EMS Folk becoming Doctors

[Febrifuge]

Frankly, it makes me wonder a little about the kind of folks that staff the school.

Not much consolation, I'm sure, but still. Sheesh.

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[streetdoc]

It may be necesssary to explain it. Most people have very little Idea of what we do. A friend of mine interviewed at a medical school and was subsequently rejected. He requested, and was granted, a rejection interview. He asked if it was his grades, MCAT, or problems with the interview that got him rejected. The dean told him all of those were fine, and the interviewers all liked him a lot, but he did not have enough "Medical experience." He suggested he spend a few shifts shadowing a physician. He estimates the time he has spent working as a medic at 16k hours.

It seems as if shadowing a few Docs is worth more than an EMS career at some colleges. Of course, it really helps at others...

That is very upsetting. I can not believe this happens! I'm so glad my university saw my experience as a positive (after speaking with the dean and being an interviwer on the ADCOM-it's probably what saved my butt!)
streetdoc

 

[emtji]

Doesn't that just make your blood boil? They're saying a premed who shadows a physician for 16 hours has more medical experience than your friend who has been a paramedic for 16,000 hours.

i spent a few years as a basic. I wrote about in almost exclusively in my personal statement making it clear what pre-hospital medicine is about. you have to be your own proponent.

 

[streetdoc]

i spent a few years as a basic. I wrote about in almost exclusively in my personal statement making it clear what pre-hospital medicine is about. you have to be your own proponent.

The details are fuzzy since it's been 3-4 years now since I wrote my PS, but I did the same thing- Emphasized how I was the one to control scenes, and a simple sample of skills needed (running codes alone and handling multiple MVC patients alone). You have to "sell" yourself. This is no time to be shy, but some people will just never get it.
streetdoc

 

[wook]

For anyone here who went from EMS to medicine: did you have to explain to any interviewers what you did in EMS or your scope of practice? I've heard that some people on the interview boards don't have a clue what we do.

Gatewayhoward:

In my interviews, it was not necessary to explain what an EMT-B does. During the interview, I used examples from my experience to explain answers to their questions.

Agree with previous post that it depends on the school and who interviews you. Some have a better idea of what an EMT does, others probably don't.

Wook

 

[sharkchaser47]

I got into EMS my freshmen year of college, just because I was bored and wanted to do something that would get me involved in my commmunity. I fell in love with it, and the fire department. I went on to do firefighter training and even became a live-in at my firehouse for 2 years. Shortly after starting with the FD I changed my major from computer science to psychology with a pre-med track.

Unfortunately, living in the firehouse tends to take it's toll on one's GPA. So, I moved out and went to grad school to get my master's degree in microbiology and immunology. I finished that, and will be starting medical school this fall! I am thinking that I want to go into Emergency Medicine and then do a fellowship in Infectious Diseases.

During my interviews, I was asked what I did as an EMT. And after sharing some of my inner-city response stories of shootings, stabbings, nasty car wrecks, and your run of the mill "sick persons" they saw that I didn't just get my EMT so that it would look pretty on my application, but I actually used it and learned from my experiences. I think having that experience will really help me in the future.

 

[wook]

I finished that, and will be starting medical school this fall! I am thinking that I want to go into Emergency Medicine and then do a fellowship in Infectious Diseases.

You may want to check, but I think infectious disease requires an Internal Medicine residency 1st. EM may not be accepted.

Wook

 

[12R34Y]

yeah. pretty sure there isn't an infectious disease fellowship for EM.
Only peds or IM residency first.

later

 

[joemedic]

I've been a street paramedic in the busiest system in the state for going on 7 years now. I'm known as a cracker-jack medic who pulls people from the brink of death all of the time. In my rather spare off time, I am a volunteer fire fighter and run the EMS section. I work as a MST-P in the trauma center across the river and am well respected by the people I work with.

I finished up a BA in English all the while taking pre-med classes. I finish with those in about three weeks.

I just took the MCAT and am quite discouraged about getting into medical school. I know that if I can a school to take a good look at me, they would see past my not-so-great GPA or whatever I get on my MCAT and that I would probably make an outstanding medical student/doctor.

The problem is that I'm burnt completely out. I've been in school for the last five years while working 80 hours+ a week. I'm taking the summer and fall off and will rethink what I want to do later after I get caught up on my sleep.

I can get a letter of recomendation from our medical director (who attended the school where I hope to go) and from the medical director of the hospital where I work. I also have a friend on the staff at Kirksville.

What are my chances and what can I do to enhance them? I'd like to go to DMU or Kirksville (though my grandfather from DMU years ago, that's where I'd really like to go)

Thanks all,

joemedic

 

[12R34Y]

I've been a street paramedic in the busiest system in the state for going on 7 years now. I'm known as a cracker-jack medic who pulls people from the brink of death all of the time. In my rather spare off time, I am a volunteer fire fighter and run the EMS section. I work as a MST-P in the trauma center across the river and am well respected by the people I work with.

I finished up a BA in English all the while taking pre-med classes. I finish with those in about three weeks.

I just took the MCAT and am quite discouraged about getting into medical school. I know that if I can a school to take a good look at me, they would see past my not-so-great GPA or whatever I get on my MCAT and that I would probably make an outstanding medical student/doctor.

The problem is that I'm burnt completely out. I've been in school for the last five years while working 80 hours+ a week. I'm taking the summer and fall off and will rethink what I want to do later after I get caught up on my sleep.

I can get a letter of recomendation from our medical director (who attended the school where I hope to go) and from the medical director of the hospital where I work. I also have a friend on the staff at Kirksville.

What are my chances and what can I do to enhance them? I'd like to go to DMU or Kirksville (though my grandfather from DMU years ago, that's where I'd really like to go)

Thanks all,

joemedic

You must work for MEDIC ambulance service. I did my ride-time there for paramedic school.

i was the same guy you were years ago. I was a paramedic full-time, went to school, and worked as an ER tech all at the same time.

Don't worry about it. Apply and you'll have a very strong application and if you apply to enough places you'll probably get in somewhere. You have an excellent CV it looks like.

I start an EM residency in 2 months. so.......yes, it can happen.

good luck!

 

[joemedic]

You must work for MEDIC ambulance service. I did my ride-time there for paramedic school.

i was the same guy you were years ago. I was a paramedic full-time, went to school, and worked as an ER tech all at the same time.

Don't worry about it. Apply and you'll have a very strong application and if you apply to enough places you'll probably get in somewhere. You have an excellent CV it looks like.

I start an EM residency in 2 months. so.......yes, it can happen.

good luck!

Yes, good old Medic EMS. Thank you for the kind words. At the end of the semester, I'm way past burnt out. I've got like 6 days of school and then finals (two of which will be take home). Then, I can back to being an alley doctor.

Thanks again

joemedic