EMT: Worth it?

[swifteagle43]

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I know being an EMT has a lot of experience involved in it but a lot of people are becomming EMT these days. Is it still worth becomming an EMT if you are applying to medical school? How much did it interfere with your grades?

 

[Medikit]

I know being an EMT has a lot of experience involved in it but a lot of people are becomming EMT these days. Is it still worth becomming an EMT if you are applying to medical school? How much did it interfere with your grades?

Becoming an EMT is not worth it if it's not what you really want to do. Volunteer and you should be fine.

 

[mcjay]

Positives: Getting the actual EMT cert is very easy to do, and it opens up more job opportuities and volunteer positions. It is good knowledge to have and an exciting job (even as a tech in a hospital). Shows dedication to working in medicine.

Negatives: It is time consuming to get the cert. It can be pricey to complete in some areas. Working as an EMT doesn't pay well at all. Not near as good as getting published.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[45408]

Bonuses is that in some places, if you get sponsored, the course is free. The pay DOES suck, but you can also get some wild experiences. If you don't work as one, it's pointless to get certified (although the class is fun, but it's not something you can ignore the readings for).

 

[rachmoninov3]

become an EMT only if you want to. How do you know you want to become a doctor without working in the medical field in the first place anyway?
If you want to do something different, still have clinical experience, and make some pretty good $, become a CNA and work agency.

my two very opinionated cents, sorry.

 

[Aero047]

Forgive my ignorance, but what's CNA?

 

[skyreaper]

Forgive my ignorance, but what's CNA?

Certified Nurse Assistant.

 

[nikibean]

Been an EMT for 5 years. I love it. The coolest thing about it? I just got hired as a ski patroller in Tahoe. YES! You want to talk medical experience? It's what led me to apply to med school. I love what I do. Has it helped with my apps? I have no clue. But it's fun. And I saw/treated four fractures, one dislocated shoulder, one dislocated knee and one severe trauma call in 6 hours. When I haven't been a patroller, I've done it in wilderness situations treating hypo/hyperthermia, fractures, sprains, lacerations, psych (yes, psych in the wilderness- fun stuff), head trauma and all sorts of car accident messes when not in the wilderness. It's allowed me to be a med assistant in clinics because I'm trainable.
If you are interested in getting a range of primary care experience, I highly recommend it.

 

[Quynh2007]

i wish i could do it. i kept hearing it was really competitive at my school, and then it turns out it isn't, but they usually reject ppl first time around to see if they are really dedicated. my problem is, they require a one year commitment after training, so if i apply and get rejected this spring, i can't do in the future since i plan on graduating in 2006. oh well, i'm going to be in a children mental clinic this coming semester, so that will be good clinical experience for me as I want to eventually become a child psych. plus, doing a million other things at my school already, so EMT will be very hard to fit into my absolutely airtight schedule (well, it's still flexible now, but still...)

question: do schools let ppl take make-up tests if their reason for it is that it interferes with training (same time as training)? I'm not sure if this is true, and I don't know if the department is still open now...

 

[45408]

become an EMT only if you want to. How do you know you want to become a doctor without working in the medical field in the first place anyway?
If you want to do something different, still have clinical experience, and make some pretty good $, become a CNA and work agency.

How is being a CNA much different? Lots of people go those two routes - neither one is exactly unique.

 

[Siggy]

CNA= Wipeing butts at a nurseing home or hospital (i.e. taking care of basic human needs).

EMT=basic stabilizing of injuries (via O2, splints, etc) and transporting patients in the pre-hospital (from site of injury to hospital ER) or between facility (transfering patients from a hospital to a nursing home, other hospital, etc).

 

[kenmc3]

Don’t do it only to look good to med schools. Honestly medical schools don’t consider EMT experience any more beneficial than other extra-curricular activities. The best thing you can do it shadow physicians in multiple specialties. Medical schools don’t want you to get medical training that’s why they don’t like people taking anatomy classes and don’t really care if you are an EMT – they want you to learn their way of doing things. The whole reason they want people to have clinical experience is to learn what doctors do and so you know what your getting into. Being an EMT will not get you the experience you need to make that determination – EMT’s lifestyles and jobs are not like a physicians.

 

[rachmoninov3]

as someone who worked both and an EMT and a CNA, I can say that I have seen more pre-med emts than cnas (I know of two other premed cnas).

EMT-basics (which correct me if I'm wrong, is what we're taking about here) are over-glorified taxi drivers to some poeple, getting an intermediate or medic gives you much more autonomy, and greater scope of practice as to what drugs you can push (this is where the fun starts), but all this changes from state to state. And it takes at least two years to reach these level in most states.

however as a cna (especially night shift, which I work, so of course I'm biased), gives you the chance to read charts, look at in depth medical histories, look up drugs, doses, what tests are ordered, what the labs are, and lots of vocabulary in Tabers.

Besides, my personal biased is that medical patients are so much more complex than traumas. The traumas I've had basically include getting an airway, a lot of duct tape, two large bore IVs with 500 to 1000 cc boluses, O's, and going 2.5 or 3 to the hospital. When traumas are dropped off at the ER, it's basically the same, get a airway (which they usually have if they present to the ER themselves), stop the bleeding, and a unit or two of PRBCs and 1000 NS bolus...maybe an amp of d50. Then ship them off to the OR (where I'm sure it gets much more complicated). But from the perspective of a tech or even a nurse, traumas are much more simple than med patients with multisystem failures.

 

[MadameLULU]

as an EMT-I, I would say yes. However, are YOU willing to put in the time it takes for rotations, ride time, and classes for the certification? Also keep in mind that the certification means nothing if you don't use it. I volunteered at my campus EMS and at a 911 service...anyhow, just my thoughts

 

[Cat's Meow]

I've been an EMT-B for three years now. Have actually worked as one also ::gasp!::. Last summer I was volunteering at a clinic and there was an MS-IV there. For the life of him he couldn't take a blood pressure. 👎 Says they "always use the automatic one". I've done more blood pressures than I can think of, most of them in the back of a bouncing ambulance (often with the siren on). 👍

So, if you plan to work as an EMT, even for just a summer, I highly recommend it. There is a lost art in doing things the "old fashioned" way. Plus I hear from a friend who works at a biomedical engineering company that the electronic ones aren't all that accurate...sometimes off by 20-30mmHg. Would you rather be 150/80 or 180/120?

So the main point of becomine a EMT is to take BP the old way 😕 ?

C'mon, there has to be more to it than that 🙂 .

 

[Cat's Meow]

I know being an EMT has a lot of experience involved in it but a lot of people are becomming EMT these days. Is it still worth becomming an EMT if you are applying to medical school? How much did it interfere with your grades?

Hey! 😱 😱 😱

You stole Fire Body's avatar 👎 😡 👎

 

[45408]

as someone who worked both and an EMT and a CNA, I can say that I have seen more pre-med emts than cnas (I know of two other premed cnas).

EMT-basics (which correct me if I'm wrong, is what we're taking about here) are over-glorified taxi drivers to some poeple, getting an intermediate or medic gives you much more autonomy, and greater scope of practice as to what drugs you can push (this is where the fun starts), but all this changes from state to state. And it takes at least two years to reach these level in most states.

however as a cna (especially night shift, which I work, so of course I'm biased), gives you the chance to read charts, look at in depth medical histories, look up drugs, doses, what tests are ordered, what the labs are, and lots of vocabulary in Tabers.

The shoe goes on both feet. I was the first pre-med EMT I knew of, and by far the only one at my job (120 employees), but I know lots of pre-med CNAs. If we're glorified taxi-drivers, then you're glorified ass-wipers. 🙂

 

[Cat's Meow]

One of them, at least. Additionally, I have thousands of hours of patient contact. I have taken more detailed and indepth histories than I can imagine and have done more physical exams. I believe having the experience of talking to patients and know how to touch them (both of these don't always come easily) is a great thing to have down.

I've already delivered one baby, been in more weird places, odd situations, bad calls, bad news, etc etc than I care to even think. Part of it, I hope, will make me a good physician.

👍 👍 👍 👍

 

[clinick]

What has been totally ignored throughout this entire thread is that EMTs are really fun people. There is no party like the NCEMSF conference (National Collegiate Emergency Medical Services Foundation). I go every year, and bribe the skills competition judges with beer.

The people I know who are EMT-Bs and work (off campus... not in our little EMS corps at school) get some pretty good experience. You want to be 911 though. Transports are lame.

 

[MabdulD]

If you're doing the EMT thing for the experience (and not just for the app), you might want to find out what opportunities are available to EMTs in your area. For example, in South Florida, EMTs really are just glorified taxi drivers. The fire department covers everything remotely interesting down here. For EMTs, its all interfacility transport, and unless something goes really wrong, you're not going to need to use more than 2% of what you learned in EMT class.

The job can be really, really boring. A lot of EMTs have been known to sneak home for much of their shift, and I've seen some of them take a nap on the wheeled stretcher in the ambulance. For 3 hours.

Know what you're getting into.

 

[FDGB]

Those who consider EMT’s “over-glorified taxi drivers” don’t truly understand what an EMT does. If all you are doing as an EMT is playing cabbie you aren't doing your job. Every patient, even dialysis runs, radiation runs, NH and interfacility transfers, should get a thorough examination. Some of the sickest patients we see as EMT’s and Paramedics are the transfers we take from small community hospitals to the major care centers. EMT’s who are doing their job should be reading charts, talking with physicians and nurses, continually educating themselves about patient care and the various medical conditions we encounter.

While it is true trauma patients receive relatively scripted care, they are not always simple patients to manage. Very often you have to consider underlying medical conditions, and properly manage the trauma patient using many skills and techniques. Gaining IV access and securing an airway is not always easy in a pre-hospital environment. In addition there are other considerations including the rescue involved, be it extrication from a motor vehicle accident, high angle, confined space rescue etc.

The experience gained as an EMT is very valuable, and though the lifestyle is very different from physicians you do learn a lot about the field of medicine and patient care. No one should become an EMT simply to look good to Medical schools, but if working in the field interests you by all means take the class and then decide if you want to actually work as an EMT. Being a paper EMT (just having the ticket and not working) probably won’t help you get into medical school, but having a few years in a high volume system might.

If you have questions about EMS I’d be happy to answer them publicly or privately.

 

[la gringa]

i worked in other health care fields - athletic training and physical therapy - and had some pretty cool opportunities doing those. gives you things to write about in your PS and talk about during interviews. for me, it was what led me to go into medicine in the first place. i worked in inpatient physical therapy and did a lot of what a prior poster described doing as a CNA -- could learn about whatever i wanted b/c i had access to charts, pick the brains of residents and nurses i got to know, and had a lot of fun learning how to deal w/ patients.

 

[Siggy]

While it is true trauma patients receive relatively scripted care, they are not always simple patients to manage. Very often you have to consider underlying medical conditions, and properly manage the trauma patient using many skills and techniques. Gaining IV access and securing an airway is not always easy in a pre-hospital environment. In addition there are other considerations including the rescue involved, be it extrication from a motor vehicle accident, high angle, confined space rescue etc.

IV access is a paramedic skill. As an EMT-B (or, as in my case will be), gaining IV access is out of my scope of practice. Extrication is mainly done by the fire department (grant it, an EMT with the jaws of life might be funny), and moving to the back board is generally (as I understand it) a 'do as gently as possible' procedure.

The experience gained as an EMT is very valuable, and though the lifestyle is very different from physicians you do learn a lot about the field of medicine and patient care. No one should become an EMT simply to look good to Medical schools, but if working in the field interests you by all means take the class and then decide if you want to actually work as an EMT. Being a paper EMT (just having the ticket and not working) probably won’t help you get into medical school, but having a few years in a high volume system might.

If you have questions about EMS I’d be happy to answer them publicly or privately.

I agree that you should not do it only for med school. Its like being a doctor for money. Sure, money is important and should be a reason, but money should not be the reason. A reason I want to be an EMT is for med school. A reason is that it is a cool job that pays more then min. wage (6.75/hour in Cali is min wage), where if you are running 911 calls, the local company puts you in a motel room with lots of free time (in 13 hours of ride alongs, I got 4 calls... 🙁) which means study time. A reason is because it gives me valuable expierence in pre-hospital care and emergent care. This is nice because I am currently looking at EM as a speciality right now (I'm pre-med). Combined, the reasons become THE reason to go into EMS.
[sarcasm]
I still believe that the EMT-B is a glorified taxi driver. Sure, I can put you on O2, do CPR, simple air way adjuncts, and put you on a splint. Fun stuff. Ohh, yea, I can drive you to your destination. Yeaaa. [/sarcasm] Its the paramedics that get to have the real fun in EMS. Intubating, sticking, injecting, shocking (EMTBs don't shock patients. AEDs shock patients. We just press the flashing button like a 5 y/o), etc.

 

[MadameLULU]

IV access is a paramedic skill. As an EMT-B (or, as in my case will be), gaining IV access is out of my scope of practice. Extrication is mainly done by the fire department (grant it, an EMT with the jaws of life might be funny), and moving to the back board is generally (as I understand it) a 'do as gently as possible' procedure.

Your sarcasm is pathetic, but anyhow...Skills are largely depending on the state in which one resides, and perhaps the 911 service in which one works as well. Perhaps you're experience hasn't been that great b/c you work for a slow service. I'm an EMT-I, and I can start IVs, intubate, and push drugs. So, do I consider myself a glorified taxi driver? Um, No.

 

[dpill]

I've been an EMT for over 10 years and I have had some great experiences. I have performed CPR on several patients (having done the real thing makes CPR refresher a little more interesting), and I have been by the side of several patients when they died. I think these experiences have taught me a lot about the humanity of medicine. My experiences an EMT basic have certainly reinforced my desire to become a doctor (which includes my frustration with the limitations of being an EMT basic and the desire to know more). I have only worked as an EMT volunteer (never for pay)- first in college at a volunteer rescue service, which primarily entailed vehicle extrication, and later in other organizations- including a volunteer fire department. My most exciting "volunteer" work has been the few occasions when I have stopped at a motor vehicle accident and been the lone first responder on scene until EMS arrived. In general, I've found my favorite part is interacting with patients, especially in trauma situations. I think the experience will be what you make of it (just my opinion).

 

[ParamedicDO]

I am going to put my 2 cents in here (btw there is a pre-md threat that is asking the same question - check that out).

I have been in ems for 10 yrs now and a paramedic for almost 5. I can say that becoming an EMT was a very easy way to gain an appreciation for medicine. EMS can become addictive in a way. There is a dicotomy: You gain great experience, but the independence is addictive. I wanted to become a paramedic while in college because I was bored basically. My grades suffered slightly, and as a result of this and a combination of other factors related directly to becoming a paramedic, I pushed off applying to medical school. In retrospect that was a bad move.

In summary, become an EMT, but dont get caught up in it. Keep focused on your goal. It's definately a good time.

Many states have agreements to offer reciprocity. You have to check with the states EMS governing body to see how that works.

Peace

 

[ShyRem]

What you get to do as an EMTB depends on the state. In Colorado, as an EMTB you can take an additional class and do peripheral IV access and push D50 and (I think) narcan. As an EMTB you can assist the patient taking a neb, inhaler, or nitro. There is a push on (and as a paramedic I am all for this one) to allow EMTBs to use a combivent.

What you learn and get to do as a basic is totally dependent on your paramedic partner (within reason, of course). I have spent HOURS (even a couple of all-nighters) teaching EMTBs drugs, EKG strips, 12-leads, disease processes, set up for trauma, intubation, etc. -- whatever they wanted to learn and I could teach them. A competent partner is more than a taxi driver - they're a part of your team and could save your a** someday. If you only know basic stuff out of EMTB school and don't want to know anything else, then I'm going to treat you as such and it won't be much fun (believe me).

EMS is something that not everyone can do and do well. If your heart isn't in it, you're going to hate it and burn out. But if you like it and have a good paramedic partner, the experience and knowledge can be invaluable.

 

[45408]

IV access is a paramedic skill.

You obviously aren't familiar with EMT-B IV training.

 

[NontradICUdoc]

I have been an EMT for almost 14 years and I have been reading these posts and I have something to say.

1) If you think that the adcoms are going to be wooed by you becoming an EMT think again.

2) If you think that the adcoms are going to be wooed by you working in an ED, think again.

If you want to woo the adcom, make sure that you actually learn something in the ED or on the ambulance. This is not my opinion, this is coming from a Dean of admissions when I spoke with him.

If you have on your application that you were an EMt for the last 2 years of college and you did not know why you became one or if you really do not like it, then that is a negative. But if you put your hear and soul into it and, without affecting your grades negatively, get the most out of it, then it is worth it.

If you can answer these questions correctly, then go for it.

1) Can you spend 20 minutes talking to someone who is thinking that their life is not worth living and do what you can to convince them that it is and that they should go with you to see a doctor?

2) Can you see yourself answering the call from an 80 year old who fell off the toilet as much as going to a 5 car pile up?

3) Can you pull a parent aside and explain to them that they cannot hold their child's hand because it impedes your work?

4) Can you be woken up from a sound sleep in your warm bed in the middle of a snow storm because someone's toe started to hurt?

Being an EMT is not all glory. Not every call is a trauma. Some calls are just by senior citizens who make stuff up because they are lonely and want some company. some calls are mundane like helping someone back into bed. Some calls are rediculous, like a healthy 20 year old getting Ben Gay under their fingernails. some calls are heart wrenching, like doing CPR on a 10 year old or even a 10 week old. Some calls are disgusting, like the alzheimers patient that is flinging poop around the house. And some calls are gratifying like helping a woman as she gives birth or doing CPR and getting a viable pulse.

Do not become an EMT to pad your application, become an EMT because you love it or want to love it. Because if you don't you will hate it and the adcoms will see right through it.

 

[AnotherDork]

I'd say only take the course if you're really interested in emergency medicine, not to impress committees. I took an EMT course in addition to my sophomore year courseload, then decided I didn't want to be an EMT afterwards. It was a mistake because I probably didn't do as well in the required courses as I could have due to the time committment of the EMT course (3 hours twice a week, plus 8 hours on the weekends).

My grades suffered and I ended up not getting in the first time I applied. I ended up doing a Master's to finally get accepted. Volunteer experience is important; just pick something in which you have an interest.

 

[FDGB]

Well...without getting back into the silly argument about what skills an EMT can or cannot use (as this varies by state), to simply say they are glorified taxi drivers shows that either you aren't doing your job or you aren't familiar with what EMT's should be doing. A huge part of being an EMT is to assess the patient. You do not need all sorts of high tech tools and tests to do a very thorough assessment of your patient. Asking the right questions, and knowing what you are looking for in a physical exam is potentially more important than performing skills that you could train a monkey to do. This will allow you to determine hospital choice, need for ALS, as well as dictate the care you will provide (and skills you will perform depending on your protocols).

Those of you who have been at this for awhile, I hope you got the joke that is my username (but don't let the cat out of the bag!!)

 

[PluckyDuk8]

Yah, I know what it is but how about these?

F*** dispatchers go bugoff
Fire departments get blown (use your dirty mind there)
F***ing drivers getouttada boulevard

 

[FDGB]

Very nice! I'm kinda partial to the one I meant, but i like those a lot.