EMT-B v MS1

[DeadCactus]

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I had a random question pop into my head. Is there any point to keeping up my EMT-B certification if I wanted to volunteer in an ER during MS1 and MS2 year? Would the certification add anything from a legal/policy stand-point or does an MS1/MS2 have the same privledges as an EMT-B in an ER?

 

[Zanegray]

I would think that it depends on the ER. Realistically though, volunteering you usually do different thing than you want to do as a medical student.

As a volunteer you frequently do things like vital signs, help with paperwork, interact with patients to get them food, drink, etc. As a medical student you are more likely to want to shadow, see what the attendings and residents are doing. Watch how they ask questions and process information. This you can do easily as an MS-1 and no need to have your EMT-B. I let mine lapse and didn't miss it.

Plus, you may find that you don't have a lot of time to "volunteer."
MS1 is pretty demanding... Have fun. 😀

 

[jbar]

Like most things it's easier to keep the EMT then to try to get it back. So not a bad idea to hold onto it if it's easy and cheap to take the refresher/recert test. (You can count most of first or second year as CE) The real reason to keep it would be because you think you'd be working as an EMT on an ambulance during school, which if you haven't already been working would be hard to set up.


Truth is you'd be doing more as a med student in the ED than as an EMT-B. And they really don't care about your cert as a med student, just with what you are comfortable doing.

 

[NinerNiner999]

You're going to be a doctor. You will learn to do, and be doing, more involved procedures than an EMT-B will ever do, especially as a volunteer. Consider yourself a retired EMT-B now and put on the big boy pants. You're a doctor now.

 

[pseudoknot]

If you plan to continue to ride on the ambulance, then yes, otherwise no. I still do even as a third year, as does one of my classmates, but I suspect that if you were that addicted to EMS you wouldn't be asking this question here.

 

[doctorFred]

medical students end up doing more in the ER, even as third years, than EMT-basics. it's true that once you're certified, it doesn't take much effort to keep yourself certified, but once you're a doctor, the EMT certification is effectively meaningless. unless you're going into psychiatry (and i'm not bashing psychiatry!)