Any EMTs applying to Dental School?

[tothepark]

Hi guys,

So I have been an EMT for the past three years, and have been actively a part of a volunteer ambulance agency for over 4 years gaining leadership and raking in more than 5000 volunteer hours. My concern is that ADCOM may see this as a reason to reject me thinking I am more fit for medical school.. I have lots of hours of dental shadowing and my mother is in the dental lab field. Is anybody else an EMT and has been asked a question in an interview about why not medical school / paramedic/ nurse/etc?

Thanks

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[sacapuntas]

That is great experience for either. Don't worry about it, be proud of it. It is much better to have that experience than not to have it.

If they ask you why you don't want to go to medical school instead, just tell them your reasons.

I also have a background more similar to a medical school applicant, as far working in a healthcare profession but my experiences prepared me to work with patients in a clinical setting under a high level of stress...should be good for DS!

 

[uva09]

I spent several years working as a volunteer EMT at the Basic and Intermediate levels through my undergraduate years. With the exception of my dental-related shadowing experience, on paper, my application was probably a classic medical school application. I was pre-med for most of college. And both my parents are physicians. Nevertheless, I am confident that the experience was viewed in a positive light.

Someone with profesional or volunteer experience as an EMT (Basic through Paramedic) would have invaluable experience in the pre-hospital and hospital setting. You would be adept at teamwork, critical thinking, and emergency-situation decision making - among other things. You will have an understanding of how to judge health-related scenarios, remain calm under pressure, interact with patients, take histories, and collaborate with other health professionals. The experience and knowledge I acquired as an EMT has been profoundly applicable to clinical oral health, despite the differing scope and focus.

I was asked questions about my record and resume - and the question of why not medical school came up a few times. You just need to make sure that your story is convincing. Why dentistry? As long as everything ties together and makes sense in the greater scheme of your goals and interests with regards to dentistry, you will be more than fine. And a history of Fire/EMS experience will serve as a powerful positive as I would say the average pre-dental student has never had any real patient contact in which he/she has been faced with making decisions autonomously.

And the licensure acquired will be extremely helpful later on, especially if you are a BLS, ACLS, PALS, etc. provider. Before Dental School, I already knew how to run IV's, 12-leads, intubate, and run meds. All of these will be beneficial when practicing or if you plan on specializing.

 

[yappy]

After the military I was qualified to sit for the NREMT-paramedic exam and then worked for a few years as a paramedic for a local ambulance company. I think that like anything it's just a job and doesnt prohibit you from going into any other field. The strengths I would focus on is how you interacted with patients and had some autonomy as far as managing patient care. This can be viewed seperately from your desire to go into the dental field.
Bascially, being a medic helped me develop skills to work with patients and It made me realize that I enjoy health care; however, apon exploring health care professions dentistry stood out because of X, Y and Z.

 

[YoHomey]

There was a thread a while ago about some dude with EMT background who got rejected to dental school because the schools thought he was a med school reject.

 

[sacapuntas]

There was a thread a while ago about some dude with EMT background who got rejected to dental school because the schools thought he was a med school reject.

Was he a med school reject? ie had he taken the MCAT, applied to schools and not gotten in?

 

[YoHomey]

Was he a med school reject? ie had he taken the MCAT, applied to schools and not gotten in?

If I can remember correctly, he didn't take the MCAT but all of his ECs/Community Service screamed med school applicant.

 

[NOLAdentist2016]

I've worked as an EMT all through undergrad and have a lot of other med school oriented experiences (volunteering in hospitals, hypertension research, etc).
I've had a few interviews and this issue has only come up once. If anything, I think that my EMT experience helps show why I want to be a dentist and why dentistry is better for me. Plus multiple interviews have made comments about how it's great experience because I'll be able to handle emergency situations in my dental practice.
All in all, just be sure you explain why you came to the conclusion that dentistry was right for you. Focus not only on "why dentistry" but also "why not medicine".