Frequently Asked Questions

No. We have a high volume of applicants and multiple applicants are reviewed for each opening. After the screening and interview process, the most qualified applicant is chosen for each position.

Your first step to becoming a volunteer is to read our Become a Volunteer page and decide what volunteer Track is applicable. You may then email or call us to see if we are scheduling interviews at this time. Once interviewed and accepted into the program, it can still take upwards of 45 days to begin.

Lowell General Hospital has a required commitment of 6-12 months depending on the track. We do not accept volunteers for our summer months only. We instead focus on a longer commitment which gives each volunteer a more enriching experience while building relationships and contacts within the hospital.

We’re sorry but we do not participate in internships required your college or high school.

Lowell General Hospital does not offer observational job shadows.

Lowell General Hospital runs a Junior Track for teens 16-18 years of age. This program has a wait list. More information is under “ Our Tracks” section on the Become a Volunteer page. 

School mandated community service hours can be requested by applying to volunteer in one of our Tracks. However, our minimum hourly commitment must be met before documentation of service can be provided. *Please note we have a wait list for many of our volunteer Tracks which can delay volunteer interviewing.

This depends on your volunteer Track. In our Junior Track we are only able to give one shift per volunteer. In our College and Adult Tracks we ask that you begin with one shift per week and if you are consistent with your attendance and still interested in volunteering more hours, you may discuss adding more hours with our staff.

All new volunteers will be informed about our medical clearance process. You will be asked to provide documentation including your COVID-19 vaccination card (all volunteers must be fully vaccinated), MMR vaccinations, varicella vaccinations or history of chicken pox, a flu vaccine during the flu (winter) season, and have a TB screening within 2 months. If Occupational Health determines you will need any additional vaccinations or blood work to be compliant with hospital policies, the Volunteer Department will help coordinate this through the hospital.

Yes, all volunteers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Yes, Lowell General Hospital requires all staff and volunteers to have a flu vaccine during flu season.

No, volunteers cannot provide medical care to patients. However we do have volunteer roles that will allow you to interact in a patient care environment even if you cannot utilize your specific skills in those areas.

No volunteers are allowed in the operating rooms.

We have limited opportunities in our Pediatric Unit. We do have an On-Call Cuddler role which means once you interviewed, accepted into our program and completely cleared to volunteer at Lowell General Hospital, you are put on a list of cuddlers and if an opportunity to help comes about, staff will call down the list to see who is available to come in. It is not a regular weekly shift, and sometimes weeks can go by without a need, or just a few days. We limit our list to just a handful of volunteers because this opportunity is so limited. For information on this program and to see about being put on the wait list please call the volunteer office at 978-788-7330.

Because of patient privacy laws and infection control issues we typically cannot accommodate these types of requests.

If your primary goal is to find employment immediately we ask that you wait to apply until you have secured your next position before volunteering. Given that we request a 6-12 month commitment, it is likely that your availability will change significantly during that time period if you are hired in a new job. Should your new schedule allow time to volunteer, please apply at that time.