help! VOLUNTEERING??!..in san fernando valley

hi guys
well my *dream* is to someday to go medical school and i really need to get some volunteering service under my belt. i've been attempting to volunteer in hospitals and work closely with patients, but every hospital (even nonprofit) I've checked asks adults to provide a ssn and to consent to a background check..obviously this is a problem. if anyone has ANY ideas on how i could work in a hospital WITHOUT having to go through a background check PLEASE let me know

well try calling the hospitals and tell them that you do no want to provide your ssn. and see what they tell you.


also for background checks that are places that will do them with a matricula consular.

i had to do one to coach youth football. some places didnt want to talk that ID, but i called a few places and i found one that did it.

I want to go to medical school some day, too. I am actually going to start volunteering at the local hospital. I didn't ask them anything, but when I filled out the form, I left the SSN space blank. I figured they were never going to get back to me, so I even left the refrences addresses blank. The lady there called me a few days later to get the addresses so she could send out refrence letters. I asked her if that was the last part of the application process and she said that as soon as she got back the letters, I could start training.

Try telling them (over the phone, maybe?) that you don't have a SSN and you want to volunteer. Ask if you can use refrences instead.

Good luck and don't give up. Try different hospitals in your area.

Oh and I had a criminal background check done on me using my ITIN for an apartment application. We were approved, so maybe that works, too. I don't know if there are different types of background checks, but I was told the one I had was criminal background check.

Also, I was looking for an apartment today, and I told the lady that I didn't have a SSN. She started asking me if I had a visa (that made me kinda nervous) or what I use for identification. She even said she could use a visa # or DL number, along with my name and birth date to do a background check.

I'm glad to see that you have the urge to excel. Listen, I have volunteered at Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale (and a few others). I can tell you that they ask for your social security number but they will be satisfied with your ITIN. Just tell them that you don't have a social security number but that you have your tax identification number. They won't have a problem with this.

Be optimistic and keep up the hard work. You'll be a doctor one day. No worries!

thank you SO much for your advice. your words brought tears to my eyes and have given me hope . i'm going to try glendale memorial hospital! thank you all so much again! and if anyone else has any other ideas or stories they are certainly more than welcome!