Paramedic to Med School Application

[ROSC]

This is my maiden voyage into this forum, I apologize in advance for any since of ignorance.

I was interested in some constructive input towards my application process and hopeful matriculation into what would be my greatest accomplishment thus far.

My CGPA is 3.44 and my Sciences GPA is 3.26.
My Bachelors is in Allied Health
I have worked Full time nights for the past 8 years while completing my EMT and EMT Paramedic courses along with my B.S I am also Critical Care, CCP, FCP, SAR PHTLS Instructor, ACLS, ARREM,PALS, High Angle Rescue, HAZMAT, SEMS, H2S, Insidious Fire, and CPRHD Trained and Certified.

My concern will be my MCAT score which I am currently studying for and plan to take initially in July then again in Sept.
Secondly my degree was earned over a longer time span than the traditional route and I have completed the remaining coursework via Online and telecommunications. None of my prerequisites were online nor have any of my Science based classes been.

I just want to know that with all of my previous exposures and experiences will it appear as attractive on my Application.
I intend to shadow in addition to my previous endeavors.

Thank you for your time,

God Bless

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[MDporfavor8888]

obviously you have great ECs but you'll need a lot of shadowing as i don't see any ECs where you work closely with doctors... i apologize if i'm wrong since i honestly don't know what all those ECs you listed are.

Unless you ace the MCAT, i think it'd be difficult for you to have a good chance at MD schools with your GPA plus the fact that not all of your coursework is from a 4 year institution.

you shouldn't plan to take the MCAT twice, only take it when you're ready.

if your goal is MD schools, i think you'll have to do a postbacc or SMP and get a 3.8+ to show schools that you can handle the coursework. otherwise, i think you should mostly apply DO

 

[ResQRN144]

Agree with above. Only plan to take the MCAT once and you may need to improve your science GPA for allopathic schools, even state schools. Also articulation of your maturity as a non-traditional applicant and prior experience will be important. I felt my prior healthcare experience was a huge talking point to show my commitment to medicine. Feel free to PM me with any questions.

 

[Deranged Medic]

Many physicians have no idea what we do as medics, and most interviewers will equate your experience as similar to that of a STNA, phlebot, etc. This does not mean they will not like your experiences, but they probably won't give you as much credit as you would like.

That being said, you will probably get a higher return from DO schools than MD schools, as DO seems to enjoy rewarding nontrad career changers. I received interviews at most of the DO schools I applied to, but I only received a few MD interviews (I did have a mediocre MCAT though.)

I definitely agree with rocking the MCAT. There are a few medics that post on here, and SDN also has a forum for EMS providers: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forums/pre-hospital-ems.96/. You are always welcome to PM me with any questions, as I just went through the process last year.

 

[ROSC]

I appreciate the input, I currently work for a private practice REMOTE Medicine Company where I am hand in hand with a physician on all of my assessments and Pt evaluations. If I would have chosen the traditional route of a 4 year degree then I would not have worked nights full time while attending classes simultaneously. This was the reasoning behind my taking 9 hour semesters as opposed to 15-17. I did undergrad at my own pace in my own way, and while that may not be conducive to the way the general populous of this forum may have orchestrated their undergrads I still consider my experiences invaluable.

I appreciate the advice on the MCAT (noted)

I as it sits today prior to application I have 16000 hours of medical field experience and exposure.
Not many individuals are understanding of the Paramedic Scope of Practice or what it entails (besides other Paramedics of course)

Endotracheal Intubation
Intraveaous Access
Intraosseous Access
Cardiac Monitoring
Thoracic Needle Decompression
Surgical Crich
12 Lead Interpretation
Medication Administration
Defibrilation
Cardiversion
Nasal Intubation
Advanced Pt Care and Assessment
Thousands of Pt Interviews and vital signs
Thousands of written Medical records
Thousands of Pt transports and transfers of Care
Traction Splinting
Tourniquets
CPAP - Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
Pulse Oximetry
Wide Complex, Narrow Complex Algorithms

The list goes on and on

I very much appreciate your input and your opinion. However, I find it highly suspicious that I will need to post Baccalaureate my GPA to 3.8+
When many of the applicants each term have never even attempted a manual Blood pressure.
All of the insight that I have gotten leads to Med Schools searching for the more well rounded individuals who can actively balance a lifestyle that parallels that of a physician.

 

[MDporfavor8888]

i don't doubt that you have great experiences as a nontrad, i'm also a nontrad but we've had very different paths.

ECs are definitely important when applying to med school but the 2 most important factors are GPA and MCAT. i really don't think MD schools will invite you for an interview just based on your ECs. yes, med schools look for well rounded individuals but they also have to believe that the individual they are interviewing is intellectually capable of keeping up with the workload.

you don't have to do a postbacc or SMP as long as you ace the MCAT, but it's difficult to tell how good your chances are without a MCAT score.

are you only looking at MD schools?

 

[gyngyn]

Do not plan to take the MCAT twice.

 

[ROSC]

Yes, I am predominantly interested in Med School. That is where I would like to see myself.

 

[gyngyn]

As I previously noted, the best applications have a single strong MCAT score .
A planned re-take is a bad idea.

 

[ROSC]

Thanks, I fully comprehend.

I will make it a definite.

As I previously noted, the best applications have a single strong MCAT score .
A planned re-take is a bad idea.

 

[Cawolf]

Greetings,

I am a fellow paramedic applying this cycle.

My notes for you:

1 - No one in medicine cares about the alphabet soup that goes with fire and EMS, so that is not a great talking point.

2 - I strongly advise against taking the MCAT twice.

3 - From what I have seen your part-time degree won't matter as you said you did the pre-req courses in an actual university.

4 - Your length of EMS experience and commitment (per the alphabet soup) is likely to be a strong point in your application. It won't override poor grades or MCAT scores though.

If you plan on applying in Summer 2016 for 2017 matriculation, why not focus on scoring well on the MCAT once, likely the later date if you feel that you won't be ready in July?

Best of luck.

-cawolf

 

[cidem2065]

Don't worry about shadowing as mentioned above. If your time is spent earning a living for yourself it's going to be a drain. MCAT/GPA is a higher priority. Just be sure to stress your professional and educational experience working with physicians, and not just EM docs for command. I'm sure your paramedic class had you interacting with them in the OR, ICU, etc.

 

[MDporfavor8888]

Yes, I am predominantly interested in Med School. That is where I would like to see myself.

MD and DO schools are both med schools so i'm not really sure what you're saying... so you're okay with either MD or DO?

 

[sazerac]

I very much appreciate your input and your opinion. However, I find it highly suspicious that I will need to post Baccalaureate my GPA to 3.8+
When many of the applicants each term have never even attempted a manual Blood pressure.

My fellow EMS brother, this attitude alone will doom your application.

A school of medicine values science genius over medical experience. Nobody cares that you can take a blood pressure by palpation in a noisy room, because that isn't what doctors do; that's why we have support staff. If reading an EKG is important to becoming a physician (and it is), then it will be taught in medical school; being able to read one beforehand adds nothing to your application.

If you want a profession that truly values prior experience, go to Physician Assistant school. If you want to become a doctor, you have to learn to play by their rules. Get a year of 4.0 undergraduate work with a full load of science classes. Take the MCAT once and blow it out of the water. Apply with a convincing story that you ought to become a physician as your next profession. Make sure you shadow doctors as well as deliver patients to them.

You will get more love and more experienced advice if you join us in the premed Nontraditional Students forum a couple slots down from here in premed Pre-Allopathic. There you will find all sorts of health professionals (emt, nurse, fire, combat medic, scribe, phleb, etc) who are making or have already made the transition to practicing medicine. See you there.

Good luck!

 

[ROSC]

Thanks a million Cawolf... I have been prepping for some time now and will continue to prep for the MCAT .... I had entertained the thought of taking it a second time beings that the new exam format may not be as compatible with some of the new study materials as I would wish. If there was anything that I felt I could improve on I would have attempted it again.... BUT beings that the general consensus is to NOT take it a second time I will focus all of my efforts to as many pretests as I can.

 

[Deranged Medic]

^this.

They don't care about how many nasal intubations/surgical crics/EJs we have done, they care about if we can make it through the curriculum.

Anyone who has spent any time in EMS knows the best medic doesn't always make the best supervisor. I feel like the medic to physician transition could be considered a similar concept. I know a ton of fantastic medics who I suspect wouldn't cut it in med school. If they were admitted on their past experiences alone, they would end up crashing and burning.

 

[Deranged Medic]

I appreciate the input, I currently work for a private practice REMOTE Medicine Company where I am hand in hand with a physician on all of my assessments and Pt evaluations. If I would have chosen the traditional route of a 4 year degree then I would not have worked nights full time while attending classes simultaneously. This was the reasoning behind my taking 9 hour semesters as opposed to 15-17. I did undergrad at my own pace in my own way, and while that may not be conducive to the way the general populous of this forum may have orchestrated their undergrads I still consider my experiences invaluable.

I appreciate the advice on the MCAT (noted)

I as it sits today prior to application I have 16000 hours of medical field experience and exposure.
Not many individuals are understanding of the Paramedic Scope of Practice or what it entails (besides other Paramedics of course)

Endotracheal Intubation
Intraveaous Access
Intraosseous Access
Cardiac Monitoring
Thoracic Needle Decompression
Surgical Crich
12 Lead Interpretation
Medication Administration
Defibrilation
Cardiversion
Nasal Intubation
Advanced Pt Care and Assessment
Thousands of Pt Interviews and vital signs
Thousands of written Medical records
Thousands of Pt transports and transfers of Care
Traction Splinting
Tourniquets
CPAP - Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
Pulse Oximetry
Wide Complex, Narrow Complex Algorithms

The list goes on and on

I very much appreciate your input and your opinion. However, I find it highly suspicious that I will need to post Baccalaureate my GPA to 3.8+
When many of the applicants each term have never even attempted a manual Blood pressure.
All of the insight that I have gotten leads to Med Schools searching for the more well rounded individuals who can actively balance a lifestyle that parallels that of a physician.

Yes, we do a ton of cool stuff. However, the more time I spend around medicine, the more I realize how little we actually know and do.

I know you are trying to educate the public on what it is we actually do, and I appreciate this. However, I would caution you from doing this too much in your application/interviews, as I think it has the potential to make you come across as someone who feels entitled to a medical school spot.

 

[alpinism]

Many physicians have no idea what we do as medics, and most interviewers will equate your experience as similar to that of a STNA, phlebot, etc. This does not mean they will not like your experiences, but they probably won't give you as much credit as you would like.

That being said, you will probably get a higher return from DO schools than MD schools, as DO seems to enjoy rewarding nontrad career changers. I received interviews at most of the DO schools I applied to, but I only received a few MD interviews (I did have a mediocre MCAT though.)

I definitely agree with rocking the MCAT. There are a few medics that post on here, and SDN also has a forum for EMS providers: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forums/pre-hospital-ems.96/. You are always welcome to PM me with any questions, as I just went through the process last year.

I'll second this.

As someone who was a former FF/Medic and was also involved with med school admissions, most adcom members have little to no idea what you do on a daily basis. To be honest, most don't really care either beyond the fact that you have some solid clinical experience. You might get a couple extra bonus points depending on the school and who reviews your application but I wouldn't expect much. Med schools really care about 2 things = GPA and MCAT.

That being said, the above primarily applies to MD schools.

DO schools tend to be much more friendly to nontrads and especially those with prior healthcare experience.

Bring up that GPA, study hard for the MCAT, and do some shadowing and volunteering.

Good Luck!

 

[EParker37]

Another long time paramedic here. I have had the benefit of working for 2 years in a hospital associated with a medical school and have gotten the opportunity to participate in research with some of the professors at the school, as well as getting to know a few of the adcom members. They do recognize and appreciate that we as paramedics have clinical experience, that we are comfortable around patients and have had time to learn the skills needed to interact with families. They also recognize that we have a commitment to medicine, and understand some of the basic issues surrounding healthcare. That said, they still care about grades. No amount of clinical experience would overcome a poor academic showing. No one cares that I can do chest tubes, or pericardiocentesis, if I get C's in all of my science pre-reqs.

One other piece of advice, no one cares that you were a paramedic, how much trauma you've seen etc. Be humble about your experience, use it as a tool, don't be a tool about it. You will be just another MS1, remember the old paramedic instructor adage, you have two ears and one mouth, so you should be listening twice as much as you talk.

 

[RxStudentatUB]

Can I slightly derail the thread here temporarily? How did y'all obtain paramedic training...some community colleges offer cert. courses but of course they cost $$$, would it be possible to get training for free just like pharmacy technician training (they actually pay you for on the job training) and medical scribe training? How would somebody like me go about this?

 

[Gurby]

Definitely DO do some shadowing of non-emergency doctors. In EMS, we know a lot about a very very narrow slice of medicine - there is a lot more to learn. You probably have a good idea what an ED doc's day is like, but see what life is like as a primary care doc or a neurologist, etc.

Can I slightly derail the thread here temporarily? How did y'all obtain paramedic training...some community colleges offer cert. courses but of course they cost $$$, would it be possible to get training for free just like pharmacy technician training (they actually pay you for on the job training) and medical scribe training? How would somebody like me go about this?

To become an EMT is typically a 1-semester college course. To become a paramedic is ~40 credits and a bunch of clinical time.

I think most would agree that you should not become a paramedic unless you want to be a career paramedic (or become a firefighter, etc). As a stepping stone to med school many other things make more sense than becoming a paramedic. Given that you're posting on a pre-med forum, I would encourage you to just take an EMT class and do that if EMS seems interesting to you.

If money is really a huge issue to you, many ambulance companies have a deal where their chair car drivers can go to EMT school for free in exchange for X amount of service in return. Once you're an EMT, some companies will subsidize your paramedic training in exchange for years of working for them.

 

[sazerac]

Can I slightly derail the thread here temporarily? How did y'all obtain paramedic training...some community colleges offer cert. courses but of course they cost $$$, would it be possible to get training for free just like pharmacy technician training (they actually pay you for on the job training) and medical scribe training? How would somebody like me go about this?

Two year associates degree at community college for me. Yes it is $ in training, to get paid $. Kind of like medical school is $$$$$ in training, to get paid $$$$$.

 

[RxStudentatUB]

Thanks y'all, you may get back to your regularly scheduled programming of medical school apps!