Advice needed: Research or EMT

[ronnicus]

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So I just got into a lab and the professor basically said I could just learn techniques and come in a couple hours a week or I could actually collaborate on research and spend a lot more time in lab. I was thinking if I pick the first option, I would have more time to maybe become an EMT or get more clinical experience somehow. Which would medical schools look at more highly (specifically UC schools)?

 

[Temporary Superman]

What do you want to do more?

 

[Spector1]

which one pays?

 

[Carmiche]

Are you lacking clinical experience?

 

[ronnicus]

Are you lacking clinical experience?

I am lacking clinical experience. I volunteer at a hospital and work with homeless outreach. So that's probably not enough. Hence, the EMT. However, if I throw myself into research, I might be able to nab an authorship on a paper (somewhere in the middle) so maybe that'd make up for the lack of clinical.

 

[steeeeveo]

 

[Akech]

I am lacking clinical experience. I volunteer at a hospital and work with homeless outreach. So that's probably not enough. Hence, the EMT. However, if I throw myself into research, I might be able to nab an authorship on a paper (somewhere in the middle) so maybe that'd make up for the lack of clinical.

I mean, if you're getting some sort of patient contact during that hospital volunteering, that would count as clinical volunteering and it would be enough. I've read some adcoms here say that they don't really count EMT work as highly as you think, I think Goro in particular called it mostly glorified taxi work.

Anyway, a hidden 'prereq' to many of the top 20 schools is having some sort of research experience. It's pretty overrated for getting into an MD school in general, and if you had to choose between clinical volunteering and research if you had neither already and could only choose one, I would say clinical volunteering. But if you already are continuing to get that through hospital volunteering, I would go ahead and say do research.

 

[Monophasic]

I've read some adcoms here say that they don't really count EMT work as highly as you think, I think Goro in particular called it mostly glorified taxi work.

Do you think they recognize the difference between EMT and paramedic?

 

[futuremdforme]

Research.

 

[Banco]

If you're doing clinical volunteering, you are likely getting enough clinical experience; keep it up. Take the research position, especially if you can get a pub down the line.

You could do some shadowing to improve your clinical exposure.

 

[The Buff OP]

Well do you want to be an EMT or do you just wanna get the cert?

 

[familyaerospace]

Do you think they recognize the difference between EMT and paramedic?

Yes they do.

 

[Monophasic]

Yes they do.

Wells that's refreshing!

 

[familyaerospace]

Wells that's refreshing!

Just so you know my first professor in medical school was a paramedic and he really drilled in the importance of knowing some about the different levels.

In my academic house (how MCG divides the class), out of 10 first years, we have a paramedic, an advanced EMT, and one person who is getting their EMT-B.

You also could also do research while being an EMT.