's perform interventions with the basic equipment typically found on an ambulance, and serve as a link from the scene to the local emergency health care system.  

Life EMS 

Dorsey College (formerly Great Lakes EMS Academy)

Mobile Medical Response (Saginaw/Bay City/Mt. Pleasant Area)

 

Medical Scribes work one-on-one with healthcare providers by documenting patient care in real-time, at the bedside, through the use of the electronic medical record.  Here is information about scribe training in West Michigan.    

GVSU Scribe Academy (Helix Scribe Solutions, affiliated with Spectrum & Bronson)

ScribeAmerica (National Placements)

Under pharmacist supervision, pharmacy technicians supply medicines to patients, assemble medicines for prescriptions, and provide information to patients and other healthcare professionals.

Pharmacy technicians must be certified according to state guidelines. See Michigan Pharmacy Technician Licensing Guide.   Many pharmacies will hire technicians and provide hands-on training to prepare for the certification exam.  Below is a list of companies near campus that often hire GVSU students. Check out Allendale,Grand Rapids, Hudsonville, Jenison, Wyoming, Walker, Standale which are close to the main campus.

Phlebotomists draw and prepare blood for medical testing, transfusions or donation.  Training for the field varies. It should include classroom instruction plus “X” amount of clinical hours; however, not all programs offer the clinical hours. Students interested in this work should research their options and select a program that meets their needs. Note: Most hospitals prefer candidates with certification but will consider applicants without (and will train).

Employers that may provide training:

Schools/Organizations providing training:

 

 

Search for Your Healthcare Experience

In the table below you will find a searchable list of paid and volunteer opportunities.  The columns can be sorted according to your interests, and you may type in keywords to narrow your search.  Click on "view" to learn more about the organization and areas of involvement. 

Try some of these keywords:

  • Type: Paid, Volunteer, Volunteer & Paid
  • Specialty Area: Chiropractic, Dental, Optometry, Pharmacy, Podiatry, Veterinary
  • Categories:  Animals, Art & Humanities, Children & Youth, Clinical Experience, Community Support, Disabilities, Education & Literacy, Food Security, Free & Low Cost Clinics, Gap Year, Grief, Homelessness/Housing, Hospice, Hospital & Clinics, LGBTQ, Medical Supplies, Mental Health, Public Health, Refugee, Senior's, Women's Health 
  • EAP: Use this to find opportunities to work with underserved populations.  Includes medical and non-medical. 
  • Virtual: Use this to find remote experiences.   

Volunteer & Healthcare Experience

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Category Type Organization Address Website Action
Animals, Gap Year Paid Royal Vista Southwest 26213 170th Street, Purcell OK, 73080 Website View
Animals, Gap Year Paid Sea Life Park Hawaii 41-202 Kalanianaole Highway #7 Waimanalo, HI 96795 USA Website View
Animals Volunteer Blandford Nature Center 1715 Hillburn Ave NW Grand Rapids, MI 49504 Website View
Animals Volunteer Equest Center 3777 Rector Ave.NE, Rockford, MI 49341 Website View
Animals Volunteer Pleasant Hearts Pet Food Pantry 1035 Godfrey SW Suite A Grand Rapids, MI, 49503 Website View
Animals Volunteer C-SNIP Multiple Locations Website View
Animals Volunteer Pierce Cedar Creek Institute 701 W. Cloverdale Road, Hastings, MI 49058 Website View
Animals Volunteer Paws With a Cause 4646 Division, Wayland, MI 49348 Website View
Animals Volunteer Renew Therapeutic Riding Center 5080 146th Ave. Holland, MI 49423 Website View
Animals Volunteer Albatross Aviary 925 Bridge St NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504 Website View
Animals Volunteer Kent County Animal Shelter 740 Fuller Ave. NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503 Website View
Animals Volunteer Community Cat Crew 3901 Chicago Dr. SW Suite 107 Grandville, MI, 49418 Website View

Page last modified July 10, 2025
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