EMT during college?

[ubermu]

I was reading a pre-medical pamphlet passed out at my community college today and was surprised to see that one of the venerable pre-med choices was to do EMT work. I was surprised and intrigued that an opportunity like this existed, I had thought it took years of training to be certified as an EMT so I couldn't see it as an opportune college side-job.

So I'm curious exactly how long does it take to get EMT certified? What kind of hours does the job entail? Is it even possible to attend college and do EMT work at the same time? Thanks in advance for any info.

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[12R34Y]

sure you can get your EMT-Basic during college. You can also work on the side if you'd like.......just DON'T do it because you are pre-med and think it will look good on your app. you must USE the certification to make it have any real weight with the adcoms.

later

 

[ubermu]

Yeah that's why I'm curious about the hours and responsibilities an EMT has. If I'm going to college full time is it possible to do EMT part-time?

 

[OSUdoc08]

The EMT class I took, was 2 nights a week for a few hours for a semester. The courses can be taken at community colleges or fire departments/ems services. There are many time schedule they can be taken. One offers a class all day-all week to finish in just one month. I completed all 4 semesters of the paramedic program a couple of nights a week while a full time premed student.

All private ambulance services allow you to work part-time, and some public ones may also. Volunteer EMS service is also a good opportunity. Shifts fun from 6, 8, 12, 16, 24 hours or any schedule you would like. During my MCAT semester, I only work one 16 hour shift a week--on Sundays.

I would encourage doing this as it really helps on the resume----I know from personal experience.

 

[diabeticfootdr]

I took an EMT course during freshman year. It was also 2 nights a week X 1 semester. I then worked as an EMT-B for a basic service 13 miles south of my college town in Missouri. I would work 60 hour weekends (go to work 7pm Friday night, get off 7am Monday morning). It was the best experience, and rural services are always looking for EMT-Bs. Plus, you have a lot of down time in on a rural EMS service to study/sleep.

 

[ubermu]

It looks like the basic course gives me EMT-B certification. What are the different responsibilities between an EMT-B and full on paramedic?

 

[OSUdoc08]

EMT-B (semester 1): Non-invasive care (O2, bandaging/splinting, AED, etc.), basic OB deliveries, suctioning

EMT-I (semester 2): Intubation, IV administration, Fluid Therapy

EMT-P (semester 3 & 4): 12-lead EKG, Cardioversion, Manual Defibrillation, Medication Administration, Needle/Surgical Cricothyrotomy, Needle Thoracostomy, complicated OB deliveries, NG tube, foley cath, tracheal suctioning

There are more things each cert does, but this is a basic idea.

Semesters are based on a full academic semester, with classes taken 2 nights a week. Classes taken during the day for longer periods of time will allow for classes shorter than a full semester. Classes taken for non-college credit, such as at a fire department, will be significantly shorter.

 

[ubermu]

Thanks a lot for the replies and information. Apparently the summer courses are all packed for basic EMT training this summer, and the fire departments train "department personnel only". I'd like to get this thing going right away to keep the momentum going, I suppose I could look into private institutions for training as well.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Also contact your local paid or volunteer EMS agencies, community colleges, and local universities

 

[Febrifuge]

I earned my EMT-B last summer, at a local community college. It was an intensive thing; three nights a week from 1800 to 2200. 12 hours a week, for nine weeks, plus one 8-hour shift observing in a Level 1 Trauma Center, and 12 hours riding along with a Paramedic rig. I had been volunteering in one of the other Level 1s in my town, and when I passed my certification exams at the end of the summer, I was promptly hired as a tech. This was good for my "should I or shouldn't I?" process, but it also looks pretty sweet for the med school app-in-progress.

If I could do EMT class, and now do intermittent ED shifts, while working a full-time office job, it can be done during school. In fact, when I move out east this fall to attend my post-bacc, I hope to pick up some shifts in that ED.

 

[deleted6669]

to the o.p.
my high school offered an emt class open only to seniors that I took in the late eighties. it was 3 hrs twice a week for 20 weeks plus a day in the er and a day on a medic rig. I worked 12-24 hrs/week as an er tech all the way through college nights and weekends and full time during the summers and then went to paramedic school the year after graduation so yes, it can be done around a full college load( I was taking 15-20 quarter units a semester while doing this).

 

[medic170]

I work full time as a medic to put myself through college. It can be done.

 

[EM Junkie]

Of course it can be done and it is VERY rewarding come med. school app. time. I became a 911 dispatcher during the spring of my freshman year, took the EMT-Basic class during that summer, and worked the rest of college as an EMT for my school's volunteer EMS service (Texas A&M EMS - http://ems.tamu.edu) and part-time as a paid medic for the Dept. of Recreational Sports. Check out http://www.ncemsf.org/ to see if your school has their own EMS or emergency response service. That would be the best place to start!

During my first and second years of medical school I worked 1-3 shifts per month in a suburban EMS system. I am hoping to get a residency in emergency medicine, and return as their medical director one day (the current medical director has already tapped me for his position!)

Good luck!
Scott, now an MS3!!

 

[bandaidsNhoses]

yeah many major universities have their own on campus student run ambulance corp. I know all the SUNY centers do. They will also sponsor the class for you if the school itself doesn't teach the course.

 

[Keberson]

To the original poster. I did my EMT-B over a summer and my EMT-I during the Fall semester as I was going full time to my univeristy. I took 12 hours in the morning at the University and then had three nights, five hours each at the local junior college for EMT. I put off all my clinicals till the christmas break. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. The EMT courses are REALLY EASY...so studying for them is not really a problem. The big problem may come when you have clinicals the night before your test at the university. You might have to put them off till the end or schedule really well so they only land on weekends or whatever. Good luck...i advise you to go for it because from personal experience, its very possible.