Advice Please

[cpb80]

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Hello-

I am applying to med school for the fall of '05. I am interested in ER and I would like to get some exposure to it. However, it seems as though most of the positions require some sort of certification, which I do not have 😎 . Here are my questions...

1. Given my time frame, what would be the most practical thing to do? ie get certified as an EMT? Do I need both EMT-B AND EMT-I? Does it depend on the ER?

2. How long would this take? I have heard that it is cheaper to take these courses at a fire dept. Is this true?

3. I live in NY, but I might be moving to Boston for the year. Would taking courses in NY make me ineligible to work in the ER, in an ambulance etc within Boston, and vice versa.

4. I am also considering a job as a surgical tech, which wouldn't require certification, just on-the-job training, however, I would like to have some sort of certification (ie EMT which is shorter than Surg tech certification, right?) in case I do not get into medical school this year. Anyone have an opinion about being a surg tech?

Thanks guys!

 

[cpb80]

Anyone?

 

[roja]

Here's the thing... you want to go to medical school to be a doctor, right? Then why are you wanting to be an EMT or surgical tech? These things take time and money and are just distractions on your road to being a doctor.

If you want something to do, then start shadowing a physician. Volunteer in an ED. Try and get a position as a research assistant in the ED.

Basically you need to be doing 'doctor' things. The EMT/tech thing are just going to make people wonder why you did it for a year...

If you need the money, get a scut job (like waiting tables etc) that will allow you to better utilize your time before applying.

If someone asks you in an interview how you know you want to be a doctor, how are you going to know if you spent all your time being an EMT? If you can say, well, I have done x,y, z with these doctors in this hosp/clinic, you are going to look much more sure of your path.,

 

[margaritaboy]

Here's the thing... you want to go to medical school to be a doctor, right? Then why are you wanting to be an EMT or surgical tech? These things take time and money and are just distractions on your road to being a doctor.

If you want something to do, then start shadowing a physician. Volunteer in an ED. Try and get a position as a research assistant in the ED.

Basically you need to be doing 'doctor' things. The EMT/tech thing are just going to make people wonder why you did it for a year...

If you need the money, get a scut job (like waiting tables etc) that will allow you to better utilize your time before applying.

If someone asks you in an interview how you know you want to be a doctor, how are you going to know if you spent all your time being an EMT? If you can say, well, I have done x,y, z with these doctors in this hosp/clinic, you are going to look much more sure of your path.,

Agree with above resident note.

 

[roja]

😍






😛

 

[nadeem]

..and don't forget to chill during the summer of the first year of med. school, seriously go abroad or around the world or just do nothing,you're going to be working your butt off in med. school and residency........Good luck....

Ahmed
PGY-1
MWU-CCOM EM Residency Program

 

[cpb80]

Great advice 👍 Thanks guys

 

[jjs]

I disagree with Margarita and Roja on the whole shadowing vs. EMT. It could be that it's because I was an EMT for a year prior to starting medical school.

I did both the shadow the docs in the ER thing and then later started working as an ER tech (once I got my EMT). There is something to be said about working vs. volunteering. When you have actual responsibilites for patient care (even if it is just scut work) in my opinion it gives you a much better feel for what medicine is. When I was a volunteer/ shadower I always felt like I was in the way, when I was a ER tech, I felt like part of the team.

As for getting into medical school itself, I think that geting your EMT shows a much higher level of comittment to medicine. The caveat being that in your personal statements and on interviews you must make it clear that you became an EMT in order to gain experience that you think will make you a better doctor (or something like that).

Here's my story. First time applied, great MCAT, good grades, research (with publications) volunteer work...didn't know much about the application process, got 1 (one) interview, no acceptances. Got my EMT, got a job as an ER tech...multiple interviews, accepted at multiple schools, waitlisted at Hopkins, accepted at UCLA (from out of state) ended up going to UCLA. The only real difference in my application was the experience as an EMT and changing my personal statement to reflect my increased awareness of what being a doctor entailed.

I do think that a job as an ER tech, while maybe not as exciting as an EMT (no driving an ambulance at break-neck speeds in traffic), is probably better experience for medical school. I also think learning to deal with patients as a part of the "care team" as a tech is invaluable experience that will pay big dividends in your 3rd year of medical school...

The nuts and bolts of becoming an EMT-B, usually a one semester class, but sometimes you can find a summer or accellerated course that gets it done in a much shorter time. I did mine over 2 months, 5 days a week for 6-8 hrs a day. The material wasn't very difficult and the class was overall pretty fun. The pay as an EMT sucks however. I made $7 an hour as an ER tech and about $25-$30 and hour working as a bartender (goes to show what people value...)

Anyway, good luck with getting into medical school. Like everyone will tell you, keep an open mind about what specialty you want to do...

 

[DOrk]

I've been an EMT for eight years, and I worked on a hospital floor as a tech for two years before entering med school. I've learned alot working on the ambulance (i.e. "doctor things" like assesment and medical decision making) I also learned alot about the while caring for patients in the hospital. Hands-on patient care experience is the best preparation you can have for a career in medicine. Doing research certainly will help you gain acceptance, but I don't think it's as important...this is especially true if you plan to apply to DO schools...I think they value patient care experience more highly. Working as a surgical tech won't give you many opportunities to interact with (conscious) patients...and you'll spend alot of time autoclaving instruments. I'd recommend volunteering on your local ambulance and getting a job as a patient care tech in a hospital. BTW: EMS training is free in New York State if you're a member of a volunteer ambulance or FD. Where in NY are you?

 

[cpb80]

Hey thanks for the reply! I'm on Long Island, but I bounce back & forth to/from the city.

 

[j_sde]

roja... you have a pm. thanks