Recertify my EMT-B? Worth it?

[Go4Doc]

Hey All,

So I became an EMT-B a couple of years ago and now is the time to re-certify if I want to remain on the NREMT. I managed to get about ~250 hours experience as a volunteer EMT back when I was a student but since graduation, I've been working full time as a research assistant and I just don't have the time to work as an EMT anymore.

My question is: is it worth it to re-certify even though I likely won't use the EMT-B again before I matriculate to medical school? Would an active EMT license be viewed as good/ impressive even though I'm no longer using it? If I had to guess, I would assume that if I won't be using it, there is no reason to re-certify but I don't want an adcom questioning why I let it expire so close to the application cycle.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Best,

Go4Doc

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[efle]

is it worth it to re-certify even though I likely won't use the EMT-B again before I matriculate to medical school? Would an active EMT license be viewed as good/ impressive even though I'm no longer using it?

How are they going to know if your certification is up to date/active?

 

[Luka75]

How are they going to know if your certification is up to date/active?

Don't they ask for some kind of proof? Can't remember.
Either way... I feel like an interviewer might ask "why did you renew it if you had no plans of using it?"

 

[efle]

Don't they ask for some kind of proof? Can't remember.
Either way... I feel like an interviewer might ask "why did you renew it if you had no plans of using it?"

Not to my knowledge no, you don't have to prove whether you are currently certified or not. Unless OP somehow mentioned getting recertified vs not I don't think it would ever be discussed.

 

[Go4Doc]

Not to my knowledge no, you don't have to prove whether you are currently certified or not. Unless OP somehow mentioned getting recertified vs not I don't think it would ever be discussed.

Sounds good. General consensus seems to be a resounding "no" so I'll just let it expire. One less thing on my plate. Thanks everyone!

 

[gizmoo]

Orrrrr you could just challenge the exam-- I did that, studied a few hours beforehand and passed no problem. I think it's worth it to recertify just in case you ever want to use it again.

 

[Gurby]

Orrrrr you could just challenge the exam-- I did that, studied a few hours beforehand and passed no problem. I think it's worth it to recertify just in case you ever want to use it again.

+1. I would do recert by exam and apply for inactive status. Pay them $100 or whatever it is, retake the written test, fill out the paperwork, receive card 1 week later. Easy peasy. Never know if you will want or need to use it.

 

[The Buff OP]

Orrrrr you could just challenge the exam-- I did that, studied a few hours beforehand and passed no problem. I think it's worth it to recertify just in case you ever want to use it again.

what was covered on it? I'm doing online CE hours (CAPCE approved) at the moment, but I feel like I should of just done the exam.

 

[gizmoo]

what was covered on it? I'm doing online CE hours (CAPCE approved) at the moment, but I feel like I should of just done the exam.

You just have to retake the NREMT cognitive exam. So same thing you did when you applied for EMT license the first time (but no skills component).

 

[The Buff OP]

You just have to retake the NREMT cognitive exam. So same thing you did when you applied for EMT license the first time (but no skills component).

so ob, resp, safety, cards, etc? I still know most of my stuff, but I figured doing CE hours would be better, but this website doesn't offer all of the NCCP classes that I need (I found until I bought it). It's my fault for not taking that many CE hours in the past. Ugh, I already spent 59 bucks on this program.

 

[Go4Doc]

You just have to retake the NREMT cognitive exam. So same thing you did when you applied for EMT license the first time (but no skills component).

Hmm that doesn't sound too bad. I'm just worried that it has been ~8 months since I worked as an EMT so I'm worried that I might have to spend a decent amount of time studying.

 

[Gurby]

Hmm that doesn't sound too bad. I'm just worried that it has been ~8 months since I worked as an EMT so I'm worried that I might have to spend a decent amount of time studying.

If you succeeded in your pre-med biology class, the NREMT will likely be a breeze. Need-to-memorize things that are likely to show up are rule of 9's for peds/adults, GCS, APGAR... Aside from that it's mostly common sense.

 

[Ejm1]

I would just take the exam again and try to recert. Can't hurt. You never know if you might end up working as an EMT during medical school

 

[Medic741]

I let my paramedic cert expire before applying. It was time to move on in life, but made applying even more stressful because my financial safety net was gone lol.

Was nice to be able to pull a grand out of the air over a weekend if my car broke down.

If you're accepted... don't waste your time imo, because it's also getting CMEs...

Fyi, never came up once as a negative thing that I let the cert (also my 'livelihood') expire.

 

[Goro]

Don't bother. In the view of my colleagues on the Adcom, we consider it a glorified taxi driver. At least you actually have gone into the field. A lot of people just get the training so they can say that have the certificate.

Hey All,

So I became an EMT-B a couple of years ago and now is the time to re-certify if I want to remain on the NREMT. I managed to get about ~250 hours experience as a volunteer EMT back when I was a student but since graduation, I've been working full time as a research assistant and I just don't have the time to work as an EMT anymore.

My question is: is it worth it to re-certify even though I likely won't use the EMT-B again before I matriculate to medical school? Would an active EMT license be viewed as good/ impressive even though I'm no longer using it? If I had to guess, I would assume that if I won't be using it, there is no reason to re-certify but I don't want an adcom questioning why I let it expire so close to the application cycle.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Best,

Go4Doc

 

[lancecorpsman]

A recert isn't hard to do. Why would you let your cert go to waste? You're not going to lose anything by just recerting...

 

[BenignBeignet]

How are they going to know if your certification is up to date/active?

They would just look it up in the system. Anyone can look up active status EMT's (at least state-wide).

 

[efle]

They would just look it up in the system. Anyone can look up active status EMT's (at least state-wide).

I promise they won't do this

 

[leonardoson]

I just let mine lapse. Worked as an EMT for 2 years before I became serious about college. I re-certed once. In my gap years I will be pursuing STEM education opportunities instead of wasting my time holding c-spine and handing paramedics gauss. Do something more useful.

 

[aformerstudent]

Hey All,

So I became an EMT-B a couple of years ago and now is the time to re-certify if I want to remain on the NREMT. I managed to get about ~250 hours experience as a volunteer EMT back when I was a student but since graduation, I've been working full time as a research assistant and I just don't have the time to work as an EMT anymore.

My question is: is it worth it to re-certify even though I likely won't use the EMT-B again before I matriculate to medical school? Would an active EMT license be viewed as good/ impressive even though I'm no longer using it? If I had to guess, I would assume that if I won't be using it, there is no reason to re-certify but I don't want an adcom questioning why I let it expire so close to the application cycle.

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Best,

Go4Doc

Here's how I want to answer that. I went to a Caribbean school. When we had our mandatory meeting with the clinical dean, she said to "maintain all of your certifications." I have a friend who is in the exact same boat as you and I told him to "forget about it." The reason is this, I do think the certification looks good but in the end when you are an MD, why on earth would anyone want to be EMT-B certified? EMT's, load and go; as a doctor you can do a little bit more than that.

I say skip it.

 

[Medic741]

Here's how I want to answer that. I went to a Caribbean school. When we had our mandatory meeting with the clinical dean, she said to "maintain all of your certifications." I have a friend who is in the exact same boat as you and I told him to "forget about it." The reason is this, I do think the certification looks good but in the end when you are an MD, why on earth would anyone want to be EMT-B certified? EMT's, load and go; as a doctor you can do a little bit more than that.

I say skip it.

In a number of states to transport patients you must maintain an EMT cert, or there must be an EMT present in the pt care compartment.

Don't worry about keeping your EMT imo it's pretty meaningless, mostly because you didn't work/use it much

 

[BenignBeignet]

I promise they won't do this

Yeah I highly doubt they would, but if they were to that would be the method of how they find out ( I was under the impression that the question was about the mechanism of how they would find it if they wanted to)

 

[The Buff OP]

Deadline has already passed people (March 31st).
/thread