I could use some guidance - Anyone in EMS?

[BlackbeltDoctor]

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Hey guys. Graduated With a physiology degree and all pre-reqs with a 3.0 (yep...didn't know what I wanted to do yet) Worked in EMS as an EMT for two years. Decided to pull the trigger on the MCAT, crushed it and scored a 515 (93%/92%). I have some volunteering experience and a pretty good exstra-curricular app.

I applied late last cycle (about 1 month) and didn't get in. I'm hoping with a few more letters of rec and an early app will help my chances this round. Will it?

Here is where I'm stuck....
Working as an EMT left me wanting to be a paramedic - I just got accepted. I want the leadership experience of commanding the scene and making medical decisions solo. I just think it's an awesome skill. I also was hoping my paramedic classes which are held at a community college will help boost my GPA (I'll crush it) and look favorable to admissions committees. Forums say not to get a paramedic cert if it's just a hobby, but to be honest.... It's a hobby of mine that I would be taking to the next level and hope that the committee will see the value in it that I do.

With myself now fully committed to going to med school and my GPA being what it is, I really don't want to go to P school, not get accepted to medical school, then turn around to go do a masters before my MCAT expires and be crossing my fingers last minute.

So the question is.... Do I go to P school for my reasons? Is that a poor decision on my part?

Thanks for any input

 

[Butters Stotch]

did you only apply to md schools? I am currently working as an emt-b and love it; I feel it's a great stepping stone for the health field since you the learn the fundamentals of being a health professional (note taking and history taking)

 

[MartyMcFly1992]

Hey guys. Graduated With a physiology degree and all pre-reqs with a 3.0 (yep...didn't know what I wanted to do yet) Worked in EMS as an EMT for two years. Decided to pull the trigger on the MCAT, crushed it and scored a 515 (93%/92%). I have some volunteering experience and a pretty good exstra-curricular app.

I applied late last cycle (about 1 month) and didn't get in. I'm hoping with a few more letters of rec and an early app will help my chances this round. Will it?

Here is where I'm stuck....
Working as an EMT left me wanting to be a paramedic - I just got accepted. I want the leadership experience of commanding the scene and making medical decisions solo. I just think it's an awesome skill. I also was hoping my paramedic classes which are held at a community college will help boost my GPA (I'll crush it) and look favorable to admissions committees. Forums say not to get a paramedic cert if it's just a hobby, but to be honest.... It's a hobby of mine that I would be taking to the next level and hope that the committee will see the value in it that I do.

With myself now fully committed to going to med school and my GPA being what it is, I really don't want to go to P school, not get accepted to medical school, then turn around to go do a masters before my MCAT expires and be crossing my fingers last minute.

So the question is.... Do I go to P school for my reasons? Is that a poor decision on my part?

Thanks for any input

As a current paramedic, I wouldn't say not to get the paramedic cert if its a hobby if you legitimately love and enjoy working in EMS. We in EMS are in critically short supply of providers who are competent and actually care about those that they serve. The people who don't care aren't just limited to premeds looking to boost their app, there are literally thousands of firefighters who were railroaded in to paramedic school because their dept deemed it necessary or it was requirement to get a good paying job. So, I would seriously evaluate if you're doing this because you want it to look better than EMT (It won't, almost no one aside from people who work in EM know the difference between and EMT and a Paramedic), or if you're doing it because you really like this facet of medicine and want to do more than just blood pressures and o2 administration. So, long story short if you're doing paramedic school because you think it will make your app stand out, you're not only going to be disappointed but you'll have wasted your money. IF you're doing it because you like EMS and want to pursue a position with more responsibilities in that field... go for it!

 

[BlackbeltDoctor]

As a current paramedic, I wouldn't say not to get the paramedic cert if its a hobby if you legitimately love and enjoy working in EMS. We in EMS are in critically short supply of providers who are competent and actually care about those that they serve. The people who don't care aren't just limited to premeds looking to boost their app, there are literally thousands of firefighters who were railroaded in to paramedic school because their dept deemed it necessary or it was requirement to get a good paying job. So, I would seriously evaluate if you're doing this because you want it to look better than EMT (It won't, almost no one aside from people who work in EM know the difference between and EMT and a Paramedic), or if you're doing it because you really like this facet of medicine and want to do more than just blood pressures and o2 administration. So, long story short if you're doing paramedic school because you think it will make your app stand out, you're not only going to be disappointed but you'll have wasted your money. IF you're doing it because you like EMS and want to pursue a position with more responsibilities in that field... go for it!

I can emphatically say I am doing it for the Latter. I hate being an EMT because I want to have the knowledge and training to run the calls, do the cool medicine, and generally improve my leadership abilities. However, I am getting older, My MCAT expires after two more rounds, and I ultimately want to get into medical school. I am hoping that admissions will look favorably on the condensed COURSES that are 45 credits in 6 months.... Will they?

 

[Johnrawlsneuro]

Did you apply broadly and to DO schools as well?

3.0/515 EMT should be competitive if applying broadly MD and DO with a decent PS and LoRs

 

[Butters Stotch]

i don't think paramedic courses count towards science gpa for med school but i could be wrong

 

[BlackbeltDoctor]

I did apply broadly to DO schools. I was late by a few weeks thought - same mistake won't happen twice.

 

[Schwester]

Working as an EMT left me wanting to be a paramedic - I just got accepted. I want the leadership experience of commanding the scene and making medical decisions solo. I just think it's an awesome skill.

Hi BlackbeltDoctor. Welcome. I've been in your shoes, so hopefully I can help you out. I've been a medic for 12 years, and I was the lead instructor in a paramedic program for 5 years before I cut way back on my teaching to go back to school. I'm leaving EMS after 20 years to start medical school in August.

Congratulations on your acceptance to paramedic school. You should certainly take the acceptance if you really want to be a paramedic. There's a lot to learn through medic school and working as a paramedic, and it's certainly helped me with a lot. I've seen a lot of interesting medicine, interacted with medical professionals of all kinds, and met and cared for a VERY diverse and interesting set of patients over the years. I expect that I'll be miles ahead of some of my medical school classmates on many things (though I also expect to struggle with things that many of my classmates will excel at). My personal statement was all about the confidence I gained from being a paramedic. When I finished undergrad, I was scared of everything and almost never opened my mouth; last weekend, I sassed the trauma team when they interrupted my report. It's a great job, and more and more becoming a viable career path, even for those who aren't interested in becoming a firefighter or moving on to other areas of healthcare. However...

I hate being an EMT because I want to have the knowledge and training to run the calls

If you are frustrated by the EMT level of knowledge, you won't be happy as a paramedic for very long. To most EMTs, it seems like the paramedics know and can do a lot, but once you've worked as a paramedic for awhile, if you have any perspective or self-awareness at all, you soon realize that you don't really know much of anything as a paramedic, and can't do anything that's not explicitly written in your protocols, which you have very little power to change yourself. (Yup, wrote about this in my personal statement too!)

condensed COURSES that are 45 credits in 6 months

I don't know where in the country you are (and I'm assuming you're in the US), but paramedic school is usually longer than 6 months. The shortest program in my area is more than a year, 12 credits per semester. I would have concerns about the quality of a shorter program. (Though I can see how it might work, it would be tough to learn everything in such a short period of time, especially since accreditation requires that didactic and hospital clinicals be completed before a required number of field hours.) Even if your program is 6 months start to finish, you still have to study for and take didactic and practical exams for either your state or the NREMT, plus allow time for bureaucratic nonsense for licensing. Most services then require another test to make sure you know your protocols, and a field precepting period of variable length (and if they don't, again, I would have concerns about that service). If your goal is be accepted to medical school in two years, you would have very little actual practice time as an independent paramedic, which is where the real value of attending paramedic school lies for those pursuing medical school. It was my paramedic career, the experiences it let me to, and my self-awareness about it that made my application stand out.

I also was hoping my paramedic classes which are held at a community college will help boost my GPA (I'll crush it) and look favorable to admissions committees.

I think someone already pointed out that interviewers and admissions committees (much like the general public) have NO IDEA what the difference is between an EMT and a paramedic. I had to explain this OVER and OVER at my interviews, sometimes more than once an interview. Likewise, they will not be impressed by the fact that you have been to paramedic school by itself. If you do "crush it", it should help your science GPA for AACOMAS (which classifies it as "other science") but not AMCAS, and might help your overall GPA depending on how many credits it is and how many you already have. But no matter how intense your paramedic program is, admissions committees won't see it as good preparation for medical school or any particular indication that you'll do well at their school. Also, as a former instructor of a community college paramedic program, I would caution that may be far more difficult to earn an A in a paramedic class than you are expecting. Yes, even at a community college, and especially if you are also continuing to work as an EMT and are working on medical school applications at the same time. I just went back through my grade books and I counted on one hand the number of As that were earned by my students in 5 years. I myself never earned higher than a B+ in any of my medic school courses; it actually killed my postbacc GPA. Paramedic school is an odd beast: a mix of both highly specific and very broad clinical knowledge, along with practical application in labs and clinicals, all at the same time. Struggling even a little in any one area can tank your grade enough to make you ineligible for an A, even though you'll likely still pass and would still be a quality paramedic. Neither previous success in academia nor prior work in healthcare or EMS is a very good predictor of how well students do in paramedic school. If you are looking to boost your GPA, your time and money is likely better spent on a postbacc or SMP, and you can continue gaining experience with patients as an EMT.

I hope there's some useful information for you here. Good luck with everything! Feel free to PM or ask here if there's anything else I can help with.

 

[MartyMcFly1992]

I can emphatically say I am doing it for the Latter. I hate being an EMT because I want to have the knowledge and training to run the calls, do the cool medicine, and generally improve my leadership abilities. However, I am getting older, My MCAT expires after two more rounds, and I ultimately want to get into medical school. I am hoping that admissions will look favorably on the condensed COURSES that are 45 credits in 6 months.... Will they?

Like I said before, I know most people are extremely unfamiliar with the EMS system aside from the fact that they know it's who you call when you need someone to save your ass. In all honesty if you can handle the additional classes at that pace I don't think it would be inadvisable, as long as you do well it should boost your GPA as well as give you some valuable experiences being a leader in a medical position. I personally love being a paramedic. I always wanted to be one and I am sad to be leaving the field behind but the truth is that the pay just isn't there and you will be woefully undervalued despite being highly skilled. I hope you do well in those classes man, I can tell you'll really enjoy the scope of a paramedic. 🙂

 

[nosoddy]

Don’t lean on EMS, even ALS, for medical school other than clinical exposure. I used my NRP experience to frame a passion for medicine, but it didn’t define my application.

Your GPA is sorta low, but you did well on the MCAT. What schools did you apply to? Any IIs?

If you want to go to medical school, don’t spend the time getting your P. You’ll tire of the scope pretty quickly, depending where you run. Where I’m at, it’s narcan, haldol and nitro with a sprinkle of ACLS here and there. If you choose to branch into flight or critical care there’s some cool exposure, but after being a street medic for a bit you’ll lose some of that glee.

I love my job and the flexibility allowed me to still feed my family while applying and completing undergrad, but if I had any inkling I’d be going to medical school when I started I would have most likely not completed NRP.

On a side note; AMCAS took my medic program as science classes, and it gave me a huge buffer. Others weren’t so lucky.

 

[Blanky]

In your situation paramedic isn't going to help (you are already getting exposure as an EMT/ Medic grades aren't going to help GPA.) Load up on some science courses preferred upper level and keep the EMT job going. You want to show you can get good grades in science courses while that awesome MCAT is still valid.

 

[BlackbeltDoctor]

In your situation paramedic isn't going to help (you are already getting exposure as an EMT/ Medic grades aren't going to help GPA.) Load up on some science courses preferred upper level and keep the EMT job going. You want to show you can get good grades in science courses while that awesome MCAT is still valid.

The option then would be to drop a bunch of cash for a one year masters.... Thats $30 - $50 grand that I'd like to avoid taking on....

 

[Medic741]

Hey guys. Graduated With a physiology degree and all pre-reqs with a 3.0 (yep...didn't know what I wanted to do yet) Worked in EMS as an EMT for two years. Decided to pull the trigger on the MCAT, crushed it and scored a 515 (93%/92%). I have some volunteering experience and a pretty good exstra-curricular app.

I applied late last cycle (about 1 month) and didn't get in. I'm hoping with a few more letters of rec and an early app will help my chances this round. Will it?

Here is where I'm stuck....
Working as an EMT left me wanting to be a paramedic - I just got accepted. I want the leadership experience of commanding the scene and making medical decisions solo. I just think it's an awesome skill. I also was hoping my paramedic classes which are held at a community college will help boost my GPA (I'll crush it) and look favorable to admissions committees. Forums say not to get a paramedic cert if it's just a hobby, but to be honest.... It's a hobby of mine that I would be taking to the next level and hope that the committee will see the value in it that I do.

With myself now fully committed to going to med school and my GPA being what it is, I really don't want to go to P school, not get accepted to medical school, then turn around to go do a masters before my MCAT expires and be crossing my fingers last minute.

So the question is.... Do I go to P school for my reasons? Is that a poor decision on my part?

Thanks for any input

Loved the job. Got good at skills, made decent $$$ and did something productive instead of filling time with premed bull>£*%.

You also may fall in love w it and be happy being a medic for a few years. Bunch of paramedics in my MED school class, none of us regret spending that time on the streets

Gave me lots to talk about at interviews... Follow your passion instead of checking boxes for the sake of it.

Nothing cooler than watching a cops face as you cardiovert the hooker strung out on who knows what wake right the $&@? up and start jumping around.

 

[Medic741]

@frosted2

 

[Blanky]

Do not get a masters. Do not take paramedic. Neither is going to help your GPA. Take upper level (bachelors level) sciences.

 

[frosted2]

Well, well, well...
I feel quite qualified to speak on this matter (thanks for the tag, @Medic741 !) because I have done all 3 🙂

I could write a book, but I will just give you the highlights.

- I have not yet applied, so please take this all with a grain of salt.
- I love my job as a paramedic. I wish I would have done it sooner. I would not trade my time as a medic for anything. It did not help my GPA because I took it as a "continuing education" class. If you can take it for credit, rumor is that DO schools will count it as "allied health" which counts towards sGPA. Call AACOMAS to verify.
- I had a rough UG (GPA is just a touch higher than yours ~3.1
- I am wrapping up my MPH in December and have taken a number of DIY post-bacc graduate courses in the sciences (4.0 so far)... (note to the haters, grad school-- while not always as challenging as UG-- is a lot of critical thinking... I busted my butt for that 4.0).

In conclusion: we get to do some pretty damn cool stuff as medics and we get to be in charge (not always as fun as you think, esp. on critical pediatric calls when everyone is looking at you to save the kid and the parents are (rightfully so) flipping out on you) but as others have mentioned, you get tired of the "limitations" pretty quick. I centered my PS around "enjoying my time as a paramedic, but now I am ready to take on the big job in health care... medicine."

Check back in a few months (or check my signature here) because I plan to keep it updated with my progress.

Now, to answer your question... go to medic school if you want to work as a paramedic until you get into medical school. If not, don't do it. You said your program is 6 months? Does that include ride time + internship? That takes another 6 months for some people.

When you mention late, what specific month did you submit? How were your other ECs? Perhaps adcoms dislike medics/techs because that is the only thing that some of us do?

EDIT: Always fun to do something cool in front of the cops and see the look on their face. IOs have to be my favorite 😉 "You're going to drill that in their leg????" Yup! *Buzzzzzzzzzz*

 

[nosoddy]

Well, well, well...
I feel quite qualified to speak on this matter (thanks for the tag, @Medic741 !) because I have done all 3 🙂

I could write a book, but I will just give you the highlights.

- I have not yet applied, so please take this all with a grain of salt.
- I love my job as a paramedic. I wish I would have done it sooner. I would not trade my time as a medic for anything. It did not help my GPA because I took it as a "continuing education" class. If you can take it for credit, rumor is that DO schools will count it as "allied health" which counts towards sGPA. Call AACOMAS to verify.
- I had a rough UG (GPA is just a touch higher than yours ~3.1
- I am wrapping up my MPH in December and have taken a number of DIY post-bacc graduate courses in the sciences (4.0 so far)... (note to the haters, grad school-- while not always as challenging as UG-- is a lot of critical thinking... I busted my butt for that 4.0).

In conclusion: we get to do some pretty damn cool stuff as medics and we get to be in charge (not always as fun as you think, esp. on critical pediatric calls when everyone is looking at you to save the kid and the parents are (rightfully so) flipping out on you) but as others have mentioned, you get tired of the "limitations" pretty quick. I centered my PS around "enjoying my time as a paramedic, but now I am ready to take on the big job in health care... medicine."

Check back in a few months (or check my signature here) because I plan to keep it updated with my progress.

Now, to answer your question... go to medic school if you want to work as a paramedic until you get into medical school. If not, don't do it. You said your program is 6 months? Does that include ride time + internship? That takes another 6 months for some people.

When you mention late, what specific month did you submit? How were your other ECs? Perhaps adcoms dislike medics/techs because that is the only thing that some of us do?

EDIT: Always fun to do something cool in front of the cops and see the look on their face. IOs have to be my favorite 😉 "You're going to drill that in their leg????" Yup! *Buzzzzzzzzzz*

Cops love the IO, but I had one about lose it during NDT. It was hard keeping a straight face.