PS topic

[MarshMedic]

A few of you have reviewed my PS. I also had my mentor-type-guy review it. He is a P turned DO. The topic is a difficult call I encountered as a paramedic as the intro (story type). His suggestion was to possibly consider changing it to a non-EMS related experience as "some medical schools believe the EMS type are too hard to teach...etc" (loose quote).

What is your opinions on this? I can understand it, EMS doesn't always get a great rap from medicine, but it is also probably the most powerful experience I can write about...and I feel I wrote it very well. I'd love to hear from faculty especially. I'm open to any advise though!

Thanks in advance!

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[wxman393]

N=1 here but I used something similar. Been an EMT/Paramedic for 11 years and I don't think it held me back at all. All of my interviewers seemed excited to discuss certain calls I had been on, especially since I did both ground and flight.

However, I did reiterate that I was there to learn the X way (X=school I was interviewing at).

 

[medickdb]

A few of you have reviewed my PS. I also had my mentor-type-guy to review it. The topic is a difficult call I encountered as a paramedic as the intro (story type). His suggestion was to possibly consider changing it to a non-EMS related experience as "some medical schools believe the EMS type are to hard to teach...etc" (loose quote).

What is your opinions on this? I can understand it EMS doesn't always get a great rap from medicine, but it is also probably the most powerful experience I can write about...and I feel I wrote it very well. I'd love to hear from faculty especially. I'm open to any advise though!

Thanks in advance!

I don't remember my personal statement exactly, but I wrote about EMS. I basically wrote about how I grew from a EMT student who romanticized medicine, not realizing its many limitations. I grew to become a paramedic and instructor, armed with tools beyond what any drug box or airway kit could provide. You're probably fine.

I'd be more than happy to read over your PS, too. I probably wouldn't be able to get to it until next week though because it's a big exam week.

 

[AM508]

My career as a paramedic was pretty central to my personal statement. It was discussed in depth and always in a favorable tone in all of my interviews. I have never heard such a supposition that EMS is frowned upon by med schools. In fact, paramedic is one of the few healthcare experiences pre-med style, where you can cite being directly responsible for all patient care happening on scene (unless you are in one of those rare EMS system that has physicians respond to the scene). I would think that that level of health practice autonomy would be seen as a positive for med school as it shows a certain level of being able to function without someone holding your hand or giving you constant orders.

 

[Goro]

If you feel that it answers "Who am I?" and "Why Medicine?", then by all means it should be in your PS.

A few of you have reviewed my PS. I also had my mentor-type-guy to review it. The topic is a difficult call I encountered as a paramedic as the intro (story type). His suggestion was to possibly consider changing it to a non-EMS related experience as "some medical schools believe the EMS type are to hard to teach...etc" (loose quote).

What is your opinions on this? I can understand it EMS doesn't always get a great rap from medicine, but it is also probably the most powerful experience I can write about...and I feel I wrote it very well. I'd love to hear from faculty especially. I'm open to any advise though!

Thanks in advance!

 

[CajunMedic]

N=1 here but I used something similar. Been an EMT/Paramedic for 11 years and I don't think it held me back at all. All of my interviewers seemed excited to discuss certain calls I had been on, especially since I did both ground and flight.

However, I did reiterate that I was there to learn the X way (X=school I was interviewing at).

Same experience here. I talked about one of the docs I precepted under during clinicals and my 1 code save in my PS. It definitely came up during the interview. As far as a bias against medics? Never heard of one. Heck, my class has 4 medics, 2 basics, an RN and a handful of pharmacy techs.

 

[MarshMedic]

Thanks all.