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How was your experience as one? I'm considering becoming one for a year or two after I graduate. I'm from the Los Angeles area, so I'd assume ucla would be a good place to get training?
For those that were EMT's
- Thread starter JeetKuneDo
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i enjoyed it in my hometown. It depends on what you like and when you do your shifts.
However when I did it at college it was absolutely awful.
If you're doin it just for the app, it will be a pain in the ass, probably not worth it.
If youre actually interested try to get more day time shifts, more interesting stuff happens.
However when I did it at college it was absolutely awful.
If you're doin it just for the app, it will be a pain in the ass, probably not worth it.
If youre actually interested try to get more day time shifts, more interesting stuff happens.
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One word: AWESOME. If you plan on going to Medical school, then this is the best way to obtain clinical experience, as you will be the healthcare provider. You learn some very cool things, such as how to take a history, a physical exam, vital signs, etc. I've been working for a year and a half, and have learned so much from providing care to an array of patients. Overall-it's an incredible job, and I think you should definitely go for it 👍
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I guess I'm in it for a little of both. I've been very interested in becoming one but couldn't find a reasonable time/place to train as I go to school out of state.
Also, I was wondering if you both could tell me how you found your job after training? Is it as simple as going to the hospital/organization and applying?
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Yes it's as simple as that...depending where you are from though. Some places use a city ambulance through the fire department, others use a hospital service, some just private sector. Don't know how it works through the fire department, I actually worked through a hospital and I just went into the hospital's HR office. EMT-B's tend to have a higher turnover rate so finding a job shouldn't be too hard.
I think being an EMT is a good experience, even if you don't get a job as an EMT the training alone is valuable.
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I got my EMT certification in Long Beach(LA County) last summer. I'm not sure why I didn't do UCLA but..there was a reason.
Anyways there were ambulance companies, mostly transport, offering to hire us right out of the class. With the state economic problems I heard some of those companies are hurting because they are largely funded by the state though so I am not sure.
I never got a job as an EMT though because I ended up getting a job at Disneyland right when I finished the course and I was about to start college so I wasn't sure how much time I would have.
Anyways there were ambulance companies, mostly transport, offering to hire us right out of the class. With the state economic problems I heard some of those companies are hurting because they are largely funded by the state though so I am not sure.
I never got a job as an EMT though because I ended up getting a job at Disneyland right when I finished the course and I was about to start college so I wasn't sure how much time I would have.
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I thought it was purely anecdotal, but apparently its true- the UCLA EMT program sends 100% of its med school applicants to med school.
check it out
check it out
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I'm a volunteer EMT. It's amazing being a volunteer. I never thought I could enjoy a volunteer activity so much until I started. We have a great rescue squad with a lot of knowledgeable people. There's also a lot of students at our rescue squad (~60-70%), so it's a good place to make new friends. I don't see the best of calls usually, because I run thursday nights 5:30PM-6:30AM, but I get a lot of patient care experience that I think has given me a good introduction to how to manage a patient. Even if you do work as a paid EMT, I suggest volunteering a shift a week or so at a volunteer squad. From what I've heard, the environment is totally different between paid/volunteer squads.
I volunteered at the local squad while in college and it was great. Great people. Great experience. I also took a campus job as a trainer for the club rugby team (soo many injuries 🙂) which was cool, and relatively good pay for not too much time commitment. Definitely worth the time and money spent on training. And it also provided good fodder for my apps. However I can't speak to doing EMT'ing as a full time gig.
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There's a pretty big difference between "sends 100% of its med school applicants to med school" and "100% of our EMTs who have applied to medical school have been accepted." The first implies that the program is a guaranteed in, while the second (from the brochure) is more a statistical thing that might speak more to the quality of the candidates than the program's ability to help you get into medical school.
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ya-ha
I also attended an undergrad that touted as 100% of its med school applicants were accepted, and was shocked to realize a few years in, that the statistic was from like the 80's. Don't believe brochure fodder too much.
My EMT experience was kind of limited and I mostly saw patient transports, pump em with oxygen and ship em to the hospital kind of stuff. It has mostly to do with it being a small yuppie town where the population is wealthy, white, and young. But I did see occasional cool stuff. I was straight up in my interview, and told them I didn't get too much out of it, and I felt a little restricted being able to do only so much for the patient and leave everything up to the triage nurses who shooed us away once they were in the waiting room. The interviewers did appreciate my answer though. Overall, I'd say it's still worth it to get that occasional "interesting" case.
My EMT experience was kind of limited and I mostly saw patient transports, pump em with oxygen and ship em to the hospital kind of stuff. It has mostly to do with it being a small yuppie town where the population is wealthy, white, and young. But I did see occasional cool stuff. I was straight up in my interview, and told them I didn't get too much out of it, and I felt a little restricted being able to do only so much for the patient and leave everything up to the triage nurses who shooed us away once they were in the waiting room. The interviewers did appreciate my answer though. Overall, I'd say it's still worth it to get that occasional "interesting" case.
Personally, I enjoy my career in EMS. I am currently an EMT-I (in between a Basic/Paramedic), and work at a county agency.
1. It is not quite so rosy as one may think. I am aware of the fact that most have a glorified view of it - sucking chest wounds, gunshots, horrible car wrecks, etc. However, for the beginner EMT, this will undoubtedly be what you DON'T get to see, or put your hands on. The cool stuff is generally handled by advanced ALS providers, hence why I decided to step to an ALS certification.
2. It takes alot of time - the class takes a bunch, and for those who move up to ALS, the clinical hours for the class are very time consuming. My EMT-I class takes 150+ hrs of hospital/field time, in addition to 180 hrs of classroom time. It is not to be taken lightly.
3. The right personality is essential. Those who are timid, weak of heart, indecisive, or otherwise not a "take-charge" personality will quickly be pushed out of the field, at least for those who work in an emergent setting.
4. Many career EMS employees HATE pre-med students. They are typically a cynical bunch, and potential employers are quick to see through resume-padding pre-meds. So, tread carefully, and be ready to prove yourself at a moment's notice.
I still love it, even though the pay sucks and the stress level is really high. I am damn good at IV's and airway skills, and I now take pride at my clinical decision making and assessment skills. It has certainly solidified my desire to remain in medicine in one capacity or another for a life career!
If you have any other Q's, PM me.
1. It is not quite so rosy as one may think. I am aware of the fact that most have a glorified view of it - sucking chest wounds, gunshots, horrible car wrecks, etc. However, for the beginner EMT, this will undoubtedly be what you DON'T get to see, or put your hands on. The cool stuff is generally handled by advanced ALS providers, hence why I decided to step to an ALS certification.
2. It takes alot of time - the class takes a bunch, and for those who move up to ALS, the clinical hours for the class are very time consuming. My EMT-I class takes 150+ hrs of hospital/field time, in addition to 180 hrs of classroom time. It is not to be taken lightly.
3. The right personality is essential. Those who are timid, weak of heart, indecisive, or otherwise not a "take-charge" personality will quickly be pushed out of the field, at least for those who work in an emergent setting.
4. Many career EMS employees HATE pre-med students. They are typically a cynical bunch, and potential employers are quick to see through resume-padding pre-meds. So, tread carefully, and be ready to prove yourself at a moment's notice.
I still love it, even though the pay sucks and the stress level is really high. I am damn good at IV's and airway skills, and I now take pride at my clinical decision making and assessment skills. It has certainly solidified my desire to remain in medicine in one capacity or another for a life career!
If you have any other Q's, PM me.
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I did EMS before medical school. I worked at a hospital-based 911 service. I had the Friday night downtown shift. Ah, good memories. Every time an ambulance passes me running hot to a scene I remember how much I loved that job. Pay sucked, but the job itself was awesome.
As far as medical school goes, EMS is the long-way around to get clinical experience for your application. The training takes too long and, depending on your location, it can be difficult to get hired with no previous healthcare experience. In the eyes of the adcom, EMS does not have anything over phlebotomy or nurses aid as far as having patient contact.
Most of the time, it's not worth the effort to get into EMS if your goal is medical school in the near future. Of course, if I could do it all over again you can bet that I'd still take a detour through EMS. Something about the smell of diesel fuel and alcohol swabs puts a smile on my face.
As far as medical school goes, EMS is the long-way around to get clinical experience for your application. The training takes too long and, depending on your location, it can be difficult to get hired with no previous healthcare experience. In the eyes of the adcom, EMS does not have anything over phlebotomy or nurses aid as far as having patient contact.
Most of the time, it's not worth the effort to get into EMS if your goal is medical school in the near future. Of course, if I could do it all over again you can bet that I'd still take a detour through EMS. Something about the smell of diesel fuel and alcohol swabs puts a smile on my face.
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