EMT's applying to Med School

[Samurai0>>]

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Any EMT's wanting to apply for med school? If you are, do you feel your experience as an EMT will be valuable?

 

[Freakingzooming]

Any EMT's wanting to apply for med school? If you are, do you feel your experience as an EMT will be valuable?

this may be an understatement here but YESSSS!!!!

it's not only a great clinical experience but it helps build leadership and maturity. builds character as my pop would say... anyways, if you're considering it, I would try to do a ride along with an emt team. it's fun as heck! PM me if you need help finding course offerings in the greater California area.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Being an EMT seems to be the latest premed fad. Be sure to convince the adcoms that you didn't become an EMT simply to boost your application.

 

[pseudoknot]

Being an EMT seems to be the latest premed fad. Be sure to convince the adcoms that you didn't become an EMT simply to boost your application.

I wouldn't really call it a fad. People have been doing this for a long time. And, although most would agree that simply get the cert is not going to be very useful, the OP did refer to the experience of being an EMT. Why is this bad, even to "boost your application?" Either way you are getting hands on experience with patient care, which is something that most people applying to med school probably don't have. Provided that you're honest with yourself about it (i.e. if you hate it, maybe rethink your career goals), how could this be anything but good?

 

[Freakingzooming]

I wouldn't really call it a fad. People have been doing this for a long time. And, although most would agree that simply get the cert is not going to be very useful, the OP did refer to the experience of being an EMT. Why is this bad, even to "boost your application?" Either way you are getting hands on experience with patient care, which is something that most people applying to med school probably don't have. Provided that you're honest with yourself about it (i.e. if you hate it, maybe rethink your career goals), how could this be anything but good?

honestly if it were a fad, it would be an expensive and time consuming one at that.... how long does a regular course take? like a whole summer or heck a whole semester in certain cities... it's something to be taken seriously. I passed my National Registry test barely and i got my certification. i take it very seriously...

 

[EMTLiz]

I'm an EMT applying to med school!!

I know for me at least working as an EMT has been both extremely time consuming, but also the most worth while job I have had while in college. I run with a fire department and not only do I run on the ambulance, but I am also involved with the fire/rescue side. The expereience has not really been about the application, but working with a really fun group and being involved in an activity that I enjoy. I hope that medical schools will see my work as something that I have put a lot of time into, constantly take continuing education credits for, and try to imrpove on everyday.

 

[Mumpu]

Yes, EMT is very helpful. I was a firefighter-EMT before med school (MSIII now). The angle I emphasized during my interviews was that I had some idea of what I was going into because I was an experienced crew chief with many hours of patient care, including the really bad calls (severe trauma, badly hurt kids, patients dying ... the kinds of calls that make you wonder why anyone would want to do this for a living). A lot of people do EMT now but it's very obvious if you do it to pad med school apps as opposed to because you really like it. If you show leadership, a lot of hard work on your skills, and great interactions with your coworkers many of whom are not aiming as high and may be very blue collar, chances are you are not a padder. Get a letter of rec from your fire chief/medic supervisor/crew chief. Most gunner pre-meds trudge through EMT, do the bare minimum, and never bond with the "unwashed masses."

 

[i77ac]

i worked as EMT before, for about a year. it was helpful in the way that it was a good way to experience medicine, and get started in the medical career.

but i do think that being EMT itself it not all that special. i mean, come on now, taking that test is hardly a task for us premed students... just look at how many premed EMTs are here in this forum it was a cake. i do feel that it really depends on your personal committment and experience.

that said, EMT allowed me to do much bigger and better things i am doing now... so i guess it worked out for me. 🙂

 

[benelswick]

......so I was working two jobs--valet parking and framing pictures for about 70 hours a week and I was thinking to myself I want to do something more valuable for my fellow humans....One night I saw 3rd watch and this paramedic was on some spritual trip talking to spirits while saving lives and I thought that's awsome i'm gonna do that. I loved EMT class and was planning on pursuing a paramedic license but I got a job in an ER as a tech. and when I saw Dr. Marlena Tang manage a code with absolute cool and professional expertise I thought to myself that's awsome I gotta do that....

and so EMT is good for gettting you in the action and finding what you like to do or do more of.

 

[MabdulD]

Speaking of getting a letter of rec from EMT people...

I'm reapplying this year, taking EMT courses in the fall, and then hopefully working an EMT job starting in December or so. It's a little bit difficult to get a spot in an EMT program here. I'm worried if I tell them I want to be a doctor, and that I'm only using my EMT certification for 6 months, they're going to write me a crap LOR. Any thoughts?

 

[ShyRem]

Having worked as a paramedic for 10 years (WAY before I decided to go back for med school), I can tell you that pre-med EMTs are a dime a dozen. I worked in four different systems (at one point three at one time), and almost every single day EMTs were coming into the office for an application when there were no vacancies. It is difficult to get a job on an ALS ambulance if you're a green EMT with no experience. they'll probably put you on the drunk taxi if you're hired at all. Also, unless you take an IV class and an EKG class after your basic, you're bound to only drive or get the bogus calls that don't even need an ambulance to begin with.

If you just want the experience, see if they'll let you ride along as a pre-med. you might get more exposure (since you can ride very call in the back) and learn a whole lot more than by taking an EMT class. Your other option is to see if you can work as an ER tech (but there again, you need EKG and IV certs, I think).

Just my .02.

 

[pseudoknot]

Having worked as a paramedic for 10 years (WAY before I decided to go back for med school), I can tell you that pre-med EMTs are a dime a dozen. I worked in four different systems (at one point three at one time), and almost every single day EMTs were coming into the office for an application when there were no vacancies. It is difficult to get a job on an ALS ambulance if you're a green EMT with no experience. they'll probably put you on the drunk taxi if you're hired at all. Also, unless you take an IV class and an EKG class after your basic, you're bound to only drive or get the bogus calls that don't even need an ambulance to begin with.

If you just want the experience, see if they'll let you ride along as a pre-med. you might get more exposure (since you can ride very call in the back) and learn a whole lot more than by taking an EMT class. Your other option is to see if you can work as an ER tech (but there again, you need EKG and IV certs, I think).

Just my .02.

Be aware that things like this are very different depending on where you are. In Southern California if you want a job with a private ambulance company as an EMT you will get it, whether your ambition is the fire service, med school, or to be elected dogcatcher. Turnover is extremely high so they don't really care if you're not going to be there in a year. It varies by company, but most places around here you would switch off driving and attending day by day. As far as ALS vs BLS, the jobs I'm talking about are generally BLS-only, but if you work for AMR you can still do plenty of 911 transports, if that's what you're after.

The bottom line is that if this is something you think you might want to do, ask around in your area and check it out. Don't be discouraged (or needlessly encouraged) by the little people inside your computer...

 

[PostalWookie]

If you have an EMS squad on your campus, that may also be worth doing. You won't get to see a lot of interesting cases (mostly drunks), but if you supplement that with outside EMS volunteering, it'll be very worthwhile.

 

[Mumpu]

Local volunteer fire departments are the best way to go -- you get both community service and medical experience. But be prepared -- you will have to work extremely hard to earn the respect and prove that you are not just another punk college student.

FWIW, EMT/Paramedic may not be worth the time or the money if you are only going to do a 6-month stint before med school. EMT is 130 hours of very basic skills (vital signs, immobilization, CPR-AED) and no medical knowledge, and unless you run 9-1-1 you will not learn patient care and interview skills. It costs around $500. Paramedic is 600-some hours and you learn many skills but you are looking at a 3-6 months of training for a 6-month job and an education that costs thousands.

You can volunteer in the ER. It will be scut work but you will get to see things.

 

[47534]

FWIW, EMT/Paramedic may not be worth the time or the money if you are only going to do a 6-month stint before med school. EMT is 130 hours of very basic skills (vital signs, immobilization, CPR-AED) and no medical knowledge, and unless you run 9-1-1 you will not learn patient care and interview skills. It costs around $500. Paramedic is 600-some hours and you learn many skills but you are looking at a 3-6 months of training for a 6-month job and an education that costs thousands.

I'm going to have to disagree with some of that, Mumpu. EMTs are trained in basic medical knowledge and skills, though they may be limited by national and local guidelines in what they are actually able to do in the field.

Paramedic courses can vary between 600-1000 hours long depending on your location, and that is after you are first certified as an EMT-Basic. Some courses can even take up to two years to complete because EMT-P is an Associate's Degree. Some states also require a minimum number of hours/patients treated as an EMT-B before allowing you to enroll in a paramedic course. I haven't heard of any place that offers a paramedic course in 3 months and would be extremely skeptical of any program that does.

 

[45408]

Being an EMT seems to be the latest premed fad. Be sure to convince the adcoms that you didn't become an EMT simply to boost your application.

Nobody told me. I got my EMT certification because being a CNA seemed way too common. I'm trying to get a job as an ER/Trauma tech though now, because none of the ambulance companies are hiring at the moment.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Ok, call it trend, but I'm pretty sure there are more EMT's applying to medical school than in previous years. It is no longer as unique as it used to be.

 

[45408]

Nothing's as unique as it used to be - people do anything to try to be unique, and everyone ends up being the same.

 

[Mumpu]

Fenix, as a former EMT I can tell you that all of my clinical knowledge came from running 9-1-1 calls. The education you get as a Basic is very rudimentary.

Anyhow, the point was that going through the time and the expense of a class is probably not worth it for people who are only looking to pad their applications with a six-month stint.

 

[Cthulu]

I am not just an EMT but also a firefighter. It definately boosts your leadership skills and clinical experience.

 

[47534]

Sorry Mumpu, I didn't mean to come off as attacking you on that post. Yes, I do agree that most of my clinical knowledge came from running calls, but I did get extensive experience also while doing my clinical rotations during my EMT training.

But yes, to get back to the original point of the thread, it probably won't be worth it (both timewise and financially) to take a class just so you can ride for six months.

 

[Mumpu]

No worries. I didn't have clinical rotations in my EMT class -- just 130 hours of lecture and skill labs. But I started right away on a 9-1-1 bus so the experience rolled in fast.

Cthulu, I was also a firefighter. Definitely the best and most fun thing I did in college. 🙂

 

[BigRedPingpong]

I was an EMT for all four years of college. My experiences came up in every one of my interviews. In other words, it was an absolutely critical experience. However, one word of caution, make sure your numbers (GPA, MCAT) are on par with everyone else's. They will not show you special preference for being an EMT. PM me for more info.