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Module 3: Common Causes of Unprofessionalism

Why am I doing this? The rewards of volunteering are numerous and varied – gaining cultural awareness, personal fulfillment, a newfound perspective on life, and improving the quality of others’ lives to name a few. On the other hand, for those who have not carefully considered their motivations for and expectations of volunteering, the experience can result in a volunteer’s unprofessionalism.

Common Misguided Motivations For Volunteering:

Misguided Motivation: I Can Skip The Red Tape and Practice Clinical Skills

There are countless frightening examples of poorly planned, poorly supervised public health programs that deliver low quality health care.(1) Putting the interests of the patient first is the essence of professionalism in the health field, and community-based programs that  do not follow best practices in public health often cause significant harm.  Practicing beyond one's means is therefore highly unprofessional, in addition to being unethical, unsafe, and exploitative. When students practice clinical skills in the community, their unprofessional behavior can be very damaging to legitimate public health and medical initiatives.

Student-run clinics in needy communities are an example of such worrisome health care efforts. While physicians at these clinics can and often do provide quality medical care and education to those who otherwise wouldn’t have access, they can cause harm if organizers have not carefully considered relevant matters of volunteer training and ethics.

“Depending upon the organization and operation of a particular student-run clinic, unintended, counter-productive lessons that might be conveyed verbally or non-verbally include:

• It is acceptable to provide less privacy to patients living in poverty.
• It is acceptable to provide lower quality care to patients living in poverty (e.g., using expired medications, practicing with few opportunities for specialty referrals).
• Doctors should focus on medical issues and avoid talking explicitly about non-medical issues affecting their patients' health.
• It is preferable for students to learn by practicing their skills on people living in poverty.”(2)

It is important that community-based involvement is not seen by student volunteers as an opportunity to practice clinical skills on unknowing medically underserved community members. Despite the level of a volunteer’s training in medical school and in performing  procedures in hospitals under the supervision of physicians on consenting patients, volunteers are prohibited from using community members to practice skills in hosting community centers. A volunteer's role is to connect community members with resources to receive quality care by a doctor. 

Misguided Motivation: This Will Look Good On My Resume

Volunteering requires dedication, solid work ethic, and most of all a passion for service. Students whose primary motivation for volunteering is self-serving come across as nonchalant, disinterested, and selfish. These dispositions are irreconcilable with the active listening, principled work ethic, humility, and candor that characterize professional and ethical behavior in quality volunteers. So much of a volunteer's contributions rely on enthusiastic and empathetic interactions with community members, and disingenuous volunteers reflect poorly on the organizations they represent and offend hosting community centers.

Misguided Motivation: I Have So Much. I Should Do Something

Guilt is no reason to volunteer.  Volunteers motivated by guilt will likely be very susceptible to frustration, culture shock, and extreme sadness upon witnessing poverty and its effects first hand, and can become paralyzed or overwhelmed. Feelings of frustration, futility, and sadness can lead volunteers to feel the need to escape, and abandon their commitment to volunteering.

Misguided Motivation: I Need A Vacation From Studying

Escapism from school work is also not a good reason to commit to volunteering. If you are bored, stressed, overwhelmed, or frustrated at home, perhaps a vacation is in order. Volunteering is no vacation. Indeed, it requires the same level of devotion and professionalism as a job. Moreover, volunteers spend extra energy mitigating culture shock and heightening their awareness of value differences. Those looking for a vacation are unprepared for the rigors of volunteering and are especially prone to unprofessional behavior.

Volunteering is a Privilege

The opportunity to volunteer in a community is a privilege.  It is your responsibility to demonstrate the highest level of respect and professionalism for your organization, the local community center, the community members, and your fellow volunteers.  You are participating as a volunteer because you have been invited by Unite For Sight, and you participate at a community center because you have been invited by the center. You must respect the organization's policies, regulations, and directions at all times.

Go To Module 4: Preventing Unprofessional Behavior >>

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Ethics and Professionalism Online Course

• Table of Contents
• Module 1
• Module 2
• Module 3
• Module 4
• Module 5