Paramedic before college?

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Ems

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I was just wondering would anyone out their that has experience being a paramedic would give me suggestions on wether or not to take the program before premed and medical school. could you please relay some advice?

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Originally posted by Ems:
•I was just wondering would anyone out their that has experience being a paramedic would give me suggestions on wether or not to take the program before premed and medical school. Could you please relay some advice?•

I'm not, nor have I ever been, a paramedic but I can offer this piece of advice. If you are truly interested in the work, then go ahead and pursue training. However, if you are considering becoming a paramedic because you think it will help you get into medical school, please reconsider, as that is not necessarily the case and you would be spending time and money better utilized elsewhere.
 
just a few thoughts about paramedic school...
if you are not already an emt 1 you would have to go through that training first which runs about 200 hours. after that you would need to work as an emt1 on an ambulance or in an ER for at least a year for minimal pay before you would be allowed to apply to medic school. most medic programs run around 1-2 years and are very challenging, physically(24 hr shifts) and emotionally(running your 1st solo code, etc).I went to paramedic school after my first undergrad degree and it was a great experience. if you know that you want to work in emergency med longterm a medic background is great. however if you just want to "gain medical experience" to bolster your dream of becoming an internist/pediatrician/surgeon etc. then I would recommend doing something less stressful, like volunteering somewhere or shadowing a doc, etc. hope that helps
 
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I was an EMT before I started med school and there is only one thing I can tell you about the whole process. If you take the class to be an EMT withno actuall street experience they'll see right through it and it'll be completely worthless....but if you practice as an EMT or Paramedic for a year or so then it'll carry a lot of weight! Good luck!
 
I was (still am) a paramedic for 3 years after college and prior to attending medical school. (I am currently a first year medical student. I loved it and thus highly recommend it. I woorked in a busy urban EMS system. For me it was practicing medicine without medical school. You can not get such responsibility for patients any where else, without being a doctor. I am happy to be in medical school and am excited to learn more, but I miss my days as a full time medic. I did not do it to get into medical school, and I do not know if it helped, but it did not hurt. I am on my way to becoming a doctor.
 
I've been a paramedic for 13 years and am now a first year medical student. I wouldn't trade my knowledge and experience in EMS for anything.

I find that my clinical background has been invaluable so far in relating the sciences to real world clinical medicine. It keeps me focused and helps me learn. It has been incredibly helpful in my PBL sessions where we solve clincal cases. I am also convinced that this experience is what got me into medical school. Finally, I absolutely LOVED working as a paramedic. I think it is one of the best jobs I can think of. I'd gladly recommend it to anyone who wants to make a contribution to the field and to patient care.

However, I strongly echo what Kimberli said early. If you are just doing it to get into med school, save yourself 2 years and save EMS from another person who really doesn't have their heart in it.

If I can answer any questions for you, please don't hestitate to ask.

Take care,
 
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