Pharm Tech v.s. EMT

[meister]

I would agree with that, that it's up to the individual to get to know pharmacology as a tech. But that doesn't mean you don't have the opportunity to get to know it, you just have to want to. You could be a perfectly good tech just doing what your told and asking the pharmacist about everything, if you wanted to.

I volunteer at a hospital and the EMT Er tech people seem to do a lot of stuff that seems very cool. It is definitely something I wish I was doing or could do, but one tech I talked to said it took her a long time to get the position, and she even had a lot of experience in the field. She also said it took her months to get used to working there, without being afraid.

I think I might try doing that after I graduate for a year or so.

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[OSUdoc08]

Pharmacy techs don't really know about pharmacology. yea there are some that might b/c they want to or b/c they seen something agazilion times so it sticks with them, but they don't get any formal training in pharmacology. Their job is technical, they are the arms and the muscles of a pharmacist. The pharmacist makes the decisions and they carry them out. Now in Canada pharmacy techs have to have 2 years of college to become pharmacy techs, being a pharmacy tech in canada,that would apply, but defiently not in states.

I agree with you. However, the only argument that the pharmacy techs have given for why their position could even compete with an EMT would be pharmacological knowledge. Although I know, as you do, about how much knowledge they really had, I figured I'd bypass it, demonstrating that even if they did have that knowledge, it wouldn't make that much of an impact in the long run.

The patient care experience of an EMT, and the ability to keep a cool head in a time of crisis would be a much more essential skill for a new physician-in-training to previously possess.

 

[NEATOMD]

I have a question for those who are EMTs and prospective medical students....How well have you been able to balance such a stressful occupation and going to school taking those lovely med school pre reqs? I know that it will be intense, but I have also heard that the hours are long.

The balance, ah yes... I work 36 hour shifts (paid) on the weekends. Over the summer, I worked full time for an ambulance service that opened a new branch and then lost several employees. At one point I was working between 120 and 145 hours a week (if your not good at math, there's only 168 hours in a week). It WAS really stressful...but that's how I managed to pay for my med school apps. Unfortunately, I worked 120 hours the week I took the MCAT (I don't recommend that). I also lost my girlfriend of 3.5 years over the whole ordeal.

On the flip side...I was able to talk about my experiences as an EMT to the ADCOM's. It also demonstrated to them that I can handle heavy work loads coupled with high amounts of stress, little sleep, and can deal with the high hours required to be a physician (or med student or resident).

While the idea of someone driving an emergency vehicle that has been on shift for 96 hours might sound scary.... It sure was alot of fun

 

[voulpaix]

Hello RJSPAULDING, congrats on transferring to UCLA. Make the most of your experience while there. Since it seems that nearly half of undergrad are "pre-med" you will have your work cut out for you trying to get experience. This shouldn't be a problem though because there are limitless possibilities in LA. I found volunteering with a free clinic rewarding and researching at the Med Ctr worth my time. Put in some hours volunteering at the hospital to get to know the staff/faculty. You never know who you might run into in those halls. As for the EMT thing. I am not working with UCLA but with another hospital in my hometown. I have moved out of Westwood and never really cared for that sort of lifestyle - traffic jams, buses, pedestrians everywhere, no free parking, apartments up the wazoo... so I'm back at home now. If you have any questions, PM me. For the record, I was able to get an ER Job with an EMT-I certification. I was trained for everything not taught in class, on site at work. Take care. Have fun at UCLA and steer clear of those pre-meds who think that doctors are the only profession with prestige. Keep up the good work, be open to try new things, and you will do fine.

 

[tupac_don]

I agree with you. However, the only argument that the pharmacy techs have given for why their position could even compete with an EMT would me pharmacological knowledge. Although I know, as you do, about how much knowledge they really had, I figured I'd bypass it, demonstrating that even if they did have that knowledge, it wouldn't make that much of an impact in the long run.

The patient care experience of an EMT, and the ability to keep a cool head in a time of crisis would be a much more essential skill for a new physician-in-training to previously possess.

Exactly, enough said.

 

[kent168]

If you want to be a drug rep for a pharm company, go with the pharm tech. I f you want to become a doctor, be an EMT. Pharm tech knows about drugs, that's all they know. When I was an EMT, I learned how to assess patients, take charge of a situation, get used to seeing blood, and most importantly taught me how not to panic when everyone else around me is panicking. As a pharm tech, you work in an air conditioned room and it doesn't give you any experience in how to handle a medical emergency. While things are going down, an emt can take charge, but pharm techs will probably wet their pants.
I'm in med school now and my grades weren't that good, the biggest reason I'm here is because I can stand the stress, trials, blood and filth of medicine when I was an EMT, I don't think pharm techs get an idea of how messy medicine can get or what its like to work for 72 hours straight.
Besides, my story of the gun-shot-wound to the head patient will beat any story a pharm tech can ever come up with.

Pharm Tech. You might learn a thing or two about drugs, which is most of what you do as a doctor anyway--prescribe them, and have the companies take you out to free, lavish dinners for doing so. There's a lot of money and potential to make a large-scale impact on medicine in pharmaceutics, even for doctors. EMT is on a person to person basis. More personal yeah, but not as much influence overall.

Doctors make decisions on which drugs and treatments to give, not administer IVs or set up splints or such and such. That's for nurses. Why is the whole patient interaction deal touted so much--I've seen plenty of doctors in action, and they tend to be quite impersonal. Again, the nurses do much of the comforting and whatnot. I just think pharm would be more fascinating, and since you've listed it as an option I assume you have some interest in the field. EMT always seemed like a blue collar job to me. Just opinions, all.