Volunteer Firefighter applicable for clinical experience?

[DeadCactus]

Something like 80% of firefighter calls are first response to a medical event; so I was wondering if you could use that as clinical experience.

I'm going to get a good 150+ hours volunteering in a hospital/ED setting this summer. I need to find something to do volunteer wise during the school year though (the year before I apply).

The two options are volunteer as a tech in a hospital or volunteer as a firefighter. Obviously volunteering as a tech would be better for clinical experience; I'm just wondering how big the trade of would be. I'd prefer to do the firefighter thing as a change of pace. Would I be alright if I already have 150+ hours of volunteering as a tech in a hospital and I do a little shadowing during that year too?

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[Robizzle]

I vote for 150 hrs volunteering, shadowing, and firefighter

 

[Doctor~Detroit]

i vote firefighter. it's unique clinical experience, and (unlike ed tech) not something you'll be likely to re-experience as a future doctor.

 

[Sunshine1025]

Firefighter! That's awesome!!! Not to mention it will be looked highly upon since it's away from the norm. =)

 

[HoolaHoopMaster]

I'm a volunteer firefighter and love it - spoke about it at all my medical school interviews. Don't think of it as clinical only - it' also professional development and leadership.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

As a volunteer fire officer, I have to agree with the above comment about leadership and development of professionalism- although the former may really depend on how strict of a hierarchy exists in the department with which you run. Some give plenty of chances for leadership and advancement, while others are extremely dictatorial in their approach at times rivaling even the worst cliques you will ever come across. However, speaking from 10+ years of experience in fire and EMS, I would certainly recommend involvement with a fire department over being an ED tech any day.

 

[greytmedic]

If you already have volunteering time in the hospital I say go for the volunteer firefighter. When I filled out my application I listed my firefighting duties as non-clinical and listed my paramedic duties separate as clinical. If you are going to be performing first responder duties and also performing firefighting duties you may also want to separate the two since they are different experiences. Since I worked full-time I just divided the hours in half, but if you are volunteering you may want to try and figure out how much time of each you perform and list that.

If this is your first experience working for a fire department I would not expect too much leadership development right off the bat. You will be a "probie" for the first year and expected to "show up and shut the f*** up." I am not trying to discourage you, but I just want you to have a realistic view of how your first year will be. It is basically to get you to learn how to perform your duties and perform them safely, as well as a little tradition. You will be able to observe other leadership styles and decide what would best suit you. After you get some experience under your belt, then you can start to develop that leadership ability. However, you will be able to develop skills needed for communication, professionalism, and stress management during that first year. So, I say go for the volunteer firefighter and just remember to stay safe.