Regarding AAMC survey with clinical experience

[Tyrone.]

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I am an EMT while I am in college but I have seen from the AAMC report that clinical experience (volunteering and shadowing in hospitals and other clinical settings) are seen as more important than EMS experience. I suppose this is because it is pre-hospital care. I was curious if anyone could elaborate on that, and if it would be worth me focusing on occasional volunteering and shadowing and being able to take on more courses/semester vs. working mandatory full time only for EMS and using every other minute studying and not having time for shadowing and volunteering.

I know it sounds bad to say I want to look good for AdComs, but it's not NOT true. I want to show that I know what I'm getting myself into, and if volunteering and shadowing would look better and help me more than my paid experience in EMS than I would rather do that. Any advice is helpful. Thanks!

 

[mellie0]

This is going to sound cliche, but do what you’re going to be happy with. They really do notice when you do something out of interest/real passion vs. box-checking. Being in EMS for a long period of time will show commitment & long-term involvement, which are both great. Just do you and you’d be amazed how everything will fall into place.

 

[Tyrone.]

This is going to sound cliche, but do what you’re going to be happy with. They really do notice when you do something out of interest/real passion vs. box-checking. Being in EMS for a long period of time will show commitment & long-term involvement, which are both great. Just do you and you’d be amazed how everything will fall into place.

I appreciate that, and I agree in doing in what I am passionate about. I honestly have only been certified since May of this year, so not much experience. The only hard part is being at an agency that requires you to work full time only. I have to pull atleast 36 hours a week, so that equates to three 12's on the truck. I can do that, but that does lessen the amount of courses I can take, as well as take away from my chance to shadow and volunteer unless I just commit to no life outside of those parameters. I am a little older (27, 29/30 at applying time) and originally planned on going to PA school before following my actual dream and not stopping myself because of being a little older, so that was originally why I got certified as an EMT. I suppose I'm just really looking for some guidance on what might be better for me to do and add more value to my application from an AdCom standpoint.

 

[LizzyM]

I appreciate that, and I agree in doing in what I am passionate about. I honestly have only been certified since May of this year, so not much experience. The only hard part is being at an agency that requires you to work full time only. I have to pull atleast 36 hours a week, so that equates to three 12's on the truck. I can do that, but that does lessen the amount of courses I can take, as well as take away from my chance to shadow and volunteer unless I just commit to no life outside of those parameters. I am a little older (27, 29/30 at applying time) and originally planned on going to PA school before following my actual dream and not stopping myself because of being a little older, so that was originally why I got certified as an EMT. I suppose I'm just really looking for some guidance on what might be better for me to do and add more value to my application from an AdCom standpoint.

@Planes2Doc has written about this extensively. Working full time may be shortchanging you in terms of your academics (both load and grades) and your opportunity to explore the environments in which medicine is practiced (inpatient setting, ambulatory care settings, "doctor's office", clinic, extended care facility) through volunteering and/or shadowing.

If you don't have to work f/t, step away from EMT and get a part-time job coupled with time for volunteering and shadowing as well as a heavier academic load.

 

[Tyrone.]

That was a fantastic way to convey what I was thinking. I wanted to be sure of that. I was thinking of a PRN position as an ER tech or scribe, or even if I could land a clinical research job I'd be happy. I don't know if that would be available to me, though. That was a response I needed to see. Thank you very much.


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