EMT-B certification?

[musicalmedicine]

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Hey everyone

I was wondering if any of you had any idea how helpful getting EMT-B certified would help when applying to medical school. I'm thinking about getting certified but don't want to waste my time in an 8 credit hour class that my university won't even take if the class and job I get afterwards won't help me much. Thanks for your help.

 

[silverhorse84]

If you're able to work after getting the certification for a good amount time (at least a year I'd say), then it's a good idea, but don't do it just to pad your application. Do it because you want to do it, I like being an EMT and it's helpful in being sure that medicine is what I want to do for a vocation. 😛

Just getting the certification and not using it is no help. Just my $0.02 😎

 

[armybound]

My EMT certification has come up in almost every one of my interviews, but only as a segue into the actual EXPERIENCES that the certification has led to.

 

[mimimi]

wrong mentality. don't do it if you think that it could potentially be a waste of time. this is not something you pad your essay with, you do it because you want to do it.

 

[rockydoc]

If you're able to work after getting the certification for a good amount time (at least a year I'd say), then it's a good idea, but don't do it just to pad your application. Do it because you want to do it, I like being an EMT and it's helpful in being sure that medicine is what I want to do for a vocation. 😛

Just getting the certification and not using it is no help. Just my $0.02 😎

I agree. Actually, however, I got my EMT certification, with every intention of using it in employment, but then it turned out that I wasnt able to use it. (this is b/c I live in one state and go to school in another, which doesnt have reciprocity, and no companies would take me for such limited amounts of time 🙁) However, going through the school and the 60-70 hours of clinical time in ERs and ambulances was a huge step in my deciding that I can handle a career in medicine. I still was able to help treat several patients and took part in several traumas, CPR, gsw, stabbings, heli-pad stuff, etc etc. It was a blast and I gained invaluable experience working with patients. It was still a very rewarding experience for me, but if you are gonna do it, I would def. make sure you can work as one first.

 

[JRJ26]

like others said, only do the class if you intend to actually do some work as an EMT-B. There are a lot of applicants that have the certification but don't do anything with it. Being an EMT-B will allow you to get some direct patient care experience, get some experience in assessment and physical examination, and even use some drugs, depending on the state (usually limited to oxygen, epinephrine (sometimes limited to use of an EpiPen), activated charcoal, nitroglycerin, albuterol sulfate, and glucose). Make sure you work with a group that you can actually go on calls and do patient care. Some will just limit you to driving or nursing home/hospital to nursing home transport. If you have a college group that's great too. After you get some experience you can also look into jobs as an ER tech, where you can do many of the things you do as an EMT-B, plus other technical skills, like starting IVs, blood draws, doing EKGs, different kinds of splints, nasogastric tubes (depends on the ER), arterial blood gas (also depends), being involved in codes, etc. It's all fun, but only if you REALLY want to do it, as it's all time consuming, and especially as a tech, you get to do all these interesting things (and SEE interesting things-my favorite), but you also have to do many other things that aren't always fun, like helping to clean up a patient or making beds. Once passed that, I guarantee that you'll see many things that'll make for conversation in interviews.

 

[musicalmedicine]

Thanks everyone! I do want to do it, I would love to get a job that will actually let me help with patient care rather than just transport them from one department to an other. I don't see it as a waste of time of course; but I do see it has 8 credits that could be used for something else. I talked to someone today that took the class and now works at an urgent care. He said that he does a lot of stuff from giving TB tests, taking blood, and setting splints. Could you have a better job as a pre-med? I think not.

 

[GamjaXnamjA]

I have lots of friends doing that and they all tell me how fun it is and you learn so much. Its great clinical/patient contact experience so working as an emt should look good.