I am currently a junior and an EMT. I will be applying to med school next semester and at the same time i am currently in a paramedic class. Do you think that taking the paramedic class will be beneficial at all? By time I am certified I will have maybe a semester or two left of college. Is it worth my time now to go for paramedic? Thanks
EMTs going for Paramedic
- Thread starter Mr Rehab
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How long is your EMT-P class, and how many clinical hours do you have to do? A lot of people are surprised how long it takes them, esp. with being in school full time / working as an EMT .... Trust me, I know. I finished up all my Paramedic course work and got nationally certified a couple (6 or so?) months ago, and it takes a lot longer than it looks. But I think if you have the chance to work as an paramedic for a year it would be worth it, but if you were taking the paramedic class just to put on your application, and don't really want to work in EMS - then I think you just wasted a lot of time (had a kid in my class do that haha).
It really won't help you.
It is NOT worth your time. It is an entire year and tons of class time. If you invested equal time into:
- improving MCAT / GPA
- finding and shadowing doctors
- getting clinical experience (even as a basic) or ER Tech
- doing something unique that makes your application stand out (think of a year activity that is interesting, serves people, you're interested in, and is SUPER unique). Adcoms will remember interesting stories on your app better than EMT stuff **UNORIGINAL**
You will be as good off AND in 1/4 the time. No adcoms care about EMT-B or EMT-P, it is just the clinical time associated with it and there are easier ways to get that.
KEY. Take paramedic course if you want to be a paramedic for at least 2+ years. Do not take it to use to get into medical school or to get clinical experience.
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That sounds like a big waste of time. Just keep working as an EMT.
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Short anwers do not waste your time. If you only have less than a year to work before you would expect to get into medical school. In the systems I have worked you need about 3 months to get cleared and then it takes a while to really get good at the job. A quick search would have turned up some anwers for you, however visit here http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=96
When I applied me being a medic alone really didn't help me much it was the experiences I brought to the table during interviews that were able to help me.
When I applied me being a medic alone really didn't help me much it was the experiences I brought to the table during interviews that were able to help me.
Paramedic over EMT is a waste of time period if done as an application padder. Want to work as a paramedic? Then by all means, become a paramedic. However, if you're just looking at padding a medical school resume, then there is essentially no difference between a paramedic and an EMT.
wow i completely agree with everyone!! its a waste of time unless you are really gonna get some experience with it. honestly, i don't think many adcom's really know the difference (or even care about the difference) between an EMT-B and EMT-P unless you explain it. most people hear EMT and they think everyone is on the same level. obviously, we know differently, but a lot of people don't know that. plus, there are a TON of EMT's (all levels) that go to med school so its not anything special to put on an application.
being able to start IV's and intubate isn't really gonna give you any more of an edge in med school than the EMT-B that can only put on a nasal cannula. maybe you can argue the anatomy/physiology you learn in paramedic class will give you some sort of edge, but i highly doubt it
being able to start IV's and intubate isn't really gonna give you any more of an edge in med school than the EMT-B that can only put on a nasal cannula. maybe you can argue the anatomy/physiology you learn in paramedic class will give you some sort of edge, but i highly doubt it
Not only that, but you also have problems with different parts of the country using different nomenclature. A paramedic is a paramedic is a paramedic, except in Iowa where a paramedic is an EMT-I/99 (they call their paramedics "paramedic specialists"). Up until this July, an EMT-I in California was the same as an EMT-Basic elsewhere (we now use the standardized names and scope of practice). Of course EMT-I meant EMT-1 (Roman numeral), not "intermediate." So not only would we be needing to expect Ad Com members to understand the differences between levels, but also the different levels between all of the states. After all, how many EMTs can differentiate between an EMT-I, EMT-II, EMT-III, Paramedic, Licensed Paramedic, Mobile Intensive Care Technician, AEMT-Cardiac, EMT-Cardiac Rescue Technician, AEMT-Critical Care (which sounds like it should be above Paramedic), EMT-IV/AW, EMT-Intermediate Life Support, EMT-D, EMT-I/99, EMT-I/85, or any of the other state specific levels. At least with the new levels (EMT, AEMT, Paramedic) that the NHTSA rolled out (NREMT fully implementing in a few years), there seems to be some standardization going on across the states.
very well said
