Although I am only 21, I have recently had a bit of a realization that has led me to strongly consider pursuing medical school. I have considered it in the past but always decided against it for various reasons that don't seem so valid anymore. I enjoy the clinical aspect of my EMS job, but the organizational stressors that are so prevalent in this occupation are becoming too much to bear. The culture that discourages and discounts education and evidence-based practice while laughing at the idea that the job is about the patient is not one that I can spend another 44 years immersed in.
I understand that there are important factors that will come into play that I can't provide information on at this point. I have not taken the MCAT and will need to go back to do some prerequisites including English, organic chem, and some physics by the looks of it. That being said, I appreciate any general thoughts or guidance on my potential competitiveness. My undergrad GPA pretty much rules out Canadian schools, but I am happy to go south and am very open to the DO option as well.
I appreciate any thoughts that anyone has on my potential competitiveness or anything that I should keep in mind as I begin the process of completing the prerequisites and preparing for the MCAT (both likely to begin around Winter 2010 as my MS begins to wrap up).
Thanks for the help!
Education:
Honours BSc with a specialization in Paramedicine from a top Canadian university
MS in Disaster Medicine and Management in progress through an American university
Clinical Experience:
Primary Care Paramedic with close to 2000 hours of experience (and counting)
Extra curricular/volunteer:
Research/publications:
References:
Other random stuff:
I understand that there are important factors that will come into play that I can't provide information on at this point. I have not taken the MCAT and will need to go back to do some prerequisites including English, organic chem, and some physics by the looks of it. That being said, I appreciate any general thoughts or guidance on my potential competitiveness. My undergrad GPA pretty much rules out Canadian schools, but I am happy to go south and am very open to the DO option as well.
I appreciate any thoughts that anyone has on my potential competitiveness or anything that I should keep in mind as I begin the process of completing the prerequisites and preparing for the MCAT (both likely to begin around Winter 2010 as my MS begins to wrap up).
Thanks for the help!
Education:
Honours BSc with a specialization in Paramedicine from a top Canadian university
- approximately 3.5 cumulative undergrad GPA (based on my school's scale, not sure if that differs from the official one for US med school admissions)
- unsure of science/non-science breakdown at this point, but science will likely be substantially lower
MS in Disaster Medicine and Management in progress through an American university
- final GPA will hopefully be close to 4.0
- anticipated completion by early Spring 2010
Clinical Experience:
Primary Care Paramedic with close to 2000 hours of experience (and counting)
Extra curricular/volunteer:
- Training Coordinator for the campus medical first response team at my undergrad school (~2 years)
- Officer for our school's International Association of Emergency Managers Student Chapter (<1 year at this point)
- Member and trainer with a prominent Canadian volunteer medical standby organization (~4.5 years and counting)
- Paramedic Advisor for a vocational Scouting group for youth with an interest in EMS (~1 year and counting)
- Various volunteer activities related to EMS (e.g. teaching free public CPR classes, coordinating safety programs for school kids, helping at the local college with testing for paramedic students, etc.) (>1 year and counting)
Research/publications:
- Research Assistant at a prominent Canadian prehospital research program for about 1.5 years, possibly one co-authorship still pending but no guarantee
- Research Assistant on a terrorism response related research project currently where I will have a significant role in authoring the final product (unfortunately though, our final product will involve tactical considerations and therefore be Emergency Operations Sensitive and not publishable)
- Co-author on a case study in progress for a peer reviewed (but definitely not high citation) journal
- Article recently published in a widely circulated Canadian EMS publication (not peer reviewed)
- Second article in progress, publication expected Fall 2009 or Winter 2010 for the same EMS publication
References:
- Likely able to get a reference from my EMS Manager
- Academic references from professors in the MS program should not be an issue
- MD/DO references likely not a problem either from faculty or classmates I have worked with in the program
Other random stuff:
- Certified to work as a flight paramedic by the province (only practice ground EMS though)
- I assist with teaching paramedic CME training (usually just a CPR skill station/recert though)
- First Aid and CPR instructor for ~3 years, still teach public classes occasionally
- By Winter 2010 I will have completed the FEMA courses required for their Professional Development Series Certificate as well as others including ICS-300
- Completed a bunch of other random little courses (not sure if any of that matters though) such as CBRN basic level training, Good Clinical Practice training, NIH's Protecting Human Subjects online course, International Trauma Life Support Basic and Pediatric
