Medics in med school/PA school?

There are quite a few EMS folks here. Some pre-med, some in med school, some in residency, etc. I know there are some PAs here as well.

Med school or PA school is a big step, but plenty of us have done it. The process is really the same as it is for everyone else applying. If you have some more specific questions about the process, it might be easier to answer those.

All I can say is that is was a great decision for me and I have never been happier.

Deirdre

FireR1E4 said:

Are there any medics here who are considering med school/ currently in med school or any medics who are currently doctors or PAs? What are your experiences with the process?

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Agree with Bean.........there are at least about 10 folks on these forums that are/were medics and are now medical students/PA's. fire the questions away.

later

FireR1E4 said:

Are there any medics here who are considering med school/ currently in med school or any medics who are currently doctors or PAs? What are your experiences with the process?

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My experience was pretty good, got my pre-requisites done, prepared a resume and talked to a few PAs to get a feel for the profession. The adcom liked my medic experience, and liked that I knew about the PA role. They also wanted to know that I'd be comfortable in the mid-level provider role. The age-old advice about not expressing stepping stone to med-school plans etc is very true. If you have any specific questions just post them. Good Luck!

I have volunteered in EMS as an EMT/EMT-I since I was 17 - I am now 36. Never worked for a paid service.

I majored in Biomedical Engineering at BU (1990) and worked as a clinical engineer at a hospital for 6+ years. I was then a stay at home Mom for ~6 yrs.

I went back to school to complete/retake my prereqs (it had been so long since undergrad). I started out on my own and then applied to a formal post-bacc program (UCONN). I am now and MSII at UCONN and plan to do my residency in EM.

As far as whether or not to go for the MD or the PA degree...there are plusses and minuses to both. Nursing as well. All three career paths have similarities and differences. It really is a personal decision in regards to what will be the best match for you. For me, the MD route was what I really wanted and I have been happy with my decision. It is however, a very long road.

I have been in EMS and a medic for 10 years. When I got involved with EMS I had no desire to go any further, then I went to work. 12 hr, 15-call days, day after day became real long, and then I stopped wonderin why the attrition rate was so high. Also, I noticed all the old-timers who were so burned out, but had no other training and experience. EMS is a hard life in a busy system.

Anyway, other than my EMT-P, I had no college level training when I went back to get my B.S. degree. If you really want it, you can find a way to get it done.

I do appreciate my experience as a paramedic. If you go the physician route, you will appreciate the critical thinking skills you develop as a medic. As a medic on the road you have to make certain life or death decisions. You will either become real decisive real fast or you will hurt someone. This type of thinking is learned, and as a medic you learn it or you don't. Those who learn it, they do well, those who don't are dangerous. As a physician, this type of training will serve you well.

Now, my last 8 months left in EMS, I am having a great time. No undergrad school to worry about while at work. All I do is go to work, come home, and back to work. In August I start med school, and right now I am happy that 4 years ago I made the decision to do it, hopefully, in another 4-7 years, I can say that it was worth it after all. Whatever you do is what you have to live with. You don't want to look back later in life and say "I shoulda, woulda, coulda." I don't want any regrets, you don't either. Good luck with your decision.

FireR1E4 said:

Thanks for the input. Did you guys have your prereq's done before you worked as medics or did you complete them while you were working? I have a bachelors degree in a non-science field, so I would need to finish up the prereq's. Also, what made you decide between going to PA school and going to med school? I know the time factor will probably come into play ... it seems like it's a lot easier to go to med school when you're 22 than when you're closer to 30. For those of you that went from being a medic to being a doctor/PA (or are currently in school), are you happier with what you're doing now? How well do you think being a medic prepared you for med school/PA school compared to other students? And finally, did anyone consider nursing, and if so, why did/didn't you go that route? Thanks again for your thoughts.

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I did 2 years of undergrad out of highschool then dropped out and became a medic. During medic school I worked full-time as an ER tech. Got a job as a medic and worked full-time for several years then went part time and started going to university again to finish medical school prereqs and get my bachelor's.

The decision for me regarding PA v.s. MD was easy. My medical director at the time was a former PA who then went on to medical school. I asked him what I should do.........My problem was that I was in my mid 20's and was concerned about age and debt and all of the typical things people worry about. His response......"you're going to be 40 anyway.....you might as well be 40 and doing what you want to do". That really cinched it. I'm going to get old regardless of my career so I might as well be old and a doctor.

I really liked PA because of 2 years of training, less debt, but still not a doctor. I personally needed that. that's a personal decision everyone needs to make. My medical director warned me to NOT go to PA school as a stepping stone to medical school.

I worked as a ER tech. Trust me.......nursing never crossed my mind (not dissing nurses, just not my cup of tea).

Yes, I feel that being a medic really has helped during medical school. I'm currently a third year and my previous clinical experiences really do shine through from time to time. I loved the decsion I made. wouldn't have made any other. There are many people in my class over 40 so age shouldn't bother you.....like i said you're going to get old anyway might as well get old doing what you want in life.

good luck,

later

I started as a volunteer EMT/EMT-I ~6 years ago while teaching full time. I loved EMS so much, that I became a part-time EMT for a fulltime paid 911 county system on weekends, breaks, and summers. As I was getting more and more frustrated with teaching, I was more and more interested in medicine. I thought about paramedic school, nursing school, PA school and medical school. The decision came to me when someone asked "If money & time were not an issue, which one would you pick?" Medical school was the answer without hesitation.

Nursing was out for me after I witnessed the frustration that many good nurses felt with their lack of "power". They had the knowledge and experience to know what needed to be done for a patient, but were continuously frustrated by not being able to do things without doctors orders. I knew I would be unhappy in that role.

While PA offers more autonomy, many of the PA programs had pre-requisites that were just as tough as pre-med programs. So - I decided to go for it.

I quit my teaching job after the 2002-2003 school year and went back to school full time to take the pre-reqs. I got a part-time job as an EMT at a private ambulance service. I finished my pre-reqs in December, have interviewed/been invited to interview at the 5 schools I applied to. For now, I am working full time as an EMT until med school starts in August.

I can't wait!

here at NSU there are like 5 or so medics and plenty of other basics around. Most did some work as medics before realizing they wanted to go to medical school.

Its a big transition but well worht it in my opinion.

FireR1E4 said:

Are there any medics here who are considering med school/ currently in med school or any medics who are currently doctors or PAs? What are your experiences with the process?

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There are a couple of medics in each of the classes at my school. My experience seemed to help at interviews, and the interviewers all wanted to hear my EMS stories, and they seemed to enjoy them.

This has turned out to be a really informative thread!

Currently I'm a 2nd year PA student in clinicals & was a EMT-B before starting PA school. Most of the people here are paramedics it seems, which I'm sure helped them out tremendously in med school & PA school. My basic training is such a great asset & helped me get my foot in the door of a Pedi ICU for a couple of years before PA school. Great experience.

The OP asked why some chose PA vs. med school....for me personally it came down to spending time with my family & ultimately I do not have the desire to be the head honcho. I like working in the team setting & the PA profession will give me just the amount of autonomy I am comfortable with in medicine. I respect the amount of time medical students are willing to sacrifice, but it was just not the right choice for me.

Take care all,
M

I got married the summer before my first year of medical school. My wife (nurse) is hugely supportive. However, I made HER the priority (always will be) during medical school. I never attended lectures during the first two years. That translated into me studying from about 8-1 or so monday through friday. evenings off and many whole days off (post test block for exmple), weekends usually always off unless a test was approaching. Basically, we spent TONS of time together during the first two years. it was a blast. to boot I did great in school.

Had a baby after first year over the summer. worked great.....got to be with the family for 3 whole months over the summer. second year.....same as first year. lots of family time except around test blocks.

third year has been tougher time wise, but still very doable. We are pregnant without second now.

My wife is a stay at home wife so that helps a TON!! maybe not the typical situation.

As far as money goes.....living entirely off loans and doing fine.

fourth year is rapidly approaching and i'll having about 4-5 months off. So no trouble there.

haven't hit residency yet, but like all things........it shall pass.

later

Currently in Undergrad and part time EMT. Recommend anyone considering the MD route that has not been involved in the medical field to get your feet wet and EMT is a good start.

beanbean said:

There are quite a few EMS folks here. Some pre-med, some in med school, some in residency, etc. I know there are some PAs here as well.

Med school or PA school is a big step, but plenty of us have done it. The process is really the same as it is for everyone else applying. If you have some more specific questions about the process, it might be easier to answer those.

All I can say is that is was a great decision for me and I have never been happier.

Deirdre

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Sorry don't mean to be pessimistic here, just stating an observation. You said that you couldn't be happier and that you never looked back. But you are only 1st year. I think that your statement would weigh more strenght if you are a doctor in practice for 10 years and say that you never regretted ur decision.

tupac_don said:

Sorry don't mean to be pessimistic here, just stating an observation. You said that you couldn't be happier and that you never looked back. But you are only 1st year. I think that your statement would weigh more strenght if you are a doctor in practice for 10 years and say that you never regretted ur decision.

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I don't think it really matters if she is only a 1st year. I don't start school until Aug 05, and I am happier than I was 4 years ago before I started my undergrad work; I am not looking back either. As long as you are setting goals for your life, no matter what they are, and you are actively working to accomplish them, then for you, that determines whether you are successful or not. It really doesn't matter where you are in the process to answer this question. The OP was asking for experiences about the process, so far the process for me up to this point: I have no complaints. For beanbean: aparently no complaints either, so I think that beanbean's experiences do carry weight, but remember these are only opinions.

I am happy as a paramedic after 10 years, I know plenty here who aren't happy after 3 years on the job. I also don't regret being a FF and a medic, but I also believe it is time for me to move on to something else. If you think one, two, or three people's experiences, and whether they regret their decision or not matters, it doesn't. Their opinions certainly whouldn't be a determining factor of whether I do something. I do look at objective facts, and why some people come to their conclusions, but a lot of whether you regret something later in life depends on how you have responded to the circumstances of that situation. I know plenty of ED docs who hate emergency medicine after 3-5 years, and others who still enjoy it after 20-30 years.

tupac_don said:

Sorry don't mean to be pessimistic here, just stating an observation. You said that you couldn't be happier and that you never looked back. But you are only 1st year. I think that your statement would weigh more strenght if you are a doctor in practice for 10 years and say that you never regretted ur decision.

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If you weren't trying to be pessimistic what were you trying to be? An observer?

I am currently a 4th year med student (MD) going into emergency medicine residency (if the match agrees). I worked as a medic for 4 years between undergrad and med school. Med school is very hard and you have to be commited to it. Going back to school is tough, losing your pay check and free time. Do I regret my choice, NO. Do I look back and remember "the good old days" as a medic, you bet. But I look forward to a career as an EM doc more.

Does being a medic help in Med School, yes and no. You know medical terminolgy but so does the rest of the class after about 2 weeks. You can run a code, but they won't let you. You have cool stories. You are used to touching, examining, and questioning patients.

Hope this helps.

FireR1E4 said:

Thanks for the input. Did you guys have your prereq's done before you worked as medics or did you complete them while you were working? I have a bachelors degree in a non-science field, so I would need to finish up the prereq's. Also, what made you decide between going to PA school and going to med school? I know the time factor will probably come into play ... it seems like it's a lot easier to go to med school when you're 22 than when you're closer to 30. For those of you that went from being a medic to being a doctor/PA (or are currently in school), are you happier with what you're doing now? How well do you think being a medic prepared you for med school/PA school compared to other students? And finally, did anyone consider nursing, and if so, why did/didn't you go that route? Thanks again for your thoughts.

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I am a paramedic and I completed my pre-reqs after being a paramedic. I'm currently 29 and starting at Texas Tech MD program this fall. It was very difficult. I had a BA in Computer Science prior to being a paramedic but none of the med school pre-reqs. Most med schools require 1 year english, 1 year bio, 1 year gen chem, 1 year orgo chem, 1 year physics, MCAT. It turns out, it is very difficult to do well in more then 2 of those classes at a time, as in, don't take them all at once. It is helpful to have A's and B's to get in.

The way I got through them is some limited financial help from my family, working two part time jobs as a paramedic and taking classes.

You will be classified as a "non-traditional" student when you apply and there are many resources available to you online if you look with those keywords.

As you know, many medics go to RN school because the $$$. But you will always be limited in your practice. If the patient codes in the ER, it is unlikely you will be intubating them. As paramedics, we are accustomed to making our own decisions and working independently, more like a doc ... something nurses do not do outside the aeromedical environment.

PA's/Nurse practicioners have some ability to practice indepedently and make a good salary, but you will never do heart surgery as a PA and you will likely be limited to basic PCP practice or working directly for a doc.

Many medics end up going the DO (osteopathic) route because as a whole overall the admissions statistics are less competitive but you end up having basically the same scope of practice as someone with an MD (it can be more difficult to get allopathic surgical residencies with a DO degree). If you want to do ER, family, IM, being a DO is fine and sometimes even better. As a whole I think it is a fair statement to say the majority of medics were not "superstars" in college (althought there are certainly exceptions to this rule).

I think it is important to assess your ability and intelligence. You will be competing against some of the smartest students in academics that have nothing to do but study. They are not constrained by having to support themselves and potentially a family while trying to get A's in orgo. I was suprised when I returned to taking the med school pre-reqs I feel like my brain "doesn't work as well" as it did when I was 21 (the people you are competing against). It seemed they had better memories and I had to work much harder for the same outcome ... (who knows, maybe I wasn't that smart in the first place!)

Don't give up, it is a long road ... this Vince Lombardi quote I think puts it in perspective.

"Once you agree upon the price you and your family must pay for success, it enables you to ignore the minor hurts, the opponent's pressure, and the temporary failures."

Good Luck!

Rob

I am finishing my EM residency and I can tell you that the former medics simply make for some of the BEST residents...period end of story. Medical education is the most complete form of training and is the terminal degree for medical practice. The standards are higher in medicine than in any other health care field for a reason...because there are no short cuts...anything worth while takes time to achieve.

I am a fourth year med student, and was a Paramedic for about 6 years prior to starting medical school. It definitely helped me get into medical school and definitely helped my performance during medical school, more so the 3rd and 4th years but even a little in the pre-clinical years. I was ER club president at my med school and made the club pretty successful while I was there. Working for the FD and EMS system definitely gave me a work ethic which I have found to be lacking in some medical students. I did a couple years of junior college while working as an EMT and going to paramedic school. Then I worked full time while attending college getting my BS in Biology and taking the MCAT, etc.

I was a much happier person as a FF/Paramedic. I have become very bitter and jaded(probably as most med students) about health care. It was so much more enjoyable as a Paramedic....because you didn't have to worry about the BS that goes on when you are a doctor. I remember how much I used to hate transfers, etc. when I worked the "box", but in hindsight, that was nothing. I liked the independence and job security associated with becoming a physician, and I think medicine is fascinating, but health care is inefficient and can be extremely frustrating as a physician.

Most of my classmates thought I was going to go into Emergency Medicine....but no way.....I decided to go for Radiology early on in my third year and am extremly happy with my decision. I just finished my ER rotation about a month ago and 2 days into it, I knew that chapter in my life was over. That kind of environment just wan't exciting anymore.

The match is coming up in a couple weeks and I'm very nervous because I didn't really enjoy my other rotations during the 3rd and 4th year....and like many classmates of mine, I don't think I would go through medical school if I had to do it all over again. Maybe I'll feel differently 10 years from now...

I forgot to mention........I guess I shouldn't be too bitter, b/c I did have one nice experience about two weeks ago......first week on an ICU rotation and a patient was in respiratory failure (had failed a weaning attempt from the ventilator) and the senior resident couldn't get the tube.....after a couple attempts.....then the intern tried and couldn't get it.....I kept asking "Do you want me to do it?" and of course they ignored me as they kept trying.....then they yelled out to the nurses to call for the anesthesiologist to come down.....so I said "If you let me do it, I'll do it..." so they finally moved out of the way.....and.....

I felt a little bad that the anesthesiologist came down for nothing.

Ah, the comfort of common threads.

Like many of the previous posters here, I've worked in EMS since 1994. Got my medic in 1997 and spent four years with an ALS fire/rescue/transport service in Florida. Being a medic certainly gives you perspective. Unfortunately, it is difficult to shed some of your EMS bias. When traveling on some senior med school rotations, I definitely bruised some egos and got into some unnecessary conflicts when I "took tubes away" from residents or "ran a code" for an intern... etc. You spend most of your clinical rotations just waiting to utilize some of that pent up emergency expertise.. but alas, there is little opportunity. Its probably a good thing that medical schools don't place that much of a value on pre-hospital experience. The world of the physician/PA is much different and often demands an alternative, more comprehensive approach to diagnosis, management, and patient education. I will say, however, that the comfort level former EMT/medics have with patients can be priceless. Its an easy thing for most former medics to walk into an emergency examination room and start chatting it up with a sick patient. These are the benefits of experience that are not easily measured in the application process. As for the whole MD/DO thing, I would try to avoid generalizing about paramedics and college performance. Without question, working post-bacc interfered with my ability to prepare for and subsequently perform well on MCAT examinations. When I talked with the advisor and admissions coordinator at UF med, they encouraged me to take a careful look at priorities--- "quit your job and do some graduate work" was the gist of their advice. The DO route, alternatively, was much more understanding, friendly, and accomodating. My whole interview at NSUCOM was spent discussing my pre-hospital patient care experiences and how that might have impacted my decision to pursue medicine farther. Whatever. I've seen more and more medics on the interview trails as of late. Past experience is definitely put to good use in the emergency room. but EMS is NOT the be-all and end-all of emergency medicine residencies. If former medics want to relive their days on the rig and develop their medical director aspirations, it is important to research the amount of EMS involvement in a particular EM program. I've talked with quite a few residencies and have found varying levels of participation. Indeed, some paramedics let their certifications lapse and pursue more traditional interests like toxicology, pediatrics, critical care, or an entirely different specialty track altogether. Whatever the case may be, this forum and others like it provide former EMS workers with excellent networking capability. Whatever you eventually choose, feel free to bounce your ideas off of the dozens (probably hundreds) or current and former medics out there, still plying their trade.

Good luck to everybody,

PuSh

Push, was that closing quote from Amadeus? wonderful movie, and one of the best acting performances I've ever seen, personally.

Anyways, to the topic at hand:

I, too, worked as a medic for 7 years prior to going to medical school. I did my pre-reqs while working full-time in the field, though I was lucky enough to manage a 48-hour weekend shift. Of course, having no days off really sucked, especially when taking 16-hour courseloads during the summer.

I decided to go the Caribbean route, and am now an MS3, doing core clinical rotations in Ireland. I had the scores and experience to get into a US school, I am sure, but my wife (an X-ray Tech) was also wanting to go to med school, and it was much quicker to go the Carib route than to risk being waitlisted a couple of years for a pair of old farts like us (I'm now 29 ) or getting into different schools/classes. The DO thing was a bit concerning to us, since we plan to pactice internationally eventually. We're now both MS3 and expecting our first child in 5 months.

Overall, it has been a great experience. We lived on a tropical island for 2 years (which does have it's very large downsides, trust me), now we're in another country for a year, and it's been an amazing ride. I found my medical experience has been a vast help to me, in being able to see the big picture of patients clinical conditions (while some of my colleagues are chasing zebras ), and having a certain intuition about cases. It helped alot in Basic Sciences, too, being able to answer alot more questions about things. It was even a bit uncomfortable at times, as some of my classmates seemed to think I already knew everything we were studying. Oh well, that's what you get for answering questions in class, eh? Overall, though, I think my clinical training and to a much larger extent, clinical experience served me well and prepared me for med school.

Another thing that hasn't been touched on much here is your experience working with others in the healthcare field. I can't count how many times I've heard some of my classmates talking about how they'll just put nurses in their place from time to time, and how to deal with those kinds of situations ("MD = Makes Decisions/RN = Reads Notes"). It's really funny. Having already been in the hospital quite a bit (my main service was hospital-based, thus we also ran codes in the hospital and helped out alot in ER), I learned a long time ago that you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. I'm not talking about kissing @$$, just saying if you want people to be nice to you, be nice to them, right? Amazing to me how many 21-23 y/o kids in med school have absolutely no life experience, never held a job, never had to worry about money, etc. Not that all of them are like that, but being in the real world for a while certainly helps you get your priorities straight.

As for my wife and me, we wouldn't change a thing. Even though we're not through yet, we know without a doubt we made the right choice. I didn't want to wake up one day as a 50 y/o street-medic with a bad back, bad knees, and a bad case of burn-out, and I shuddered at the thought of going into administration (was offered the Director's job at a small local service and ran like hell the other way!).

Whatever you decide, follow your heart. On one hand I wish I hadn't waited so long, but on the other hand, I think the experience ridin' the streets will serve me even more in the future. EMS gives you a different perspective from other healthcare workers who move into med school. I've known nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, PAs, and other medics who've all gone onward, and while they all have an advantage over their garden-variety straight-out-of-college fellow students, I have to say, I would rather be a former P-med than any of them. The critical thinking skills mentioned a few posts back, the big-picture-thinking, the prioritizing/triage mentality, the ability to take control of a scene of chaos, being used to people looking to you for leadership, not losing your cool under adversity, and above all... the ability to adapt and overcome. I mean, come on, what do you do when your patient is trapped in a ditch, in the rain, needs intubation and a line, all while extricating and maintaining spinal immobilization? These are things they can't teach in a book, and you have to know how to figure out what will work and what won't, what's important and what's not, and how to get the people around you to help you do what needs to be done.

Being a medic was great fun. I hope being a doctor is going to be just as much. It's all in how you work with people, really. I think people skills are the key.... the knowledge will come.

Good luck, and feel free to email me @ tr081medic21*removethis*@hotmail.com

I've also got a ton of pics up on my website - www.beachdocs.com

Danny

tRmedic21 said:

Push, was that closing quote from Amadeus? wonderful movie, and one of the best acting performances I've ever seen, personally.

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Danny- extremely interesting insight. And yes, the signature was taken from Amadeus. I too agree about that Amadeus memorable piece of work. I believe Salieri uttered that quote towards the movie's conclusion. Perhaps we'll start another thread about appreciating life's finer things?

Speaking of finer things, life in medical school is much more enjoyable when viewed through the sometimes clouded lens of previous experience. I've learned not to take things personally, and my head no longer hurts from continually banging it against the walls of tradition, habit, and inertia.

With regard to honey and vinegar, you've also struck a nerve. Attitude comes from both sides of the medical isle. When I was forced to take ACLS for the 100th time (I was already an instructor during my M1 year), a classmate of mine, "couldn't believe that we were being taught by firefighters." He remained quite indignant, and uttered several choice expletives about listening to paramedics drone on and on about difficult airways. It was quite rewarding to see the sweat bead up on his forehead when those same medics politely asked him to intubate a manikin. Furthermore, I still get **** from nurses... even when trying to help them. I received a stern lecture from a charge RN in the ED when I started a line and drew labs on one of my cardiac patients. She reminded me that, "I didn't have doctor in front of my name" and had no business messing with her patients. To fight fire with fire (or vinegar, as you've suggested) in these circumstances simply fans the flames. Perspectives and attitude take decades to coalesce into ignorant opinions. What business is it of mine to change a mind in the space of a few minutes??? I believe respect is afforded to people who take the time to listen and engage in meaningful conversation. I've gotten along rather well with floor, OR, and ED nurses when I am mindful of their knowledge and experience. Many of them are quite receptive to medical students who take time out to talk to them about patients under their care. If I truly wanted to get back at all of the RNs, ED techs, and doctors who treated me like pond scum when I rode around in the back of an ambulance, I would have pursued degrees in law and administration. Anyway, I've greatly enjoyed reading this thread. Good luck to all..

FireR1E4 said:

Are there any medics here who are considering med school/ currently in med school or any medics who are currently doctors or PAs? What are your experiences with the process?

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I was a former medic who went to PA school and is now in med school. Word of advice: go straight to med school! As EMEDPA will tell you, we PA's eventually want to go to med school: he is doing it himself! It's so hard to stand there as a PA,and be considered a 2nd rate part of the team! I mean, our knowledge IS 2nd rate compared to the docs, but still! I hate being treated so badly! Maybe it's being a woman, too.

Hope it helps.

I am a current EMT-B working through my BS in Bio and am going to Pursue my medic next fall while finishing my last few courses and then taking a year off to get good street time as a medic before applying to med school...

My family history in medicine is odd.. Both parents were in medicine at one time.. father was medic in army and my mother is still a charge ER nurse... my oldest brother is a medic and my other two brothers (older than myself i'm only 20) are getting there EMT-B's as i type... however, my oldest brother and myself are both going into Med School, I'm thinking either D.O. or i'm going to the Caribbean (similar to trmedic21)...

But this information is soo much help and kind of puts my mind at ease because I recently had a meeting with my advisor and he said "Think of another career" because my upper classes zoo, and genetics, weren't the cream of the crop..... too bad for him Micro is a ton of fun and i'm making it work...

forgot to ask how well were your scores and grades when applying to med school? because most of you were non traditional students and did that play a major factor? or were most 3.5 GPA's and relatively high MCAT's?

Renshu33 said:

forgot to ask how well were your scores and grades when applying to med school? because most of you were non traditional students and did that play a major factor? or were most 3.5 GPA's and relatively high MCAT's?

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... There's no question that a prior background in healthcare is only part of the picture. Its good that people (1) value a paramedic's perspective and (2) appreciate the value of 'real-world' experience. I went to paramedic school because I had about 200 bucks in my bank account when I was weighing the risks and benefits of the medical school application process. Progressing through the paramedic curriculum and actually spending time with "guys in the field" will help any future PA/MD/DO students with physical diagnosis, treatment, bedside manner, and loads of other stuff. Functioning as a paramedic also affords you unique opportunities for interaction with emergency department providers. However, it is difficult to overstate the importance of solid GPAs and MCAT scores. I had a very high GPA, an average MCAT, and paramedic experience. (I was still rejected 3 times from UF despite letters of rec from ED faculty!) Though DO schools are commonly considered as an avenue for the non traditional students, it is getting increasingly difficult to gain admission. The decision to go MD vs DO versus off-shore MD should be one of utility. Some people want to begin training as quickly as possible, and others consider geographic location as a priority. The medical community no longer cares about the letters following your name. What does matter, as most previous posters have pointed out, is the doctorate. Especially for the former medics out there, few opportunities for PAs and midlevel providers to function as medical directors. That said, I've many colleagues that are quite happy as midlevels... they enjoy career flexibility that doctors can only dream about. Many earn similar salaries, have less overhead, and pay shockingly LOW malpractice premiums. If you are still debating the PA vs. doctoral route, spending a bit more time in the field is definitely a worthy investment.

Enjoying the thread,

PuSh

pushinepi2 said:

I definitely bruised some egos and got into some unnecessary conflicts when I "took tubes away" from residents or "ran a code" for an intern...
PuSh

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LOL Spoken like a true Paramedic, Rock On

I was a paramedic for 12 years (14 years total EMS) before I started medical school at the age of 31. I pursued a degree in Anthropology while working full time and still managed the grades to get in, although it was not easy. I suppose that one day I just decided that I could do the job that the ED physicians were doing and I certainly did not want to be a medic until retirement. Although I loved the job, I suppose I had seen and done enough to be satisfied and I wanted more challenges. Medical school was not enough of a change though; I sold my house, gave away most of my possessions, and accepted a position at a medical school in Israel. I wanted to see the world and practice international medicine. The whole intifada thing just added to the excitement (it is much less exciting in person).

Well, it has been two years since I arrived here. I certainly do not regret my decisions although I would be lying if I said living in a new culture while trying to learn medicine was easy . Have my experiences as a medic helped me? Yes and no. I certainly can relate to things that my classmates cannot and I have seen many of the things we have studied although I did not recognize them at the time. However, biochem is easier for science majors in their early 20's than for paramedics in their 30's. During the first year I would say there is no advantage at all. The second year perhaps there is a small one. I hear that the third and fourth years are really where the experience will come in. Former medics have told me that they really stood out from their peers during this time. Having been allowed in the clinical environment early because of my experience (90 plus bed level one trauma center), I would say I can hold my own against students with much more training, although their knowledge base is much larger. As an aside, If one more senior medical student or resident shows me a primary and secondary survey I will probably lose my sanity. Also, the freedom you experience as a medic is not as forthcoming as a medical student. Just because you know how to do something does not mean that they will let you. So, I see a lot of frustration on the horizon.

I think I will be much happier when I leave the classroom in a few months for the clinical environment. And, while I miss being a medic, I already know that I could never return to it (even though I do enjoy working part time when I am home for visits). Just keep on pecking along and eventually you will be where you want to be. For me the decision to be an MD versus a PA or Rn was easy. I wanted autonomy and the ability to practice anywhere in the world.

Best of luck...

Hi bio,

Pursuing paramedic certification without EMT-B is not possible in nearly every state. For the most part, you must be a certified EMT-B or EMT-I before you can start paramedic school. In fact, many states require work experience on the order of 6 months to a year.

I think your BFA will make you an "atypical" medical school applicant, which means you'll stand out. If you've done well in your undergraduate years, then that will really work to your advantage. If done poorly, then it could hurt you.

You should really make sure that you do very well on your pre-med prerequisites and upper-level science courses. Take what interests you, not what you think will get you into medical school! I cannot overstate this. If you take something you aren't really interested in, then your grade will reflect it.

Lastly, with regards to training as an EMT or surgical tech, if this is what interests you, then do it. Don't do it simply to get an edge over other applicants. AdCom's will see through that pretty easily.

Good luck in your studies!

Sounds familiar....
I have a BFA in theater from a conservatory program. Paramedic before going to med school. I had no advanced science beyond the basic prerequisite science classes, which I completed at a post-bac premed program.

Ditto on what Southerndoc said. I found that my arts background made me stand out among applicants and in my class. Also, don't bother with going the EMT route if it doesn't really interest you. The admissions committees are looking for a demonstration of your commitment to medicine or at least humanism, which can be done in other ways.

Some schools are looking only for the traditional premed college student who candy-striped in the hospital for the summer and got killer science grades. Others look for the non-traditional student, the one who demonstrates maturity and a commitment to helping people who will bring something unique to their school. Seek these programs out.

Also consider the Master's in Biomedical Sciences program. Many med schools have such programs (or something similar) for those who were unsuccessful in gaining entry to med school the first time they applied. The classes you will take are generally the type that you will take the first year of med school (biochem, cell bio, histology, physiology) and may help lighten your load the following year. These are often essentially "feeder" programs to med school, so you will have a very good chance of getting into that particular med school from their MBS program.

Feel free to PM me with any questions.

'zilla