Medical Can "Street Medic" or "Protest Medic" go on a medical school application?

[Mr.Smile12]

I've been attending the George Floyd protests and have been using my first aid training to provide medical assistance to other protestors. Could this count on my resume? that's not why I do it, I'm just curious. I'm joining a street medic collective where there are medics with training levels of first aider (like me) all the way up to RNs. I am careful to stay within the scope of my training. So far I've wrapped an ankle, helped a girl having a panic attack, and recommended a dude getting heat exhaustion to take a break and take off the thick hat (which he declined to do, but wcyd?).

I have just the basic CPR and first aid training I got when I became a home care aid. Basically I can treat minor injuries and take vitals. I got my "certifications" through the online free first aid certification because I can't afford the red cross certification courses, but I took a practical college-level first aid class and I practice regularly. I definitely know when I'm out of my league.

I don't administer medication (though I know how to administer an epi-pen and would if I absolutely had to). I am technically trained in medication administration through my job, but I don't have insurance so I don't want the liability. I don't even carry Advil. Basically I am there to flush eyes with saline (tear gas/pepper spray), wrap sprains, pass out moleskin for shoes, bandage cuts/scrapes, and splint injured fingers. Anything much worse I can take basic details like vitals and pass off to EMS if the patient is willing or to a more experienced medic. I've been lucky enough to avoid a real triage situation, but I know how to and could if necessary. I'm essentially a baby medic, helping where I can and learning from those with more training. My hope is to get certified as an EMT in the future, but formal certification is expensive, ya know?

So I guess my question is, would medical schools see this as scary or cool? On one hand: radical politics, flat organization structure (we're all "medics" no one flaunts certifications). On the other: show that I can keep a cool head in chaotic situations, have experience directly caring for patients.

Define how you are being managed and supervised. Sure I think it would become a good story for some PR department at a med school you'll be attending if you get admitted, but that will not get you an offer in and of itself. I presume that you have EMT training before hand. Also what is your liability coverage if something happens on-site or you get injured while working (which I have seen many stories to that effect from the period around the week of June 1)?

It's not so formal as that. We don't have insurance or supervisors, we just show up and help where we can.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Put it on and then be able to talk about it at an interview. This is the key.

 

[tantacles]

Seems like a reasonable experience to include as long as you can intelligently talk about how it affects your ability to be a better physician.

 

[MusicDOc124]

I have mixed feelings about how you're writing it out. Being that it's not organized and there is no insurances or supervisors who could verify you even being there or verifying your scope, etc, it's in a grey area for me. "Street medic" has a bad connotation IMO. "Protest medic" would be better. I don't think "medic" should be used. Medic to me implies one of two things - paramedic, of which you are not, or military either Army/Air Force medic or Navy Corpsman sometimes referred to a medic to those who don't know the term - also of which you don't appear to be. "Protest First Aid Provider" or something to that effect would better suit your actual role without falsely portraying yourself through the title in something that is already in somewhat of a grey area.

Would it hurt? Probably not. Just word it in such a way that is very clear and non-confusing.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

With @MusicDOc124 I agree that without supervision or documentation, it's a real issue. I presume you have training but not necessarily in this type of situation? It is important to note for insurance/liability purposes though I suppose Good Samaritan laws could apply to you. That's one reason why I asked.