I have my EMT license already but there seems to be no volunteer companies in my college area. Have any of you had an EMT job while in college? How hard is it to manage with academics? I really want to use my EMT license but I don't want my grades to suffer because of a job. Also, would it be ok to join a volunteer EMS company back where I live during the summer I'm applying to med school?
EMS while in college?
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You can work and maintain grades. In fact, without a challenge I just can't perform at all. Having a job helped my grades. Besides, you need a lot more than grades if you want to get into medical school. Experience helps, so go be an EMT.
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I volunteered as an EMT on campus in college. Lots of interviewers loved that, but I've also seen Goro and LizzyM slag off EMS on this site. It depends on who you talk to, but BLS is generally seen as good experience. Don't rely on it as your only experience to health care, though, in case Goro or LizzyM are looking over your application!
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Did it. Loved it. ADCOMs loved it. (EMT-B in 2 states)
Edit: You're a volunteer. You don't need to negotiate a schedule. You say what you can/are willing to work, and they'll accommodate you.
And yes, you can volunteer in the summer.
Edit: You're a volunteer. You don't need to negotiate a schedule. You say what you can/are willing to work, and they'll accommodate you.
And yes, you can volunteer in the summer.
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I used my EMT-basic to volunteer at the local American Red Cross F.A.S.T program (First Aid Medical Support Team). Worked a lot of University and community events (football/basketball games, marathons, etc.). Great experience, and fun. Check it out.
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It's the best clinical experience you will have a chance to acquire in college. Without question, do it. It also helps develop confidence in high stress situations and patient interactions that will give you a leg up later on.
Plus if you're lucky you might see some really awful things and end up with a thousand yard stare like myself.
Plus if you're lucky you might see some really awful things and end up with a thousand yard stare like myself.
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911 all the way!
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I got my EMT-B cert right out of HS. In fact, I started the program before I ever graduated and didn't even meet the age requirement to become licensed (18) until halfway through the summer. I didn't know then that I wanted to be a doctor but working as an EMT led me to where I am today, ready to apply to med school.
Overall: Below are some details of my experience but I wanted to give an overall answer to your question initially. First of all, I am in no way affiliated with a medical school, I have not been accepted to a medical school and this in my own opinion: I truly believe that true, 911 experience in EMS is by far one of the absolute best ways to prepare yourself for a higher career in medicine. This is why many new schools are implementing the course within the first year. I won't get into specifics now but be on the look out for a post outlining exactly why I think EMS experience is so beneficial... along with all of my experiences. Back to your question: Yes, doing EMS and keeping up with your academics is a challenge and one you shouldn't take lightly. Working 911 for the past 4 years doesn't bring the spotlight away from a low GPA or shawty MCAT. Academics come first and this is a lesson that I had to learn the hard way. EMS is an exhilarating, lustrous, and nearly addictive job at which I have seen pre-meds such as myself fall for the trap of it's glory while slowly letting their grades slip from under them. Don't let this be you. I have seen people on here ask "..if I get my EMT cert will that make up for my 3.1 GPA?" the answer is most definitely no. On the other hand, I have spoken with several doctors who say that students who come from a background in EMS make excellent physicians. (once again, i really which i could give you all the reasons why but again, be looking for my post soon).
What I recommend if there is not a volunteer 911 provider.. you have a few options:
1.) Request to ride-along with the county (911). Explain you're a student and an EMT and would like to gain some experience but don't necessarily have the time to commit to a full-time job. Depending on how your county system is set up, try to get with the same crew each day you work so they can get to know you. The more comfortable they are with you, the more likely they are to let you get your hands dirty... I am telling you this from experience because at the service I work for, nursing students come ride-along with us all the time. There is one guy about to graduate nursing school who I let do almost everything, even my run report at times
.
2.) If you must, start working part-time for a convalescent service. They are known for offering flexible hours and actually higher pay than 911. They transport pts back and forth from doctor appointments, dialysis, and frequently from ER back home after an accident. This experience is ok but I have some negative opinions about these companies and many times the caliber of EMTs working for them. Just my opinion.
3.) ER tech job: I haven't done this personally but I have heard of people with an EMT cert essentially working as a CNA in triage. This sounds really fun to me but I never found an opportunity.
4.) Volunteer or "Shadow" an ED physician. If you get to know him/her they may just let you do some compressions between the EMS transfer and the Lucas being applied.
Main Goal: Get as much hands-on-patient experience prior to applying, regardless of the way you do it. -Kidnapping aside.
My experience:
Lucky for me, the town I was living when I first obtained my cert had a "volunteer" 911 service that worked alongside the county EMR. I say volunteer but we were paid (better than the county, actually), we were just required to have 12 volunteer hours each month not paid. Prior to every month the schedule would go up and I could sign up for as many shifts as I wanted on the days/hours that worked for me. This obviously worked out well because I could just look at my school planner and know that I shouldn't schedule myself to work an overnight 12 before an exam. -Since I have been in college I have never worked less than 40hrs/week and never took less than 16 credit hours (senior, graduating next month). I won't get into the job specifics because it seems as though you've done enough research of your own to know how great of an experience it is. (IMO, students working EMS and in school full-time, working towards a professional career don't get enough credit...another thread) As far as schoolwork goes, my original thought was that I would be able to study much more while on the clock than I was able to. If you work 911 in a larger city with a higher-than-average call volume area you will run calls throughout the day or night. Weekends are busier most of the time but I can remember shifts were I got on the truck at 8am on a Monday and only had a break between the next call we caught and fueling the unit until 8am Tuesday. Sometimes its all you can do just to just get some food. Keep this in mind, especially if you require lots of sleep or many hours to study. With this in mind, yes, your sleep patterns will drastically change if you take a 911 job while a full-time student. You get use to sleeping and studying when you can, ben if that means keeping a book on the truck so you can whip it out on the way back from the ER. Ideally, I wouldn't recommend someone to work as much as I did but EMS is the perfect weekend job if you can find a service that will let you fit in a 24 from like Friday pm to Saturday pm.. -these were my favorites because if I didn't get to sleep during the shift I could go home, pass out until like noon on Sunday then wake up and get prepared for the week ahead, study, etc... While I was in this town I also did some side work for a few GT companies (granny-transport) or convalescent care. If you aren't familiar, you'll def want to know the difference. GT makes more money (guaranteed paying pts) but 911 is where the experience is. A few of these companies had my number in case they needed an EMT to make a pt transport from the ER back to the nursing home, they would just call me and the driver would a lot of times just pick me up from campus cause the Hospital was right across the street. Next, I moved to an even different city to attend a larger university at which time I started working for the school's first responder team. This was much different for me but a much-needed decrease in pace. Here I work by myself and basically act as a First Responder even though I am certified as an EMT. I get dispatched to the scene (usually a drunk freshman) and basically make the decision if an EMS unit needs to be dispatched. If so, I just call for a unit and if not i just treat and let 'em go. Working on my own has taught me to trust my own instincts and training without relying on a medic to fall back on. I have been able to study a lot more with this job simply because the call volume isn't nearly as high and I don't transport any pts, leaving no clear time, no unit clean-up or extensive documentation. I would recommend this job to anyone. This has worked out well for me because I am finding that these upper-level classes require much more studying time. I feel like I should be explaining how great this experience is and how significantly it contrasts from the traditional "pre-med" cookie cutter ECs everyone is doing, but this thread isn't for that. Be on the look out for a really long post where I delve into the details of my experience, lessons, etc... So I now also work as a scribe and I have had little trouble adapting to the documentation style of a physician thanks to practice from my own pts. EMS documentation is ridiculously more extensive, btw, but you also have to figure we get a proportional amount of more lawsuits than an EM attending working at a large hospital. Yes, I have been taken to court, twice actually but the charges were so out in left field it was more of a headaches than anything. I did get paid pretty well though for having to deal with it all
Let me know if I need to explain anything further or if y'all have any questions!
EDIT: Punctuation, etc -Typed off mobile
Overall: Below are some details of my experience but I wanted to give an overall answer to your question initially. First of all, I am in no way affiliated with a medical school, I have not been accepted to a medical school and this in my own opinion: I truly believe that true, 911 experience in EMS is by far one of the absolute best ways to prepare yourself for a higher career in medicine. This is why many new schools are implementing the course within the first year. I won't get into specifics now but be on the look out for a post outlining exactly why I think EMS experience is so beneficial... along with all of my experiences. Back to your question: Yes, doing EMS and keeping up with your academics is a challenge and one you shouldn't take lightly. Working 911 for the past 4 years doesn't bring the spotlight away from a low GPA or shawty MCAT. Academics come first and this is a lesson that I had to learn the hard way. EMS is an exhilarating, lustrous, and nearly addictive job at which I have seen pre-meds such as myself fall for the trap of it's glory while slowly letting their grades slip from under them. Don't let this be you. I have seen people on here ask "..if I get my EMT cert will that make up for my 3.1 GPA?" the answer is most definitely no. On the other hand, I have spoken with several doctors who say that students who come from a background in EMS make excellent physicians. (once again, i really which i could give you all the reasons why but again, be looking for my post soon).
What I recommend if there is not a volunteer 911 provider.. you have a few options:
1.) Request to ride-along with the county (911). Explain you're a student and an EMT and would like to gain some experience but don't necessarily have the time to commit to a full-time job. Depending on how your county system is set up, try to get with the same crew each day you work so they can get to know you. The more comfortable they are with you, the more likely they are to let you get your hands dirty... I am telling you this from experience because at the service I work for, nursing students come ride-along with us all the time. There is one guy about to graduate nursing school who I let do almost everything, even my run report at times
.2.) If you must, start working part-time for a convalescent service. They are known for offering flexible hours and actually higher pay than 911. They transport pts back and forth from doctor appointments, dialysis, and frequently from ER back home after an accident. This experience is ok but I have some negative opinions about these companies and many times the caliber of EMTs working for them. Just my opinion.
3.) ER tech job: I haven't done this personally but I have heard of people with an EMT cert essentially working as a CNA in triage. This sounds really fun to me but I never found an opportunity.
4.) Volunteer or "Shadow" an ED physician. If you get to know him/her they may just let you do some compressions between the EMS transfer and the Lucas being applied.
Main Goal: Get as much hands-on-patient experience prior to applying, regardless of the way you do it. -Kidnapping aside.
My experience:
Lucky for me, the town I was living when I first obtained my cert had a "volunteer" 911 service that worked alongside the county EMR. I say volunteer but we were paid (better than the county, actually), we were just required to have 12 volunteer hours each month not paid. Prior to every month the schedule would go up and I could sign up for as many shifts as I wanted on the days/hours that worked for me. This obviously worked out well because I could just look at my school planner and know that I shouldn't schedule myself to work an overnight 12 before an exam.
-Since I have been in college I have never worked less than 40hrs/week and never took less than 16 credit hours (senior, graduating next month). I won't get into the job specifics because it seems as though you've done enough research of your own to know how great of an experience it is. (IMO, students working EMS and in school full-time, working towards a professional career don't get enough credit...another thread) As far as schoolwork goes, my original thought was that I would be able to study much more while on the clock than I was able to. If you work 911 in a larger city with a higher-than-average call volume area you will run calls throughout the day or night. Weekends are busier most of the time but I can remember shifts were I got on the truck at 8am on a Monday and only had a break between the next call we caught and fueling the unit until 8am Tuesday. Sometimes its all you can do just to just get some food. Keep this in mind, especially if you require lots of sleep or many hours to study. With this in mind, yes, your sleep patterns will drastically change if you take a 911 job while a full-time student. You get use to sleeping and studying when you can, ben if that means keeping a book on the truck so you can whip it out on the way back from the ER. Ideally, I wouldn't recommend someone to work as much as I did but EMS is the perfect weekend job if you can find a service that will let you fit in a 24 from like Friday pm to Saturday pm.. -these were my favorites because if I didn't get to sleep during the shift I could go home, pass out until like noon on Sunday then wake up and get prepared for the week ahead, study, etc... While I was in this town I also did some side work for a few GT companies (granny-transport) or convalescent care. If you aren't familiar, you'll def want to know the difference. GT makes more money (guaranteed paying pts) but 911 is where the experience is. A few of these companies had my number in case they needed an EMT to make a pt transport from the ER back to the nursing home, they would just call me and the driver would a lot of times just pick me up from campus cause the Hospital was right across the street. Next, I moved to an even different city to attend a larger university at which time I started working for the school's first responder team. This was much different for me but a much-needed decrease in pace. Here I work by myself and basically act as a First Responder even though I am certified as an EMT. I get dispatched to the scene (usually a drunk freshman) and basically make the decision if an EMS unit needs to be dispatched. If so, I just call for a unit and if not i just treat and let 'em go. Working on my own has taught me to trust my own instincts and training without relying on a medic to fall back on. I have been able to study a lot more with this job simply because the call volume isn't nearly as high and I don't transport any pts, leaving no clear time, no unit clean-up or extensive documentation. I would recommend this job to anyone. This has worked out well for me because I am finding that these upper-level classes require much more studying time. I feel like I should be explaining how great this experience is and how significantly it contrasts from the traditional "pre-med" cookie cutter ECs everyone is doing, but this thread isn't for that. Be on the look out for a really long post where I delve into the details of my experience, lessons, etc... So I now also work as a scribe and I have had little trouble adapting to the documentation style of a physician thanks to practice from my own pts. EMS documentation is ridiculously more extensive, btw, but you also have to figure we get a proportional amount of more lawsuits than an EM attending working at a large hospital. Yes, I have been taken to court, twice actually but the charges were so out in left field it was more of a headaches than anything. I did get paid pretty well though for having to deal with it all Let me know if I need to explain anything further or if y'all have any questions!
EDIT: Punctuation, etc -Typed off mobile
Last edited:
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I'm friends with some EMS's I see at my hospital since I scribe. They said they just contacted their local fire departments and/or showed up and kept calling/bugging them until they were allowed to volunteer. Gl man
S
Served
Why do I feel bad reading this post? Curses! You are all freaks. While you people were doing EMT, I was rotting day and night in a research lab. I am the sane one.
They are different beasts, and both are valuable experience in their own way IMO. Doing 911's will develop your clinical, problem-solving and leadership skills a lot more, and is also more fun. You'll likely get better stories out of 911 calls, but not necessarily.
On the other hand, you will see much sicker patients doing IFT's. When doing BLS 911 calls, the majority of your patients are not actually sick and could have just taken a taxi to the hospital instead. When you do interfacility transports, you're often dealing with very sick people who have been in the healthcare system for a while. Cancer, dementia, etc. You'll see more of the nitty gritty of healthcare as opposed to just dumping patients on the ED and leaving. You'll interact with patients in their homes and at appointments, meet their families and sometimes their doctors. They often have a laundry list of problems that you can read and learn about if you are so inclined.
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Yes do it! I'm an EMT working in an urgent care setting and volunteering with a local first responders unit. Being able to actually take care of patients is much more valuable than random hospital volunteering in which you only walk patients to their car. Also, knowing what it's like on the bottom of the totem pole will give you added perspective and ultimately make you a more pleasant physician to work with (aka not super egotistical and snobby).
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EMS = Earn Money Studying. I volunteered throughout college, and then got a paying job afterward when I was studying for the MCAT. It was great, and one of the best decisions I made in college (sandwiched by lots of bad decisions!).
