However, how hard is an EMT-B's job? Is it manageable with schoolwork? Also, how is the pay? For college, some money would be desirable.
where i live is greater los angeles area, pay is 9-12 an hour. work is 'usually' ok on rigs (ambulance service) with basic EMTs on private service primarily doing interfacility transfers over 911 calls (however in the next county over there's a lot more 911 calls for regular basic medic rigs than IFT's). few fire departments around here hire emt-b's but those who are are usually paid better. most places fire or private are 3 days on 4 days off, which is conducive for school if you set it up right (12,12,8's usually). i would say about 80% of my fellow emt's are still in school while practicing and 12 hours on an IFT rig gives time to read a couple chapters.
if you're going for experience i'd suggest an ED tech (you can use your EMT certification for this). you're like a CNA in an ER, but at the same time you're going to be unlocked from your scope of practice there and get way more hands on. you will learn interpersonal skills on the rig as well has how to show up and handle a situation, but clinically speaking there's tons more in an ED where you can pick the brains of ER doctors and nurses and specialists.
there's another thing to google for, ER scribes. they work with ER doctors to help intake patient information and work as liason's for ER personnel doing labs and tests and stuff. in orange county they have companies like specially designed for pre-meds. you contract with them as an ER scribe for a minimum 1 year full time or 2 years part time and work at local trauma centers.
take your grain of salt with this one, but the md i usually shadow before work saturday was impressed i started EMT school. he sits on the adcom for a nearby med school as well as teaches there. he noted that many pre-meds are EMTs but few can explain why they really do it (it shows up on their AMCAS but is never mentioned in interviews). if you explain you did it to see if medicine was right for you, i'm sure you'll be ok.
there is a thread that ad nauseum talks about the dangers of working in EMS whilst trying to go forward to med school. i think one other take home point it has was if you could honestly not work and focus on being a student, make that GPA and MCAT awesome, you'll be set.
