Does hospital volunteering count for PA school?
It goes on CASPA as healthcare experience, and only some programs count it toward their hours. Unpaid work in a hospital isn't CASPA's "Volunteer" category, which is for work outside health care. Albany Medical College accepts volunteer hours in a licensed health care setting and lists "ED Volunteer." UNC Chapel Hill counts only paid experience, UW MEDEX counts only paid experience except paramedic or EMT work in an all-volunteer emergency service, and Duke excludes candy striper and junior volunteer positions.
Where hospital volunteering goes on CASPA
- Volunteer is for work "done outside of the health care field," like Habitat for Humanity.
- Healthcare Experience is "both paid and unpaid work" in health care where you are not directly responsible for a patient's care. Hospital volunteer roles where you aren't directly responsible for patients fit here.
- Patient Care Experience is for "experiences in which you are directly responsible for a patient's care."
CASPA says each program's definitions vary and it has no preference which category you choose. The program decides whether your hours count toward its requirement.
Five programs, side by side
| Program | Volunteer hours toward its requirement? |
|---|---|
| Albany Medical College page checked Oct 2026 | Yes, in a licensed health care setting; lists "ED Volunteer" |
| USC Keck 2027–28 cycle | Its new 1,000-hour minimum is "paid or non-paid" |
| Duke 2026–27 | Not candy striper or junior volunteer positions; lists health-related Peace Corps volunteering as accepted |
| UNC Chapel Hill Jan 2027 entry cycle | No, paid only |
| UW MEDEX Northwest 2026–27 | No, "Volunteer Position" won't fulfill it (paramedic/EMT in all-volunteer EMS excepted) |
Examples, not a ranking. UNC's (Aug 1, 2026), UW MEDEX's (Oct 1, 2026) and Albany's (Oct 1) deadlines have passed, so check each page again when your cycle's requirements post.
Is it still worth doing?
It can be, as long as you know what it will and won't count for. At programs that count volunteer hours in a licensed setting, a hands-on role like an emergency department volunteer may count. At paid-only programs it won't count toward the minimum, but CASPA still lets you list it as healthcare experience.
If you volunteer at a hospital, do this
- Put it under Healthcare Experience (or Patient Care if you're directly responsible for patients), not Volunteer.
- Log volunteer and paid hours separately, so you can see your total at a paid-only program and at one that counts both.
- Check each program's rules for the words "paid," "volunteer" and "licensed," and note the cycle and the date you checked.
Free: the Patient Care Hours Starter Kit. A 3-step check for whether a job counts at your schools, CASPA's categories on one page, and a simple hours log. Built from the same program pages as this guide.
Get the free kit →Quick answers
Does hospital volunteering count as patient care experience?
On CASPA it goes under healthcare experience (or patient care if you're directly responsible for a patient's care), and each program decides whether it counts. Albany Medical College accepts volunteer hours in a licensed setting and lists ED Volunteer; UNC Chapel Hill counts only paid experience, and UW MEDEX counts only paid experience except paramedic or EMT work in an all-volunteer emergency service.
Should hospital volunteering go under Volunteer on CASPA?
By CASPA's definitions, no. CASPA's Volunteer category is for work outside health care, so unpaid hospital work fits Healthcare Experience, or Patient Care Experience if you are directly responsible for a patient's care. Check how each of your programs wants it listed.
Sources (all opened October 2026)
- CASPA Applicant Help Center: Experiences: https://help.liaisonedu.com/CASPA_Applicant_Help_Center/Filling_Out_Your_CASPA_Application/CASPA_Supporting_Information/2_Experiences
- Albany Medical College PA Program: Admissions: https://www.amc.edu/admissions/pa-program-admissions
- USC Keck PA Program: Application procedure (2026–27 and 2027–28 updates): https://keck.usc.edu/physician-assistant-program/admission/application/
- Duke PA Program: Admissions (2026–27): https://medschool.duke.edu/education/health-professions-education-programs/physician-assistant-program/admissions
- UNC Chapel Hill PA Program: FAQ: https://www.med.unc.edu/healthsciences/unc-pa/admissions/frequently-asked-questions
- UW MEDEX Northwest: Clinical experience prerequisites (2026–27): https://familymedicine.uw.edu/medex/applicants/clinical-prerequisites