I have the chance to take certification classes for EMT-B next semester.. and possibly continue it into EMT-I/EMT-P. I really want to do this and I've heard that it looks great on the resume for medical school. My GPA is a o2.9 and I have yet to take the MCAT. Assuming I get the GPA up before I graduate and do decent on the MCAT.. How much of an edge would being an EMT give me in the admissions process? My other ECS are good.. Volunteering, Shadowing, Research etc... Would it really be worth it?
Emt??
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I would focus more of my time and energy on school work and grades. I think being an EMT would probably be a great experience for you personally and you would learn a lot, but I'm not sure if it would give you a huge edge during the admissions process.
Some schools won't even send you a secondary if you have below a 3.0 or 3.25, regardless of your extracurriculars and work experience; therefore I would improve your grades first.
Good luck!
Some schools won't even send you a secondary if you have below a 3.0 or 3.25, regardless of your extracurriculars and work experience; therefore I would improve your grades first.
Good luck!
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I did my EMT-B, and considered doing higher, but it wasnt worth it in the long run. I did it to see if I could handle medical type situations prior to dedicating myself to a career in medicine. I dont think that getting my EMT-B cert and working on an ambulance did anything special for my application because I was still told by admissions counselors, the last couple times I applied, that I needed more clinical experience (this is after working 48-72 hours a week for a year, being responsible for my own patients, while going to school full time too...). I still had to do a bunch of other ECs to make my application better (volunteering and shadowing)....finally got in.
Even on a recent interview, the interviewer asked me to list all my clinical experiences...I told her I was an EMT for a year, shadowing, volunteering...etc...and she still said - "Thats it?" with an odd look on her face.
Depending on how much time you have left in college, it probably isnt worth doing past Basic...And, unless you can find a condensed course to take over a summer so as not to interfere with your regular course-work, I would suggest skipping it all together because between classes and clinicals it ends up being a lot of work if your still taking regular classes.
Like AMEHigh said, I suggest focusing on the more important things like GPA and MCATs.
Even on a recent interview, the interviewer asked me to list all my clinical experiences...I told her I was an EMT for a year, shadowing, volunteering...etc...and she still said - "Thats it?" with an odd look on her face.
Depending on how much time you have left in college, it probably isnt worth doing past Basic...And, unless you can find a condensed course to take over a summer so as not to interfere with your regular course-work, I would suggest skipping it all together because between classes and clinicals it ends up being a lot of work if your still taking regular classes.
Like AMEHigh said, I suggest focusing on the more important things like GPA and MCATs.
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If you get your EMT while trying to raise your GPA, that's a big red flag that you did it just to look good on admissions paper. If, on the other hand, you got it and used it extensively as a job and got some really great experience, that's different. Seems everyone and their grandmother gets their EMT thinking it "looks good" on med school admissions.
I'd focus more on what you WANT to do rather than what you think someone else wants to see.
I'd focus more on what you WANT to do rather than what you think someone else wants to see.
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Don't do it unless you actually intend to spend some time working as an EMT. Otherwise, adcoms will see right through it and it will be largely wasted time.
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to echo the above sentiments:
DONT do EMT cuz you wanna stand out.
DO EMT to get great experience, to get an insanely cool job (you do and see more than the majority of all premeds), but mostly to see if you are cut out for the field of medicine.
pursue what you love, achieve your passions.
DONT do EMT cuz you wanna stand out.
DO EMT to get great experience, to get an insanely cool job (you do and see more than the majority of all premeds), but mostly to see if you are cut out for the field of medicine.
pursue what you love, achieve your passions.
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As others have mentioned, if you become an EMT-B you really need to put some time into to make it worthwhile. I wouldn't bother becoming a paramedic unless becoming a physician and being a paramedic are near 50/50 in your mind. I flirted with the idea of medicine early on and then became a paramedic after starting some premed classes. I've been a paramedic now for 5 years and while I enjoyed it, it certainly hasn't "helped" with getting into school. In fact, it's been a bit of a distraction since I could always find something interesting and compelling to do as an EMS professional rather than as a physician.
So while I don't regret becoming a paramedic I wouldn't recommend it, either. Work as a EMT, learn what you can about healthcare, and put it all together.
So while I don't regret becoming a paramedic I wouldn't recommend it, either. Work as a EMT, learn what you can about healthcare, and put it all together.
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As a Paramedic, I can definitely say that you should not do EMT-B or EMT-P to "improve" your application. Not only will your admissions committee see through this, but so will all of your classmates which will potentially make the class miserable. If you want to become an EMT-B for the experience, then go for it. Don't become an EMT-P unless you actually want to make a career of it for a while (and you enjoyed being an EMT-B). Don't get me wrong, I love my job....Just make sure you are doing it for right reasons! Good luck!
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i agree with ditchdoc. i am not a paramedic but i have many friends that are and it is a serious field (EMT-P i mean). Like anything they won't take it lightly that you are not in it for a serious job.
That being said, being a paramedic is much harder than people think. Most people can't handle being a paramedic after about 7 years. I would say it is definitely not a job to "gain experience." Go be a CNA and leave it to the people that really want to do that.
That being said, being a paramedic is much harder than people think. Most people can't handle being a paramedic after about 7 years. I would say it is definitely not a job to "gain experience." Go be a CNA and leave it to the people that really want to do that.
I can't recommend going to become a paramedic. It is much harder than you think, and graduation rates are very low for most programs. I am an EMT-I and it is rather ridiculous how much time it took to actually graduate the class. It includes 350 hours of class, and took me close to 400 hours of clinical time in the hospital/ambulance to finally fulfill my requirements. I was 2 of 25 students who actually graduated.
In addition, you can't just take the class and run out and get a job either. There is a large experience component to it, I volunteered 24 hrs/week while going to class and after over a year of training, $$$'s of money, and hundreds of volunteer hours I am actually quasi-employable as an ALS provider.
There is also the factor that some people just suck at these kind of jobs. You have to be a very take-charge, type A personality, a good natural leader, and this is impossible to find out until you actually do it.
Again, don't do it for resume purposes. It just isn't worth it. I have always been an adrenaline junkie, though, and it came very natural to me
In addition, you can't just take the class and run out and get a job either. There is a large experience component to it, I volunteered 24 hrs/week while going to class and after over a year of training, $$$'s of money, and hundreds of volunteer hours I am actually quasi-employable as an ALS provider.
There is also the factor that some people just suck at these kind of jobs. You have to be a very take-charge, type A personality, a good natural leader, and this is impossible to find out until you actually do it.
Again, don't do it for resume purposes. It just isn't worth it. I have always been an adrenaline junkie, though, and it came very natural to me
If a premed is struggling in a regular length EMT class (regardless of whether it's an EMT-B, I, or P course), then they need to seriously reevaluate their ability as a student and whether medical school is right for them.
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I've been some level of EMT for over eight years, and, as a paramedic, no one I've worked with ever cared that I wasn't in it for "a serious job." I did it for three reasons: hobby (I like med stuff), extra money (I like saving), and to get a leg up for med or PA school. I also don't think the classes or the job was really that hard. In fact, I took the courses, which were a full load for four semesters, while simultaneously taking a full load of regular college courses by day, i.e. 30-36 credit hours per semester. I don't have time for it anymore though so I don't practice.
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As previously mentioned, and coinciding with my thoughts, you should get your basic/paramedic only if you find it interesting and are truly interested in PREHOSPITAL medicine. In itself, it is not a strong source of clinical experience as compared to other activities. With that said, I am a medic with invaluable experiences in a trauma center and from prehospital jobs, all of which have irrefutably influenced my opinions and desires from the medical profession. But I am a borderline adrenaline junkie, and have enjoyed every step of the way.
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If your're going to enter the Pre-Hospital Emergency Medical field albeit EMT-B,I,P, or even Vol F/F. This is something that I would recommend doing extremely early in undergrad and working PRN as much as tolerated. Contrary to what many others may say, it is an invaluable resource for experience, and pt contact encounters. Yes, it is no where near the level of medicine that you will be applying for. However, in the civilian world it will get you the "most bang for your buck" so to speak. I would not recommend entering Paramedic class unless you can find an Accelerated class which offers the 30 month curriculum into am 8 month course and even a 6 month at some Agencies. (Reason being is that its not worth the invested amount of time) This would be IMHO another feather in the cap if you could preform favorably in a course such as this, demonstrating your ability to absorb a considerable amount of information while also applying your skills set. Another would be obtaining your National Registry Certification. All of these may be very small factors in the opinions of many, but we all have opinions. This will only be one small facet of your application its not going to make or break you, but it just may make you stand out a fraction-able amount more than your peers. Whom some may have never even obtained a manual B/P before.....
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It kinda depends on why you're doing it like others have said.
when i got my EMT-B, i had been out of school for a year and started a new job in a psych facility and still wasn't sure what i wanted to do for a career.
for me, it was a win-win as it was low cost and little time (one semester) and pretty low stress
but i would be getting a pay raise at work, experience in a new field (or a step towards a career in EMS [ which is NOT the same as emergency medicine mind you...] ) or if it wasn't for me, i would at least have a job option open to me until i found something else or later to supplement my income.
i got about half way through EMT school and decided that it wasn't for me (for various reasons), so i started to look into this adventure of medical school applications after asking an ER nurse who those people following the docs with the COW's were. He said they were scribes, most had their bachelor's, and most would be applying to medical school. i thought to myself "i have a bachelors', and i a while ago thought about medical school" but i never had the confidence to apply.
I got a lot out of EMT school, including coming to realize that i want to become a doctor (not to mention an awesome LOR, and a couple of memorable stories...)
I had in my class, one person who was simply taking emt just to pad her medical school app, and honestly i would not want to run a code with that person because it was obvious she didn't care.
TLDR:
if you think you'll get something out of it, go for it.
if you aren't sure about what you want to do in healthcare, go for it.
if you get in there just to make your app look better, probably other options would serve you better for the time and money
EDIT: just realized this is from 2009, whoops
when i got my EMT-B, i had been out of school for a year and started a new job in a psych facility and still wasn't sure what i wanted to do for a career.
for me, it was a win-win as it was low cost and little time (one semester) and pretty low stress
but i would be getting a pay raise at work, experience in a new field (or a step towards a career in EMS [ which is NOT the same as emergency medicine mind you...] ) or if it wasn't for me, i would at least have a job option open to me until i found something else or later to supplement my income.
i got about half way through EMT school and decided that it wasn't for me (for various reasons), so i started to look into this adventure of medical school applications after asking an ER nurse who those people following the docs with the COW's were. He said they were scribes, most had their bachelor's, and most would be applying to medical school. i thought to myself "i have a bachelors', and i a while ago thought about medical school" but i never had the confidence to apply.
I got a lot out of EMT school, including coming to realize that i want to become a doctor (not to mention an awesome LOR, and a couple of memorable stories...)
I had in my class, one person who was simply taking emt just to pad her medical school app, and honestly i would not want to run a code with that person because it was obvious she didn't care.
TLDR:
if you think you'll get something out of it, go for it.
if you aren't sure about what you want to do in healthcare, go for it.
if you get in there just to make your app look better, probably other options would serve you better for the time and money
EDIT: just realized this is from 2009, whoops
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