Provider Volunteer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How can I volunteer?

If you are interested in volunteering or would like to hear more about the clinic please contact our Director of Development at development_director@nycfreeclinic.org. He will provide you with more information about the clinic, answer your questions, and help you complete the necessary forms to volunteer. 

Q: What is the role of physician volunteers at the clinic?

Physicians who volunteer at the NYCFC oversee a number of teams, each made up of a preclinical (1st or 2nd year medical student) and a clinical student (3rd or 4th year who has already completed the internal medicine clerkship). The clinical teams, in conjunction with the physician working at the time, work up the patients being seen and develop a treatment plan including return visits, prescriptions, and referrals to specialized care at Bellevue. The primary capacity of the physician volunteer during this time is to take a teaching role, guiding the medical student teams in assessing and providing adequate treatment or referral services for the patient

Q: What kind of time commitment is involved for volunteers?

There is no required time commitment. Ideally, we prefer that volunteer physicians work about one 3-4 hour shift (half day) per month so that they become familiar with how the clinic runs and build an effective working relationship with the students. However, we can appreciate the busy life of the physician and your commitment can be as much or as little as your interest and schedule allow.

Q: Will I be covered for malpractice while working at the clinic?

For physicians with their own, personal malpractice insurance, coverage is usually extended without additional fees to any work the physician does as a volunteer. In most cases, this simply requires that you contact your insurance company and notify them where and how often you will be volunteering.

For physicians unable to extend their malpractice coverage outside of their home institution, the Institute for Urban Family Health, our partner, will make arrangments for a third-party insurer to provide coverage while volunteering at the NYCFC. There is no fee incurred by the physician for this malpractice coverage. Arrangements are addressed during the credentialing process on a case by case basis.

Q: Why volunteer with the NYCFC?

• Volunteer for the only clinic in New York to offer comprehensive free health services
• Practice medicine in its purest form, considering only the patient's well-being and not factoring cost to the patient in treatment decisions
• Demonstrate your commitment to serving the uninsured and underserved
• Teach and mentor the next generation of physicians and healthcare professionals
• Work with an eclectic patient population presenting with a diversity of medical issues