I wish I became a paramedic before med school

[Dantrolene FC]

Current MS-4 here. If I could go it all over again, I would have become an EMT or paramedic in undergrad. You get paid decently well, can have flexible shifts, and gain really good first-hand medical experience - much better experience than scribing in an ER. Then once you get to interviews, you can have a much better answer for why you want to go to med school. “I love being a paramedic and want to learn more about medicine and take a more involved role in patient care.”

Then once you get to med school, you could work during the summers and work extra shifts to make money during 4th year when you’re just chilling.

All those reasons above are to justify the real reason to be a paramedic. The real reason you should do it is so you can drive the ambulance really fast.

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[Dantrolene FC]

It’s a unique aspect of medicine and a great way to get patient contact, but there are some serious drawbacks that go along with it. I contest that it’s a well paid profession as well, given the level of knowledge and responsibilities placed on the providers (at least for medics). I would never work for a private ambulance service.

I said you get paid decently well while in undergrad. I made $8/hour while in undergrad doing a lot worse work than being a paramedic.

 

[deleted480308]

I said you get paid decently well while in undergrad. I made $8/hour while in undergrad doing a lot worse work than being a paramedic.

Difference is any literate person can scribe, you burn a semester to be an emt and longer to make paramedic. Opportunity cost matters

 

[TwoHighways]

Difference is any literate person can scribe, you burn a semester to be an emt and longer to make paramedic. Opportunity cost matters

EMT certification can be obtained relatively easy (I feel it can be done while taking a full time course load), but you’re basically a CNA that rides an ambulance. Getting your paramedic cert requires a much greater investment of time and that’s where real opportunity cost lies.

 

[Dantrolene FC]

Difference is any literate person can scribe, you burn a semester to be an emt and longer to make paramedic. Opportunity cost matters

You can be an EMT in 16 days.

You are being redirected...

Paramedic school can be done in 12 weeks.

Accelerated Paramedic Training (EMT)

www.mpcc.edu

If the schedules align, you could do the EMT training during Christmas break of your freshman year, and the paramedic school during summer break between freshman and sophomore year. All without taking a single day away from your undergrad studies.

 

[deleted480308]

You can be an EMT in 16 days.

You are being redirected...

Paramedic school can be done in 12 weeks.

Accelerated Paramedic Training (EMT)

www.mpcc.edu

If the schedules align, you could do the EMT training during Christmas break of your freshman year, and the paramedic school during summer break between freshman and sophomore year. All without taking a single day away from your undergrad studies.

I took classes straight through, you do you though. Whatever makes you happy

 

[Dantrolene FC]

I took classes straight through, you do you though. Whatever makes you happy

I did as well. I was just telling the pre-meds what I wish I had done.

 

[deleted480308]

I did as well. I was just telling the pre-meds what I wish I had done.

Fair point, it would at least be interesting even if the math doesn’t add up

 

[TwoHighways]

A 12 week paramedic program... Would love to see their national registry first attempt pass rates. I’m not telling students to not do it, I’m just tempering the notion that it’s the best way if the ultimately goal is getting into medical school. As with anything, you’ve gotta weigh out the pros and cons.

 

[Dantrolene FC]

Fair point, it would at least be interesting even if the math doesn’t add up

It would definitely make the “why med school?” question much easier to answer during interviews.

 

[deleted480308]

It would definitely make the “why med school?” question much easier to answer during interviews.

I disagree there but that’s just an opinion issue

 

[Gurby]

Paramedic school can be done in 12 weeks.

Accelerated Paramedic Training (EMT)

www.mpcc.edu

It looks like it's 12 weeks of 40 class hours per week, followed by a minimum of 530 hours of hospital/field rotations. Probably actually not a bad way to go for someone with the academic chops to succeed in the pre-med courses. But realistically it's more like a >24 week commitment when accounting for the clinical portion.

It would definitely make the “why med school?” question much easier to answer during interviews.

The problem is that almost no physicians outside of EM understand the difference between EMT and paramedic. From a "why med school?" perspective, I got better stories and experiences from my time as an EMT-B taking people to dialysis or hospice anyways than I did as a 911 city paramedic.

I'm all in favor of pre-meds becoming EMT-B's, but I don't think paramedic is worth the opportunity cost unless you're considering staying in it as a career.

 

[Morc]

I became an Advanced EMT, but was a volunteer the whole way through. So there’s my clinical volunteering hours, like around 2,000. I used it for “why medicine?” by saying that EMT-B is a good first exposure to what it’s like to have your own patients. The scope of practice was so limited, that even though I got certified at the next level up, I realized that I wanted to be a physician to provide the highest level of care for my future patients.

It worked well for me. I’m thankful for the experience.

 

[TelemarketingEnigma]

I definitely recommend becoming an EMT to premeds (paramedic not worth it though, unless you want to take the scenic route), but not the way OP described. The training takes time and effort, pay is generally not great (or volunteer, depends on your location), hours are long/late + not usually as flexible as OP suggests. Prehospital care is also completely different than in hospital care, so while I think it provides really good medical experience, it's not the same as being a doctor and you'll still want to seek out other medical experiences.

EMT is one of the many options available to premeds for clinical work experience. I'm very glad I did it and do recommend it, but it's also not an easy breezy thing that you should take flippantly so you can vroom vroom through red lights in your fancy ambulance.
(though I will admit that i always got a kick out of turning on the flashy lights)

 

[MasonBlue]

I did an EMT-B class in undergrad (one fall semester of a 7.5 credit hour class), then worked as an ER tech through undergrad. I realized that I wanted to be a doctor during my first experiences doing clinical in an ER. I totally recommend clinical work experiences, especially doing something along the lines of CNA/EMT work.

Buuuut I think I disagree with your idea of becoming a paramedic basically as an extracurricular. At least at my hometown community college, that is a whole year and a half (that runs through the summer) of full time coursework. That is not worth it unless you actually want to be a paramedic imo.

Stopping at the certification level will still get you decent pay/clinical experience/meaningful work with patients, so I am not sure what the added benefit of going all the way to paramedic is? Yeah you will get paid more, but either way the money you make working part time in undergrad will be totally dwarfed by med school loans/your eventual earnings as a doctor.

 

[Dantrolene FC]

I did an EMT-B class in undergrad (one fall semester of a 7.5 credit hour class), then worked as an ER tech through undergrad. I realized that I wanted to be a doctor during my first experiences doing clinical in an ER. I totally recommend clinical work experiences, especially doing something along the lines of CNA/EMT work.

Buuuut I think I disagree with your idea of becoming a paramedic basically as an extracurricular. At least at my hometown community college, that is a whole year and a half (that runs through the summer) of full time coursework. That is not worth it unless you actually want to be a paramedic imo.

Stopping at the certification level will still get you decent pay/clinical experience/meaningful work with patients, so I am not sure what the added benefit of going all the way to paramedic is? Yeah you will get paid more, but either way the money you make working part time in undergrad will be totally dwarfed by med school loans/your eventual earnings as a doctor.

Ok, you’re right, maybe being a paramedic isn’t worth it due to the time and financial commitments.

But I hope we can all agree that being an EMT is way more valuable/enjoyable in the med school admissions process than being a CNA or a scribe.

If I was on the admissions committee for med school, I would place more value in someone’s experience as an EMT and telling stories about saving lives than someone’s experience in being a CNA and helping someone use the restroom.

 

[Cnthinkoname]

The time commitment depends on how the agencies in your area work. After finishing my AEMT, I had to complete my agency's academy (12 weeks full time) and get additional supervised ride time before I was released to practice independently. Once I leave, the "reintegration" process to work for the summer would take another few weeks, there's not a chance they would bring me back short term. 12-hour shifts can be exhausting, and you often don't see the station for the entire day. Forget studying after work, especially when you have to be back 10 hours later.

Long story short, I love my job, especially patient care. I just don't want people to get the impression that it's an easy side job everywhere, especially in urban systems.

 

[MasonBlue]

Ok, you’re right, maybe being a paramedic isn’t worth it due to the time and financial commitments.

But I hope we can all agree that being an EMT is way more valuable/enjoyable in the med school admissions process than being a CNA or a scribe.

If I was on the admissions committee for med school, I would place more value in someone’s experience as an EMT and telling stories about saving lives than someone’s experience in being a CNA and helping someone use the restroom.

Holy crap dude, this post makes it sound like you have a really uncool and dismissive attitude towards CNAs, and maybe even the nursing side of the medical field in general? You might also really be romanticizing what EMT-B's do on a day to day basis. I have had varying amounts of experience in the pre-hospital, ER and inpatient setting and I absolutely would not agree that any one of those was objectively more valuable/enjoyable work than the others.

Yeah, a lot of stuff that EMTs see/do is "cooler" than what CNAs work with, but I really don't think it is right to say that EMTs are "saving lives" all day every day, while insinuating that the work of CNAs trivial. Out of the jobs I have done I think I personally enjoyed working in the ER the most, but I am also really grateful for the perspective I have gained working in an inpatient setting.

 

[Cnthinkoname]

Yeah, a lot of stuff that EMTs see/do is "cooler" than what CNAs work with, but I really don't think it is right to say that EMTs are "saving lives" all day every day

I couldn't agree more, going into this profession with the vision of "saving lives" will quickly lead to disappointment. The majority of what we run are falls, motor vehicle accidents, and viral symptoms. I can't count the number of times a nurse asked "what'd you do" and I replied, "provided a laugh and a smile." Not that there's anything wrong with that, but you'll rarely get job satisfaction from "saving" lives.

 

[candbgirl]

Ok, you’re right, maybe being a paramedic isn’t worth it due to the time and financial commitments.

But I hope we can all agree that being an EMT is way more valuable/enjoyable in the med school admissions process than being a CNA or a scribe.

If I was on the admissions committee for med school, I would place more value in someone’s experience as an EMT and telling stories about saving lives than someone’s experience in being a CNA and helping someone use the restroom.

But do they place more value on being an EMT?
I’m glad it worked out for you. Not everyone wants to commit or can commit to the time it takes to get certified and not everyone is interested in being an EMT. There are many other opportunities to come face to face with the sick, injured and dying. I do agree about scribing. I’d think it would be boring and most don’t get to directly interact with patients.

 

[Mkif586]

You can be an EMT in 16 days.

You are being redirected...

Paramedic school can be done in 12 weeks.

Accelerated Paramedic Training (EMT)

www.mpcc.edu

If the schedules align, you could do the EMT training during Christmas break of your freshman year, and the paramedic school during summer break between freshman and sophomore year. All without taking a single day away from your undergrad studies.

As someone who actually works as an EMT, I would never want a paramedic with 12 weeks of training sitting next to me. Medicine is not about how fast you can complete certain class, it is about how skilled you are at the end of the day. There is a reason why it takes a year to become a paramedic.

 

[Sephirakra]

Ok, you’re right, maybe being a paramedic isn’t worth it due to the time and financial commitments.

But I hope we can all agree that being an EMT is way more valuable/enjoyable in the med school admissions process than being a CNA or a scribe.

If I was on the admissions committee for med school, I would place more value in someone’s experience as an EMT and telling stories about saving lives than someone’s experience in being a CNA and helping someone use the restroom.

Enjoyable? Maybe. Valuable? Probably not. I worked as a basic (and later, advanced) EMT in college. It was fun and I learned a lot, but it's not really that representative of what most physicians do. Hell, I rarely even saw physicians when I dropped patients off at the ED unless it was a true emergency. Most of the time it was RNs and midlevels taking the hand-off. Scribing/medical assisting probably wouldn't be as glamorous or as much fun, but I would think you'd get a better view of the actual practice of medicine by physicians in that capacity.

 

[Warder]

Holy crap dude, this post makes it sound like you have a really uncool and dismissive attitude towards CNAs, and maybe even the nursing side of the medical field in general? You might also really be romanticizing what EMT-B's do on a day to day basis. I have had varying amounts of experience in the pre-hospital, ER and inpatient setting and I absolutely would not agree that any one of those was objectively more valuable/enjoyable work than the others.

Yeah, a lot of stuff that EMTs see/do is "cooler" than what CNAs work with, but I really don't think it is right to say that EMTs are "saving lives" all day every day, while insinuating that the work of CNAs trivial. Out of the jobs I have done I think I personally enjoyed working in the ER the most, but I am also really grateful for the perspective I have gained working in an inpatient setting.

Yeah, I think OP is leaving out a lot of what EMTs/paramedics do on a daily basis. Vast majority of ambulance rides are very low acuity and mostly consistent of basic vitals, maybe placing an IV and running some fluids, and possibly getting assaulted/felt up. In the high acuity cases, police/fire almost always arrive before you and possibly already have things nicely packaged for you to take them to the hospital.

Not to disparage our EMS crews, they do critical work in very tough conditions for horrible pay (relative to what they do), but it's not all racing to the scene, stabilizing someone, and bringing them into the ED with everyone clapping as you walk in.

EMS services also vary greatly in quality, training, and support for their crews. Some are borderline incompetent, others are fantastic. Often not a result of the individuals but more so their leadership/management that don't properly prepare and train their crews.

Like every other entry level medical experience, there are pros and cons.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

OP, being an EMT sounds fine. As others have advised . I wouldn't become a paramedic unless i was taking several years apply to medical school. I have taught paramedics and had numerous med students who were paramedics. One note of caution. Some of the most challenging med students I have had to teach were paramedics. They have been taught protocols. As a physician, you are a practicing scientist. I would almost rather have a newbie with no experience than trying to get a paramedic to relearn something. If anyone goes that route, please keep an open mind when you get to med school and accept different ways to do things. Please do not attempt to instruct the instructors on how to hold a laryngoscope. Yes, I've had this happen.

 

[TwoHighways]

If you’ve got a death grip on the laryngoscope, you’re certainly doing it wrong lol. 2-3 fingers and a thumb is all it takes.

 

[longhaul3]

OP, being an EMT sounds fine. As others have advised . I wouldn't become a paramedic unless i was taking several years apply to medical school. I have taught paramedics and had numerous med students who were paramedics. One note of caution. Some of the most challenging med students I have had to teach were paramedics. They have been taught protocols. As a physician, you are a practicing scientist. I would almost rather have a newbie with no experience than trying to get a paramedic to relearn something. If anyone goes that route, please keep an open mind when you get to med school and accept different ways to do things. Please do not attempt to instruct the instructors on how to hold a laryngoscope. Yes, I've had this happen.

I came here to say the same thing. The worst med students I have seen were overeager former paramedics who thought that since they're in med school they're ready to show everyone else how to do a crash thoracotomy on a patient with GERD. Calm down, chief.

 

[ovariantorsion]

I learned a lot from being an EMT. An important takeaway I had from the experience is that driving the ambulance is REALLY fun.

 

[MedStudent2301]

I learned a lot from being an EMT. An important takeaway I had from the experience is that driving the ambulance is REALLY fun.

Wow +1 all the way here


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Blueprint Med School]

Current MS-4 here. If I could go it all over again, I would have become an EMT or paramedic in undergrad. You get paid decently well, can have flexible shifts, and gain really good first-hand medical experience - much better experience than scribing in an ER. Then once you get to interviews, you can have a much better answer for why you want to go to med school. “I love being a paramedic and want to learn more about medicine and take a more involved role in patient care.”

Then once you get to med school, you could work during the summers and work extra shifts to make money during 4th year when you’re just chilling.

All those reasons above are to justify the real reason to be a paramedic. The real reason you should do it is so you can drive the ambulance really fast.

Let's be honest. Having a blue light to drive to calls and driving the rig lights and sirens was the apex of my pre-residency career.

I loved my EMT career. I am leaving it behind moving forward, but you get such a rich depth of the good, the bad, and the ugly of healthcare. If you can survive the jaded feelings of EMS, you can survive anything.

David D, MD (and Licensed EMT-NJ) - USMLE and MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[MediocreParamedic]

I'm a paramedic pre-med. Paramedic school has made up the first two years of my undergrad, leaving about three years of school afterward (rest of my undergrad + pre-reqs). Contrary to a few others on this forum, I would highly recommend becoming a paramedic to any pre-med student. Becoming a paramedic has allowed me to preview medicine -- the goods and the bads -- and decide if it really is worth the effort. It is absolutely beneficial to your patient care, clinical mindset, and medical judgement. The skills paramedics learn in team coordination and leadership are also invaluable. There is no other EC you can do to learn fast paced decision making and leadership in a high-stakes high-stress environment. Of course the reverse is also true -- you get what you put in. They pay is pretty good as well (about $18/hr plus guaranteed overtime) and is allowing me to pay off my undergrad as I go, save for med school, and pursue my own passions on the side. Finally, depending on the system you work in, you may have a decent amount of time to study while at work. 911 EMS with stations (not "system status") is the ideal setup, but there may be little to no downtime when working in a busy system or doing non-emergent dialysis transfers. While it added an extra year to my timeline, I would undoubtably take the same pathway if I had to do it again.

Also, I can confirm the ambulance is fun to drive!

 

[CheeseCucumberSandwich]

Current MS-4 here. If I could go it all over again, I would have become an EMT or paramedic in undergrad. You get paid decently well, can have flexible shifts, and gain really good first-hand medical experience - much better experience than scribing in an ER. Then once you get to interviews, you can have a much better answer for why you want to go to med school. “I love being a paramedic and want to learn more about medicine and take a more involved role in patient care.”

Then once you get to med school, you could work during the summers and work extra shifts to make money during 4th year when you’re just chilling.

All those reasons above are to justify the real reason to be a paramedic. The real reason you should do it is so you can drive the ambulance really fast.

This! I found out this year that my school has a paramedic program (?!?!?!?!). I'm so upset. I don't have time to start the pathway. If only I'd known about it my freshman year...