Former Paramedics in EM?

[TarHeelEMT]

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I don't normally post here, but I'm interested in eliciting the opinions of some doctors in emergency medicine to see if I can get some informed advice as to whether or not I should stay in my paramedic class or just quit it altogether for medical school.

I'm a full-time EMT-B who will be starting medical school in the fall. Since January, I've been in a paramedic class at a community college in the same town where I will be attending medical school. I know with about as much certainty as any first year med student can have that I will be going into emergency medicine. I just absolutely love the field. The paramedic class that I'm in ends in December, several months after I start med school, and then there's the 500 clinical hours (of which I have ~400 left). I'll have until July of next year to finish the clinical hours.

I've been agonizing over whether or not to stay in the medic class for several weeks, and I just can't make a decision. I want to go into emergency medicine, and I think that being a paramedic could be a great experience for an ER physician to have under his belt (and I truly love working prehospitally), but at the same time, that's one heck of a time commitment for a medical student.

Thoughts? Is experience as a paramedic really beneficial to an EM physician, or am I just going to be overworking myself while in medical school for pride and minimal gain?

 

[deleted109597]

I tend to think you'll be overworking yourself. The medic "skills" you will learn as a doctor. Learning what to do and what not to do pre-hospital you can experience as a basic. You definitely won't be using the skills during school unless you work (not impossible, but not ideal either).
I say don't do it. Just ride/drive the bus, and learn as much as you can.

 

[ParamedicMan]

I'm a Paramedic who also begins school at BSOM in August. My $0.02 is that at this point it would be something of a waste. I think that what you'll learn in the rest of your Paramedic class will end up being rather redundant when compared with medical school. For me, at least, the real learning for me took place in the field working as a Paramedic, and that is something you won't really be able to do while in school. Plus, if you are already an EMT (hopefully on an ALS unit) you are getting a lot of the same experience that you would as a Paramedic in regards to patient presentations, learning to manage under pressure, etc... I think the experience of being on the bus at any level is good. Having said that, I do enjoy being the decision maker and lead tech on the bus, and I think it has, and will help me, become a very competent care provider. I wouldn't give it up for anything, and my years on the bus as a Paramedic have been some of the best in my life. In essence, the decision is yours to agonize over, but feel free to contact me if you would like any other advice. Good luck,
Josh

 

[docB]

I run a paramedic school and I just can't imagine how you could go though your first semester of med school while doing medic school and not have it hurt both, possibly with dire consequences. My guess is that if you try to go ahead with this you will just wind up being forced to bail out of the medic program when the load gets heavy in the fall. The issue of how you would ever have time to do clinicals and field internship is a whole seperate deal and again I can't see it happening.

It's not that paramedic training is not valuable in med school. It is. It's just that continuing now is likely to hurt your med school grades which will affect your residency options. As much as I hate to tell anyone to quit something I suggest you give up the medic class and relax and prepare yourself for med school.

BTW congrats on getting into med school.

 

[roja]

Will tell you what my dad told me when people threw these options at me:

Do you want to be a doctor or a medic? If you want to be a doctor, go to medical school, if you want to be a medic, go to medic school.

 

[TarHeelEMT]

docb - How much would a medic certification help me for placing into an EM residency?

I know I'm probably just better off trying to make the best grades I can, though.

 

[BADMD]

docb - How much would a medic certification help me for placing into an EM residency?

Actual EMS experience will be far more helpful then an unused medic certificate.

Your best bet when it comes to getting into residency is to maximize your grades. Having completed a medic course won't turn a ho-hum application into something great, nor will it save a doomed applicant.

If you have significant spare time while in medical school, instead of pursuing the paramedic, you would likely get more bang for your time volunteering or doing relevant and interesting research.

 

[BKN]

docb - How much would a medic certification help me for placing into an EM residency?

I know I'm probably just better off trying to make the best grades I can, though.

DO NOT try to do first semester med school at the same time you do paramedic school. Medical school is a full time job.

The paramedic certification is common among EM applicants and a fairly minor selection factor compared to clinical performance in year 4, grades, MLEs, recommendations, and interviews.

 

[docB]

docb - How much would a medic certification help me for placing into an EM residency?

I know I'm probably just better off trying to make the best grades I can, though.

Check BKN's post above. He knows of what he speaks. Being a medic will not have a huge benefit over and above your current EMT-B cert and when you take into account your particular situation and the likely cost in terms of grades and sanity I'd stick with the EMT-B. Since you are a full time EMT-B and presumably have street experience with that you have stuff to talk about come interview time.

 

[TarHeelEMT]

Thanks guys. As far as EMT-B experience goes, mine is actually pretty solid, as I work in a system where EMT-Bs can be the first unit on scene by up to 15 minutes and can transport on their own if necessary.

 

[Jeff698]

As another paramedic and emergency physician, I'll add on to what seems to be the consensus here... don't try to do both paramedic and medical schools.

Having a paramedic certification won't provide that much benefit to you without the experience. I say this as one of the guys who continues to keep my paramedic license current.

It wasn't the paramedic license that helped me, it was the 12 years of experience before medical school that helped.

Take care,
Jeff

 

[12R34Y]

Also, another paramedic turned EM doctor. Agree with the above posts. An unused medic cert won't help you or your chances.

Experience is the key factor. Also, medical school will require your full attention.

good luck!

later

 

[leviathan]

Your opinion of residency choices might change when you're in clerkship anyhow, which is another reason not to do it. I'd probably say the best idea is to join an EM interest group, get involved with research, do observerships and electives in EM, and network lots. If you want the EMS thing you can also try riding third with a local EMS agency. I'm sure you could find a crew that you get along with and can work with in what little spare time you have. Of course you might find something else besides EM interests you more, so don't dedicate yourself to EM right aways. It might be hard to pull out after locking in and investing so much time on one specialty without giving others a chance.

 

[TarHeelEMT]

Your opinion of residency choices might change when you're in clerkship anyhow, which is another reason not to do it. I'd probably say the best idea is to join an EM interest group, get involved with research, do observerships and electives in EM, and network lots. If you want the EMS thing you can also try riding third with a local EMS agency. I'm sure you could find a crew that you get along with and can work with in what little spare time you have. Of course you might find something else besides EM interests you more, so don't dedicate yourself to EM right aways. It might be hard to pull out after locking in and investing so much time on one specialty without giving others a chance.

I've been in EMS for years and am already an ALS provider at the EMT-I level. It's the reason I even considered medical school in the first place.


I've actually decided to stay in the class for the time being. The classroom portion itself is as much a social event for me as it is a learning thing, and it is only for another few months. I got an extension that would allow me to do my clinical hours during the summer after my first year, so that won't be much of a factor.

The key thing here is that I'm not doing this to try to help my chances in residency. I was curious about how it would affect me, but I'm doing it because I absolutely love working prehospitally, and I don't want to give it up until I have to.

 

[AmoryBlaine]

I've been in EMS for years and am already an ALS provider at the EMT-I level. It's the reason I even considered medical school in the first place.


I've actually decided to stay in the class for the time being. The classroom portion itself is as much a social event for me as it is a learning thing, and it is only for another few months. I got an extension that would allow me to do my clinical hours during the summer after my first year, so that won't be much of a factor.

The key thing here is that I'm not doing this to try to help my chances in residency. I was curious about how it would affect me, but I'm doing it because I absolutely love working prehospitally, and I don't want to give it up until I have to.

Well if you do go into EM you probably never have to give it up. Many EM attendings stay intimately involved in EMS in terms of education, direction, etc.

I want to repeat that I think at best it's going to be a minor gold star on a residency application. Former medics are a dime-a-dozen in medical school.

I also want to add that I think having a medic's skill set is going to be of minimal value in med school / residency. You might be a bit more comfortable with the jargon and better at starting IVs than your counterparts but that will be about it. Roja said it best: they are different worlds.

 

[24IdaFire]

I would not advise doing both Med and paramedic school at the same time.

 

[12R34Y]

Well if you do go into EM you probably never have to give it up. Many EM attendings stay intimately involved in EMS in terms of education, direction, etc.

I want to repeat that I think at best it's going to be a minor gold star on a residency application. Former medics are a dime-a-dozen in medical school.

I also want to add that I think having a medic's skill set is going to be of minimal value in med school / residency. You might be a bit more comfortable with the jargon and better at starting IVs than your counterparts but that will be about it. Roja said it best: they are different worlds.

I do have to disagree a little bit with the above statement.

First of all, there are a lot of medics in medical school, BUT i happened to be the only one in my class of 175. Also, one in the class above and below. so, at least at my school they weren't a dime a dozen.

Secondly, the skill set you have is probably very valuable if you actually USED the medic prior to medical school.

Most medical students don't hit the floors having run code blues, intubated, started IV, given meds, started drips, know what to do in the ER when someone comes in and needs immobilized, delivered babies in the field, blah blah blah.

These things definately were noticed and did give me an edge in some ways during certain circumstances. does it matter now? nope. MOst of my colleagues in my residency class are fairly equal, but early years of medical school I'd say you stand out more in the clinical skills arena when everybody is else is learning what a stetho is and how to take blood pressures.

This has been discussed ad nauseum in the past, but just wanted to chime in.

later