renew EMT certification?

[emtji]

Hey... I noticed a number of EMT's in the crowd...

I was wondering if anyone could offer some advice as to whether I should renew my certification. I've worked for a year and half (and love it) and my ticket is set to expire in June 2004. I'm set for med school next year...which will start sometime in August, 2003.

I think I might want to work during vacations and occasional trips back home, though I'm not sure about next summer. and i'm also under the impression that med school provides you with BLS certification after the first year....

so my question is, is it worth the remaining 18 hours of con ed (some of which i can get for free through my service) and the $70 registration fee from the state? i haven't done the bls refresher, which would cost a good amount of money and would take up a number of hours....

thanks!

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[medicRN669]

Hey, sorta hard to help because it is more or less your decision, but ill give my 2 cents worth.
If you think you want to work and you love doing it, I would keep the certification. If I am accepted next year, I am planning on keeping mine.
Another idea for the cont ed hours: I would call national registry(if your state does that), and tell them you are/will be in medical school and they will count those hours as an upgrade or something. They counted my nursing school for medic renewal.
All and all just do what you think you want to do, and congrats on med school.
Sorry this prob didnt help much.

 

[DrQuinn]

Here's some advice from a 4th year:

I matched into an MD EM residency (so right up your alley), and myself was an EMT during college. Let it expire.

You now are in a completely different league. Your time off during medical school is SO precious to you. You will NOT be in the same shoes when you go back to work. Let it go, its natural.

When you apply to residency, make sure you mention your previous EMS experience... but that's it. Having a current certification won't help you at all. Just your experience MAY help you a little.

Your time off is going to be so precious to you, you can't understand that now. Let it expire. It wont' really mean much when it comes to being in medical school or applying to residency. On your time off, drink some beer, hang out with your family or college friends...

If you do decide to "slip back into the role" you will find your role to be a bit different... and perhaps even lacking. That's why you drop it now. Pre-meds often are against this situation, but, hey, you'll realize it when you get to my stage.

Good luck!
Quinn

 

[streetdoc]

I'm kind of in you shoes emtji. my registry expires in a year (middle of 1st yar) and i need a 48 hr refresher class to keep it.

here's the deal- it will probably depend on how much you like money. i definitely understand quinn's advise, but to me, i just don't think i'll be happy living off a loan budget (i've been working full time for 3 years now) and my parents are not wealthy. i'm thinking now that i'll work over xmas break. if i find i have no interest in working, i won't worry about renewing. you could easily do the same. wait till xmas and see if you are really going to feel like working. now, being a basic may be a bit different because i know there is a pay gap (i'm medic) and you may not find the pay worth it. look into private transport services...they pay pretty well and the hours are regular.

also, you may want to think about what you will do over the summer. working EMS gives lots of free time and patient contact. just my ideas. the decision is up to you of course.

streetdoc

 

[DrQuinn]

Street-

You're right. I didn't factor in the $ part of it. (I was an EMT for a voluntary squad). Although you will find that with your loan money, you have a lot of $ to spend (unless you blow it on a real nice apartment or buy a car). And remember you will only have ONE summer (between 1st and 2nd year)... that's your last vacation until you get to where I am... waiting to graduate (have three months off! Which is why I am posting so much ).

Q

 

[emtji]

thanks for all the advice.

i called my OEMS in my state, and it turns out that at least in Massachusetts, you can get con ed hours by taking med school classes. how convenient.

on top of that, all i would need to do would be to take the bls refresher.....

i don't really expect to work on my few days off, especially since i'll probably be going to school far away from home, but i think i may want to fill in some spare time next summer with some time at the ambulance company.

money is a big concern. the way i see it, every dollar I make now saves me money in interest down the road from unsubsidized loans. even though it is a small amount of money ($11.70/hr) it's better than pretty much anything else I could get from a summer job. and I'd get to be outside and driving around this summer.... i don't expect to work during school time.... so what money i make now will hopefully last me through the year in addition to loans.

 

[DrQuinn]

EMTJI-

I used to think your way... that I should save my money to decrease the burden down the road... But... think about it this way...

So, yeah, you make $500 a month doing whatever... but you don't have your evenings or your weekends to yourself... and you can only do the working thing during 1st/2nd year. By the time third year comes around you will be working 60-80hrs a week on rotations anyways, and fourth year you will be interviewing for residency for 4 months.

When you're an attending, you'll be pulling in 200k a year. You can scrunch up then if you want to pay off your loans in 5, 6, 10 years. Or drag it out 30 years. But when you're making 200k a year, $500 a month is piddly-money.

I'd rather you have fun and enjoy yourself during medical school, DE-STRESS on the weekends, and take up new hobbies.

I had a lot of colleagues in school like you, who tried to work (not cause they truly needed it, but they had the same philosophy you do), and they were VERY unhappy.

Just a warning.

Q

 

[paramed2premed]

11.70 an hour!! Holy cow, why did I get my medic?

Up here in cow country (NH) a new medic pulls down about 13. For the extra 2 dollars (You owe me two dollars...) I get to worry about all the extra ways I can accidently kill a patient; lidocaine, succinylcholine, cardioversion.
Of course, they probaly have to pay the basics that much to put up with paramedics!

 

[H0mersimps0n]

My NYS Paramedic friend who is currently an MS-I at LECOM (PA) said that all he had to do was fill out some forms and pay a small fee and they automatically updated all his cards because of the medical school classes he was taking or something.

I would seriously inquire about special conditions for medical students and renewing your card, I think it can be done cheaply and quickly simply by default.

I plan on finding out more details when I get to PA myself

Off to LECOM this summer!! WHOO HOO!

 

[streetdoc]

OH MY!!!!!! 11.70/ hr. well well well...i'm in the wrong county/state!! don't laugh, but i want you to realize how lucky you are. i make 9.60/hr as a medic with 3 years of EMS experience and 2 years as a medic. ( i started at 5.60 as a basic). but, to put it in perspective...i rent a 2 bedroom house with 1500 sq ft and a basement for 450/month. so i hope you cost of living is more up there...if not, i'm moving!!!

quinn, i've been thinking about the money:relax time ratio and think you may be right...i do so love my time alone! i guess once you the MD, the loans don't seem that bad. do EM physicians really make 200,00???? also, i was wondering what you did during the summer break? i was thinking i should do something medically relevent and since i love EMS that would be a good thing to do. did you sit around or did you work doing something different?

 

[emtji]

yeah...i'd never work while in school.

and BLS in Boston, MA starts at around 11-12/hr, 11 if you want 911 calls and 12 if can deal with transfers.

Medics start at 14-15.

but then again, here, a studio costs 1000/month.

 

[tkim]

$21/hr.

But, you have to get nice and crispy like me - after working 12 years in the 'moan mobile'.

- Tae