Medical Assistant vs. EMT-B

[Rammy]

I was wondering which looks better on applications? I was thinking of being certified as one of them and working in a medical clinic. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

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[Oxygen206]

I worked as a medical assistant for a while and I feel like I got experience that was miles ahead of the EMT's I know. Mainly I think this is due to the fact that an MA tends to work very closely with a physician, versus an EMT who works closely with a paramedic.

 

[JustinMC]

Paramedic would be more fun than EMT if you have time! You have to love the intensity though

 

[Oxygen206]

Paramedic would be more fun than EMT if you have time! You have to love the intensity though

Isn't paramedic a two year program??

 

[neuro nephrons]

I'd be a little biased since I am an EMT, but I would definitely go for EMT-B. I think it shows a lot of responsibility to be able to take care of patients and actually administer medication. Also, the adrenaline rush is a huge plus! Hearing a tone and flying down the highway is a huge rush. Also, you could kill 2 birds with one stone by getting an EMT job over the summer and joining your school's EMS if they have one!

 

[JustinMC]

If you've taken the EMT B course, is that considered a science course when you enter it into your course work?
Does the EMT course look good even if you don't take the national registry and work?

 

[neuro nephrons]

If you've taken the EMT B course, is that considered a science course when you enter it into your course work?
Does the EMT course look good even if you don't take the national registry and work?

no.....you gotta get a license and use it!

 

[Rammy]

More fun? Yes. More responsibility? Yes. Better for medical school applicant? No.

Paramedic is a different career path entirely and is viewed as such by most adcoms. The training is intense and takes a significant amount of time, not to mention you will receive graded college credits for your training which may jeopardize your GPA if you don't take the training seriously (most of the material will be redundant for a biology major).

I'd opt for EMT-B if you are in an area where there are many hospitals employing them in the emergency department as ED techs. There is less training and you get plenty of relevant experience, with just a little more responsibility than a CNA. If you have the extra time or work in California (or similarly EMT saturated state), get certified as an MA. Again, graded college credits often apply, but there is a greater need for them in the job market and far less competition. You will also be responsible for more medically relevant tasks as a newly certified MA. Most green EMTs languish in medical transport for up to a year while fresh MAs tend to find employment in private family practice or community clinics fairly easily.

So would you say, if I have the opportunity, I should apply to study as a medical assistant over an EMT -B?

By looking at the descriptions, I felt like a Medical Assistant was more relevant to what I might to do as a physician. Furthermore, in order to do more advance care, some EMT companies or hospitals require EMT-I certification...

 

[Captain Fantastic]

The problem with EMT-B training is that it takes at least 20 days in an intensive/immersion program or about 5 months in a part-time program to complete the course. Then you likely have to register and sit for the NREMT exams, wait for them to be scored, then submit for your state license. After all that's done you can get a job working as an EMT. In some places, that can take a few months to get hired and on-board. For the most part, admissions committees don't about EMT training. They want to see you use it in a meaningful way and describe what you've learned from it. So most people would be almost a year in before you've gotten anything worth writing about in an application. For most pre-meds it is a bridge too far. You would be better off getting a clinical/patient experience that requires less investment up front.

 

[EnergyDrink]

If you've taken the EMT B course, is that considered a science course when you enter it into your course work?
Does the EMT course look good even if you don't take the national registry and work?

You don't need to be NR certified. From what I've heard on these forums, the EMT cert doesn't help unless you use it.

 

[lobo.solo]

I've been working as an MA for a while now, and its great. I get to see patients that have frequent FUs and I have developed good relationships with them. This for sure will give me something to talk about during interviews. EMT sounds cool. I would suggest to think about what you will enjoy more.

 

[EnergyDrink]

This is generally true for ambulance services providing medical transport, but expect national registration to be required for ED Tech positions.

Its really a regional thing, and depends mostly on your state. If your state exam is much less than the NR, than I can see the NR requirement. My state models their exam off of the NR, so there is a lot less discrepancy between the two certs. I use my state license to run with the emergency squad which is out-of-state (reciprocity). The ED openings around here don't seem to discern NR or not.

 

[Rammy]

Thanks for the help. I think I am gonna look at the Medical Assistant program! I am located in Texas btw

 

[EnergyDrink]

Thanks for the help. I think I am gonna look at the Medical Assistant program! I am located in Texas btw

So yeah, your laws are going to be way different than California or anywhere else. CA and TX seem to always fall in to "the exception" clauses, so your state laws are unlike the rest of the country. So any "general information" is going to be almost meaningless to you.

 

[icecoldstar]

For those who have done MA,
1. is it easy to pass?
2. what % do you need to get correct to pass?
3. how is the job market for MA? If I'm taking a gap year starting like now and applying 2013 AMCAS, is it worth it to get certified and get MA job?
4. how is the pay and the hours?

I'm done wiht MCATs, so that sucker is out of the question