EMT-B considered "good" clinical experience?

[maverick55]

I graduated undergrad a few years ago and now am trying to navigate the med school process. Currently taking the prerequisite classes, but my clinical/volunteer experience is practically nonexistent. I thought getting certified and working as a volunteer EMT-B would be considered "good" clinical experience, but after searching through the forums, it seems the general consensus is fairly negative towards this path and that it doesn't really count as clinical experience. I have a few friends who are EMTs and the work seems interesting, but I don't want to spend $1,000 for an 8 credit hour course to get certified and many hours volunteering if it won't make me a more competitive applicant.

So my question is: what constitutes "good" clinical experience? At least as an EMT, I would be doing relatively interesting, hands on stuff as opposed to fluff volunteer duties at a hospital like filing paperwork or serving coffee to patients in the waiting room. Looking for insight and guidance, please! 🙂

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[QofQuimica]

Whether getting certified is "good" clinical experience or not depends on what you do with your certification. If your plan is to get certified but never work as an EMT (either paid or volunteer), then I'd say not to bother. Just having the certification won't help your app, and as you've pointed out, it's not cheap to get it. On the other hand, if you will be working as an EMT in some capacity, ideally for a year or more, then you will have a lot of opportunity to gain meaningful clinical experience, and it may well be worth it.

You could also consider looking for a hospital-based job (ex. working in an ER) as opposed to being on a BLS truck; many ERs have EMTs working there as techs, which would be a great way for you to get patient contact, as well as giving you an in to shadow and get to know the ER docs.

 

[Eccesignum]

$1,000 for EMT-B, holy crap.

Whether or not it'll help I can't say, as I'm still pre-med myself and QoQ knows far more about admissions than I do. But I did want to suggest you check into your local fire station(s). Your mileage may vary based on location, but here at least many stations will financially sponsor you to take EMT and/or FF if you commit to membership at that station. Might be worth looking into if you're interested in that.

Source: County-employed EMT-A / RN, paid through by the station I started off (and still do) volunteering for.

 

[deleted92121]

Ten years as a paramedic and currently a 28 year old non-grad applying next cycle.

I have seen this topic before. My advice is always the same. Only become an EMT-B if you truly want to work in EMS. Otherwise, shadow and take some upper-level science courses.

As an aside, EMS needs a major overhaul. I highly recommend staying away from the field. Don't get me wrong, I have had an amazing time in it but I entered for the right reasons. Too many do not. So unless you are head over heels for the field, do something else.

 

[pharmnrp804]

Ten years as a paramedic and currently a 28 year old non-grad applying next cycle.

I have seen this topic before. My advice is always the same. Only become an EMT-B if you truly want to work in EMS. Otherwise, shadow and take some upper-level science courses.

As an aside, EMS needs a major overhaul. I highly recommend staying away from the field. Don't get me wrong, I have had an amazing time in it but I entered for the right reasons. Too many do not. So unless you are head over heels for the field, do something else.

^^^This. So much this. I've been a paramedic for a long time, and in every class I always find several who just go into it for the "check box" on their application. This is a profession in itself, and should be treated like one. If your heart isn't in it, find something else to do. There are plenty of other ways to boost your resume that won't cost as much in time or money.

 

[FutureDrB]

Ten years as a paramedic and currently a 28 year old non-grad applying next cycle.

I have seen this topic before. My advice is always the same. Only become an EMT-B if you truly want to work in EMS. Otherwise, shadow and take some upper-level science courses.

As an aside, EMS needs a major overhaul. I highly recommend staying away from the field. Don't get me wrong, I have had an amazing time in it but I entered for the right reasons. Too many do not. So unless you are head over heels for the field, do something else.

Could you expand on what is wrong with the field?

I've always leaned towards Peds or FM, but I was going to become an EMT, because I have some interest in EM as well. But, with my current job, there's no way I could attend the month-long certification class all day.

 

[deleted92121]

Could you expand on what is wrong with the field?

I've always leaned towards Peds or FM, but I was going to become an EMT, because I have some interest in EM as well. But, with my current job, there's no way I could attend the month-long certification class all day.

That is a long, convoluted answer. For the sake of brevity, here is the nutshell version.

We provide our services for free via volunteer EMS agencies. When was the last time you heard of a volunteer hospital? Legitimization of our profession requires eliminating volunteer services. Stop providing our training and skill set for free.

Improve education. EMS seems to attract many folks who are not promoting the profession or who don't represent it well. Require an undergraduate degree. That will at least help in keeping out the wrong folks.

Eliminate the EMT-B. Sorry to say this because I have worked with some wonder basics but it is useless. Double medic units are a better use of resources. EMT-B training is laughable and the scope of practice is limited. IMHO, there is no reason to obtain the certification except to move towards becoming a paramedic.

 

[pharmnrp804]

That is a long, convoluted answer. For the sake of brevity, here is the nutshell version.

We provide our services for free via volunteer EMS agencies. When was the last time you heard of a volunteer hospital? Legitimization of our profession requires eliminating volunteer services. Stop providing our training and skill set for free.

Improve education. EMS seems to attract many folks who are not promoting the profession or who don't represent it well. Require an undergraduate degree. That will at least help in keeping out the wrong folks.

Eliminate the EMT-B. Sorry to say this because I have worked with some wonder basics but it is useless. Double medic units are a better use of resources. EMT-B training is laughable and the scope of practice is limited. IMHO, there is no reason to obtain the certification except to move towards becoming a paramedic.

I agree with all of this, with the exception of the elimination of the EMT. I am of the belief that we should eliminate the mid-level EMS providers (AEMT, EMT-I, etc...) and keep EMTs and paramedics. There is such a thing as skill dilution, and many of our paramedics (not to mention those other "ALS" providers) are already ill equipped and prepared to perform a good deal of them. Intubation? Complex medications? Thoracostomies? These things constitute necessary knowledge and belong in our scope, but many want to take them away because we don't always do them well. Make the majority of our providers BLS, but pay them a decent wage. Our paramedics should be on a much higher level in terms of education and procedural competence, and should be compensated as such. Why make every provider a paramedic? How many of our patients are critically ill? How many just want a taxi ride to the hospital? ALS should always be available when needed, but they shouldn't be on EVERY call.

 

[deleted92121]

I agree with all of this, with the exception of the elimination of the EMT. I am of the belief that we should eliminate the mid-level EMS providers (AEMT, EMT-I, etc...) and keep EMTs and paramedics. There is such a thing as skill dilution, and many of our paramedics (not to mention those other "ALS" providers) are already ill equipped and prepared to perform a good deal of them. Intubation? Complex medications? Thoracostomies? These things constitute necessary knowledge and belong in our scope, but many want to take them away because we don't always do them well. Make the majority of our providers BLS, but pay them a decent wage. Our paramedics should be on a much higher level in terms of education and procedural competence, and should be compensated as such. Why make every provider a paramedic? How many of our patients are critically ill? How many just want a taxi ride to the hospital? ALS should always be available when needed, but they shouldn't be on EVERY call.

That is a very interesting point and one I didn't consider.

Unfortunately I don't see any changes coming RE: the number of different certifications. Why? Because the National Registry is a cash cow.

 

[sazerac]

I graduated undergrad a few years ago and now am trying to navigate the med school process. Currently taking the prerequisite classes, but my clinical/volunteer experience is practically nonexistent. I thought getting certified and working as a volunteer EMT-B would be considered "good" clinical experience, but after searching through the forums, it seems the general consensus is fairly negative towards this path and that it doesn't really count as clinical experience. I have a few friends who are EMTs and the work seems interesting, but I don't want to spend $1,000 for an 8 credit hour course to get certified and many hours volunteering if it won't make me a more competitive applicant.

So my question is: what constitutes "good" clinical experience? At least as an EMT, I would be doing relatively interesting, hands on stuff as opposed to fluff volunteer duties at a hospital like filing paperwork or serving coffee to patients in the waiting room. Looking for insight and guidance, please! 🙂

What stage in the application process are you? A late interest in EMS work just looks like bs. Sorry.

I know one applicant who was an EMT-B before he though about becoming a physician or ever took general chemistry. An eagerness to grow his scope of practice led him to medicine. Accepted.

I interviewed an applicant who ran the EMS service at his college. We spent the interview talking about leadership, motivating crew, dealing with college administration, rescheduling when one of his ambulances was broken, etc. Never once did we talk about patient care. Accepted.

But if a candidate shows a sudden interest in EMS work a semester or two before submitting to AMCAS? meh. Your application needs to show experience with patients and familiarity with what a physician does with them. If EMS is really your best shot at getting patient care experience, then do what you gotta do.