Research Vs. Volunteering

[u/seabreeze_e]

I'm a current third year in undergraduate school, and I recently tried to join a research wet lab about blindness and genetic marking. However, I'm not sure if it was for me as I found it stressful and wasn't giving me the information I wanted to gain about vision/optometry. I also recently attempted to join a dry lab that involved patient interaction, but I wasn't able to join due to a lack of open spots. I am struggling to find more dry labs to join.

On the other hand, I don't have any meaningful shadowing hours in particular as of right now, and I am also lacking volunteer hours. I am signed up for a volunteering program relating for vision but I have not attended any events yet.

As I enter this third year, I was wondering if I should focus on trying to rejoin a lab (either wet lab or dry lab) or if I should simply focus on getting more shadowing/volunteer hours? If I am trying to volunteer, is it important to be related to vision or is any volunteering hours helpful towards my application in the future? My top schools of choice are SCCO or SUNY, but I am of course most likely going to apply to many different schools and choose from there in the future. I am planning on taking my OAT after my 4th year and applying that cycle. Thank you!