Hey guys, I'm taking a year off after college to apply to schools / strengthen my application. What can I do during my gap year that will be impressive/ give me valuable and educational experience in the medical field. I know a lot of people to research. I was thinking EMT. The problem is that if I do EMT, by the time I finish the class, I will only have about nine months to work before school starts again. While people hire someone for just nine months? Is research better than EMT? Any ideas on how to find a full time research position?
Emt
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There is plenty of information on EMT's if you search for it ... Don't become an EMT for something to put on your med school application. Only become an EMT if you really want to be an EMT. It makes the EMS profession look bad, and people will see right through it. You can volunteer on an ambulance service for 9 months.
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Contact professors, ask if you can meet with them to discuss a research position.
Im not going to become an EMT just for the sake of my application. It is something that I am really interested in and think that it will be a good experience. The only problem is that I want a full time paying job during my gap year. Do you guys know if they will hire/ pay students for nine months in EMT?
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doubt it. in some states even after you do the initial training, there's licensure requirements, and most good places to work would require you to have some experience. Or you could end up just driving a van with handicap or seniors as patients for transfers for lab tests etc. I know that some of the paying places in my state do this for new basic EMTs. Not really hands on clinical experience.
You could volunter for some great experience. Even the service I volunteer with..after you get your EMT we have like a 4-8 month probation period to train you up to operating status. Our service takes it pretty serious, others do not though. If they don't and just let you loose just be careful. It can be a dangerous job especially if you don't have training or field experience to realize bad situations. Maybe I'm just biased because I've been doing this for about 4 years in college on a really good service. It is a great experience though but I think in your current situation volunteer or do as much as you can and explore as many options as you can as well.
You could volunter for some great experience. Even the service I volunteer with..after you get your EMT we have like a 4-8 month probation period to train you up to operating status. Our service takes it pretty serious, others do not though. If they don't and just let you loose just be careful. It can be a dangerous job especially if you don't have training or field experience to realize bad situations. Maybe I'm just biased because I've been doing this for about 4 years in college on a really good service. It is a great experience though but I think in your current situation volunteer or do as much as you can and explore as many options as you can as well.
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I'm an EMT and have been one since 2007. I do know many of the emergency services around here are having to cut back, especially their part time emt's. While it does enhance your medical experience, the patient contact and ability to take vitals and learning the basics of treatment are priceless.
I would say you need a good year and half or more for it to be worth enrolling into an emt program. Like other members said, I would negotiate a research position with a professor or take a year off an work on your ec's.
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i dont think it will strengthen your application. Do bench research instead. Become an EMT only if you want to pursue Physician Assistant
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Agreed. I do both bench research and volunteer as an EMT. I value both the scientific side of research and the clinical experiences of being an EMT on the ambulance and working the ED (I do both in and out of hospital). Doing strictly bench research as a way to become an MD doesn't seem to make sense to me.
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I don't have a problem with the EMT route, but as others have stated, know what your getting yourself into.
The easiest way to get an EMS job is to also have fire certification. I don't know about your state, but due to economic hardships in Michigan many companies and hospitals have cutback and there are no jobs in the field. You almost have to go paramedic and have fire to get an EMS job in the state of Michigan. Florida on the other hand and from what I have heard is hiring EMS like crazy, so make sure you find out about your general area. Also know that it is not guaranteed that you will pass the EMT class, you will still have to study a lot because it does cover a decent amount of information. Most pre-med students I know that have taken it did not have any trouble with the class, but just know that a lot of people do fail the course. Also know that the EMT job is not as thrilling as it sounds. Unfortunately, at times, you can be used as a glorified taxi driver. In fact as a basic most of your calls will probably be transports to kidney dialysis or inter hospital transport. Also know how much EMT's make. In my area it is around 9$ an hour; however, they sleep on the job a lot. These are just from my experiences. If you want a full time job in the medical field, the most efficient thing would probably be to get a CNA. Also look into phlebotomy; there are many jobs open for those with phlebotomy certification and I think you can do phlebotomy in less than a semester as well. Just look into those things and pick the one you feel is most beneficiary and the one you will enjoy most.
The easiest way to get an EMS job is to also have fire certification. I don't know about your state, but due to economic hardships in Michigan many companies and hospitals have cutback and there are no jobs in the field. You almost have to go paramedic and have fire to get an EMS job in the state of Michigan. Florida on the other hand and from what I have heard is hiring EMS like crazy, so make sure you find out about your general area. Also know that it is not guaranteed that you will pass the EMT class, you will still have to study a lot because it does cover a decent amount of information. Most pre-med students I know that have taken it did not have any trouble with the class, but just know that a lot of people do fail the course. Also know that the EMT job is not as thrilling as it sounds. Unfortunately, at times, you can be used as a glorified taxi driver. In fact as a basic most of your calls will probably be transports to kidney dialysis or inter hospital transport. Also know how much EMT's make. In my area it is around 9$ an hour; however, they sleep on the job a lot. These are just from my experiences. If you want a full time job in the medical field, the most efficient thing would probably be to get a CNA. Also look into phlebotomy; there are many jobs open for those with phlebotomy certification and I think you can do phlebotomy in less than a semester as well. Just look into those things and pick the one you feel is most beneficiary and the one you will enjoy most.
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I don't think he'd be willing to get a paramedic license and fire certification just for 9 months on the job.
If a premed fails out of any EMT course longer than 2 weeks, then they need to seriously reevaluate their potential for medical school. Sorry, but EMT-B training is in absolutely no way academically rigorous. I practically slept through my class and passed the NREMT-B exam on my first attempt.
Taxi driver and attendant for some of the sickest (albeit chronic disease) patients around. These patients normally have a ton of comorbidities which makes for some interesting exam findings.
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While I agree in one sense, one has to consider that EMT-B classes vary. Where I am, they are notoriously difficult and actually comparable to, if not somewhat more difficult than a typical gen chem class. I agree that if one fails out, that doesn't speak highly of the person making it into (much less through) medical school; however, to just assume all EMT-B classes are "so easy [you] could sleep through it" is a bit presumptuous, IMO. It is definitely a good idea to budget the time period of a good 3-5 unit class for your EMT course (if being done over a semester), as it will require a fair amount of memorization.
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i should warn you that in some places due to budget cuts the costs of classes has increased dramatically and you need pay hundreds to get certified. At least that's what I was told when I went to a job fair and asked at one of the places offering them.
I've been doing EMS/EM stuff for about 4 years. I think becoming an EMT is a fantastic idea as the experience is really beneficial during your med school years. However, if you only have a year to take the class and work, I don't think it's worth it. If you get a job with a company after you pass the class, they normally have orientation time before you become a full-fledged employee. So you would end up having a lot less than 9-months of time on the rig. Plus it's very hard to find a company that is willing to hire you for that short of a time. I'd say do research simply because you can make money and support yourself during the year.
As a note to the difficulty of the EMT class, remember it differs widely between state and also instructor. Overall, the class is not difficult as it is intended for the layperson. But in some states, and with some schools, the amount of work can be a lot more or a lot less than you'd expect. But don't worry, you'll find it interesting and pass it without any problems, even the NREMT exam.
As a note to the difficulty of the EMT class, remember it differs widely between state and also instructor. Overall, the class is not difficult as it is intended for the layperson. But in some states, and with some schools, the amount of work can be a lot more or a lot less than you'd expect. But don't worry, you'll find it interesting and pass it without any problems, even the NREMT exam.
I have been an EMT for 6 months after spending 6 weeks of my summer doing an accelerated program. I got hired the day after my National Registry exam. I work 30-50 hours a week while going to school, they work around my schedule, I have a lot of down time, I still see some freaky things, I get AMAZING patient interaction experience, and I get to be the highest level of care for people for part of their crisis. I will be working as a hospital EMT and an ambulance EMT ~80 hrs a week during my year off. It has been the single most solidifying piece of the puzzle towards becoming a doctor. Shadowing is nice to get a glimpse, and coursework and the MCAT get your mind in the right place, but honestly, until you work 2 triples and double running a total of 66 calls in a week, 24 of which were lights and sirens emergencies interacting with emergency room staff, it is tough to get an appriciation for the daily grind of the medical field.
I strongly recommend you do it. Honestly, I know that being an EMT is not the same as being a doctor, but neither is doing any research in a science lab. There is no place besides medical school to learn medical school information, so you might as well at least be doing something in the field. I take notes on interesting diagnosing, learn to fill out paperwork, and even read books and practice medical spanish.
As for companies not hiring for only 9 months, the EMT field is probably the best field to do it in. Everyone is short term. Most people are trying to get into medic school and are only there for 6 months to get their required 1000 hours. I work for a company with 70 employees, and no one has been working there for over a year. They will be cool with it
I strongly recommend you do it. Honestly, I know that being an EMT is not the same as being a doctor, but neither is doing any research in a science lab. There is no place besides medical school to learn medical school information, so you might as well at least be doing something in the field. I take notes on interesting diagnosing, learn to fill out paperwork, and even read books and practice medical spanish.
As for companies not hiring for only 9 months, the EMT field is probably the best field to do it in. Everyone is short term. Most people are trying to get into medic school and are only there for 6 months to get their required 1000 hours. I work for a company with 70 employees, and no one has been working there for over a year. They will be cool with it
As far as memorization goes, again, not really past vital signs. There just simply aren't very many interventions to learn. Most of the trauma interventions are basic first aid (splinting, bleeding control, etc) and the medical interventions are extremely limited (positive pressure ventilation, basic airway adjuncts, patient positioning, and pharmaceuticals limited to oxygen, activated charcoal, and oral glucose. Of course your mileage may vary based on your local/state scope of practice)
Part of the problem with EMT-B training is that the training takes itself way too serious. Instead of teaching people to understand what the hell they are doing, the curriculum is set to teach people step by step procedures with zero variation with a severe fetish for mnemonics. Seriously, I don't want someone relying on DCAP-BTLS (deformities, contusions, abrasions, punctures/penetrations, bleeding/burn, tenderness, lacerations, swelling) to fumble through a trauma assessment treating me. ...and yes for the non-initiated, DCAP-BTLS is a widely taught memory aid to remember what to look for during a trauma assessment. Apparently some people get confused over the importance of bleeding or deformities, but I digress. In the end, the strict rigidity and multiple useless acronyms increases the amount of memorization needed, however it doesn't compare to, say, intro to biology.
Part of the problem with EMT-B training is that the training takes itself way too serious. Instead of teaching people to understand what the hell they are doing, the curriculum is set to teach people step by step procedures with zero variation with a severe fetish for mnemonics. Seriously, I don't want someone relying on DCAP-BTLS (deformities, contusions, abrasions, punctures/penetrations, bleeding/burn, tenderness, lacerations, swelling) to fumble through a trauma assessment treating me. ...and yes for the non-initiated, DCAP-BTLS is a widely taught memory aid to remember what to look for during a trauma assessment. Apparently some people get confused over the importance of bleeding or deformities, but I digress. In the end, the strict rigidity and multiple useless acronyms increases the amount of memorization needed, however it doesn't compare to, say, intro to biology.
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Really great post.
A few questions though:
Where/how much did you study?
Where do you work? (e.g. "rural California")
Who hired you?
...except your average ambulance shift grind (and if you're running 24s with anything close to a decent per unit call volume, your company sucks) is nothing like the daily grind of the medical field. Even in the ER, you're still looking at more patients than physicians unlike the average 2 EMTs per patient.
Besides, are you seriously putting being an EMT-B on the same level as your MCAT score and GPA in terms of importance for medical school admissions.
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I passed mine with rather ease as well. That being said, at least 30% of the class failed. You had to get an 80% overall in the class to pass, including a 70% on the final. It was 12 credit hours! 1 credit hour for extrication, 1 for clinicals. 5 for the medical portion of the class which included lab, and 5 for the trauma portion which included lab. You also had a practical final exam in which you were only allowed to screw up in 3 areas, you were tested on 12 areas. Long-bone splinting, short-bone splinting, joint splinting, airway, BVM, Oxygen, medical assessment, trauma assessment, traction splinting, ked board, medicine use, and back-boarding. There were critical criteria in all of them and people were just nervous and screwed up on easy things like BSI.
I do think it says something about you if you fail the course. At the same time, people have lives. I took the course with a full course load at my regular university while doing research and volunteering at a hospital. But, I wish I would have taken it by itself without other responsibilities. For the course I took, you had to practice on your own time or go to open labs. The instructors were very strict on how they wanted practicals to be done.
As most people have already said, if you only have 9 months to work after you take the EMT class, it would be nearly impossible that you would be hired by an agency (not to be a downer). All agencies require a "release process" after you complete your certification, and this consists of collecting certain number and types of calls until your agency medical director feels comfortable with you single handedly providing care to a patient on an emergency call. Depending on what agency you're talking about, this release process takes 6 months to a year, which would burn all of the time you say you have to work. That being said, as someone stated before, almost all career agencies nowadays are incorporated with the fire department as well, so to be a PAID employee, lots of places require you to have a fire certification which also takes a semester to obtain and has its own release process.
If you REALLY want to become an EMT (and I do recommend EMS, I thoroughly enjoy it and have for a while) then take the class and join a volunteer agency and work up the ranks that way and enjoy being an EMT. However if you're looking for a paid job, I just don't think you could find work in this field for 9 months, especially if you had just freshly obtained your certification as an EMT-Basic and weren't released at another agency first.
If you REALLY want to become an EMT (and I do recommend EMS, I thoroughly enjoy it and have for a while) then take the class and join a volunteer agency and work up the ranks that way and enjoy being an EMT. However if you're looking for a paid job, I just don't think you could find work in this field for 9 months, especially if you had just freshly obtained your certification as an EMT-Basic and weren't released at another agency first.
I can't think of a single company in the Boston metro area or in So. Cal. where the field training period is measured in months. A few shifts with an FTO? Sure. Months? Err... no. Similarly, I can't think of a single private ambulance company that requires a fire certification. You might not be doing emergency responses at most of the companies, however if I had a choice of running an emergency call or a critical care transport (CCT) alongside an RN and/or RT, I'd much rather take the CCT.
Of course you're not going to need a fire certification for a private transport company. That has nothing to do with responding to emergency calls. Those career agencies that run emergency 911 EMS calls are often associated with fire departments, and therefore expect their employees to be compatible with both EMS and fire responses.....thus requiring a fire certification.
It depends on whether the person who posted this is wanting to work for an agency that does inter-facility transports, or whether they want to run 911 calls. Also, yes, in all systems I have experience with, the release process is measured in calls run under the supervision of an approved preceptor, but also due to the specificity of the types of calls they want to see you run, it takes months, even running 10 calls or more every 12 hour shift. I've never heard of an agency that lets you run "a few shifts" and then turns you loose to run emergency calls on your own.
Oh, can we get into a discussion of the stupidity of EMS based fire suppression? There are plenty of private companies that respond to 911 calls.
Ok, this isn't even what the OP wants to know about. But according to the national statistics last year, the only reason private ambulance companies were contracted to respond to 911 calls was to save money. 91% of 911 calls were answered by agencies sponsored by state govt or municipalities and only 9% from private companies.
BUT pertaining to what you were asking OP, if you want to do mostly interfacility and home to hospital (and vice versa) type calls, go for the private services. Yes, you'll get to see a lot of sick pts this way, but a lot of their care is sometimes delivered by other people on board like RTs and RNs. If you want the fast paced arena where you have to do a lot of thinking on your toes, while accepting that you'll be running some BS too, go for a 911 agency. But it all goes back to your original question.....if you're really into academia and want to go for a publication, do research. If you like the clinical arena and working hands on with pts better, go EMS. It's all about what you like and everyone's different of course. And as people have already said, if it's hard to decide, just do both. It would be well worth it to work a paid research job and volunteer EMS too, just to get a well rounded experience with both academic and clinical sides
BUT pertaining to what you were asking OP, if you want to do mostly interfacility and home to hospital (and vice versa) type calls, go for the private services. Yes, you'll get to see a lot of sick pts this way, but a lot of their care is sometimes delivered by other people on board like RTs and RNs. If you want the fast paced arena where you have to do a lot of thinking on your toes, while accepting that you'll be running some BS too, go for a 911 agency. But it all goes back to your original question.....if you're really into academia and want to go for a publication, do research. If you like the clinical arena and working hands on with pts better, go EMS. It's all about what you like and everyone's different of course. And as people have already said, if it's hard to decide, just do both. It would be well worth it to work a paid research job and volunteer EMS too, just to get a well rounded experience with both academic and clinical sides
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well, u're not really going to do that much clinical stuff in the first 2 years and by the time you finish your finish rotation, your classmates are gonna know as much clinical knowledge and skills as you, so I doubt your EMT experience will get you ahead anywhere. besides, most people will be competing for bench research after first year to solidify their residency apps.
Sorry about taking so long to respond.
I studied for about an hour before each class, 4 days a week, in the break room of the school.
I went to EMSTA.
I work the greater San Diego area, so every type of environment. I work for Balboa Ambulance.
AND...to answer the comment about my EMT work comparing to my GPA and MCAT.
In no way shape or form does this EMT job mean more than my GPA or MCAT. In fact I work with some people who want to go to medical school, yet do not focus on school and do not take the MCAT seriously. It is an easy trap to fall in to, especially when money/overtime is involved. They will not get in to medical school with that mindset. My last year at UCSD, working an average of 40hrs, includes a 36Q on the MCAT, and a 3.9 GPA on 52 quarter units. I could not have done that working my old job at Starbucks...and I guarantee my interviewer will place my EMT work above bench research or not working to volunteer or "focus on school".
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Usually, and that does say USUALLY, an EMT-B course is a semester long. That's about half a year. If you take a year off from school and take EMT-B along the way you'll be halfway through your year before completion. Then there's often some lag time between then and the National Registry exam if you choose to go that way. Past that, you shouldn't really have enough time to work as an EMT to amass any meaningful, significant experience before passing your application through. If you want to be an EMT then become one, but if it's just to pad your application, which it likely won't do, then spare yourself the trouble.
