residency question

[streetdoc]

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quick question,
i'm starting medical school in august and was wondering if i should try to keep my BLS, ACLS, AMLS, PALS, and instructor cards current. I'm thinking EM, but of course that will change many times i'm sure. will having my cards make rotations or resdency a bit easier? and are these certifications needed out side of EM?
thanks for feedback,
streetdoc

 

[mikecwru]

Originally posted by streetdoc
quick question,
i'm starting medical school in august and was wondering if i should try to keep my BLS, ACLS, AMLS, PALS, and instructor cards current. I'm thinking EM, but of course that will change many times i'm sure. will having my cards make rotations or resdency a bit easier? and are these certifications needed out side of EM?
thanks for feedback,
streetdoc

I don't think it will help that much despite others disagreeing. You will not have time to significant time to work during med school and there comes a time where you have to give up the ghost as far as being a paramedic is concerned. Those cards, which are big achievements for medics, are done at most residencies in the first week of orientation.

Now, the knowledge and experience you've gained will of course be beneficial from time to time, but I don't think keeping your cards current will. If it cost you alot of money, you may want to keep your medic certification.

mike

 

[DrQuinn]

Agree with Mike.

You will be BLS certified probably once you start med school, and ACLS and PALS comes before you start your rotations (it was that way at my school, and I'm sure at most other schools). When it comes down to applying to residencies, its more important that you mention your background than having been recertified in whatever acronym at that time.

Q

 

[Annette]

How long before you have to recertify? You may find you have time to teach during basic science years, but you won't know until you get there! If they come up soon, I wouldn't spend the money. My school didn't require ACLS or PALS at all (but then again, my school had alot of things not thought through all the way!🙄 )

 

[EMRaiden]

I finished Paramedic school just a few months before starting medical school. I agree that the knowledge that you have gained from having those courses will be invaluable and that keeping them current is not worth the time and money necessary.

Most hospitals I interviewed at offered (read required) ACLS, PALS and ATLS for all of the incoming EM residents. Having said that, I have not taken them since orientation and feel that the daily experience in the "trenches" goes far beyond what is taught.

Requiring ACLS, PALS and other so called "merit badge" courses is discouraged by ACEP and most other EM bodies. The job I have taken does not require them for BC/BE EM physicians, but does for other specialties practicing in the ED. (We have FP/IM grads practicing in Fast Track/Low Acuity areas.)

I will add that I have been able to keep my National Registry certification (on an Inactive Status) throughout Medical School and Residency, at minimal expense ($20 every 2 years). Just keep a log of your classes and submit them to the National Registry, at re-registration time.

 

[Wrangler]

The're right. The concepts you learnd in those courses are great and will help you behave appropriotely in clinical situataions. They transition you to the "act first and think later" reflex that is needed in certain initial emergency evals. You won't be scratching your beard and thnking of the differential as the patient turns blue. However, you will do these courses in about 2 days before residency, and it's a great time to sit back and relax and get to know some of your new pals. Just keeping current certifications up isn't so important as a medical student.

 

[Apollyon]

I worked 1-2 shifts a month for most of the months of my clinical time; the money came in handy, and, had I been more motivated, and gotten my MAC card in NYC, could have paid my rent by working one 8-hour shift per week.

Being a paramedic, and EMS in general, is a big part of my interest in EM. CME-based recert in NY makes that a lot more convenient.

To Mike - ACLS, PALS, and BTLS (or PHTLS) are required by our (and all) REMACs in New York. They're not an achievement per se, although they are a point of derision for those dim souls that can't get the hang of them. If Ohio is different, and they aren't required, then it might be quite an accomplishment.

If you don't need the money, though, it depends on your dedication.

 

[mikecwru]

Originally posted by Apollyon
To Mike - ACLS, PALS, and BTLS (or PHTLS) are required by our (and all) REMACs in New York. They're not an achievement per se, although they are a point of derision for those dim souls that can't get the hang of them. If Ohio is different, and they aren't required, then it might be quite an accomplishment.

If you don't need the money, though, it depends on your dedication.

They're required but a lot of the medics I worked with made them seem like a huge mountain to climb. Now, once you obtain that, I heard a lot of medics say "I would die before I let my stuff expire." But I was just saying in residency, if not med school, you'll do those in a couple of days at the start of residency. I think the life experience helps, but I wouldn't kill myself over keeping those cards. I let all my EMS stuff expire.

mike

 

[streetdoc]

thanks for all the advice guys!
i'm thinking i'll keep my BLS and ACLS instructor cards since i hope to make a penny or two while in school teaching those courses to Drs offices ($300/course will be helpful i'm thinking). maybe i'll be able to teach BLS/ACLS classes to med students on the side for money too.

To those of you going into EM residencies, did you find that your experience in EMS helped you match or is it mostly based on board scores, lors, etc.?

 

[Apollyon]

Nobody gave a DAMN about my experience, but, it was my street time that gave me a big leg up in the ED (and got me my rippingly good recs).

Of course, if you knew me, you would know that I didn't match, and scrambled into a spot.

Even so, on my business card, it will say "MD, EMT-P".

 

[DrQuinn]

Who knows if my previous EMS experienced help. (I was but a lowly EMT-B in Virginia). What did help me though (and was brought up at every interview), is that for the past four years, I have been working part-time as a medical malpractice defense paralegal (reviewing cases, etc). Most of my cases involved EM... so that was a big thing with my interviewers... And of course I made sure to make a point of it in my PS...

Some of my interviewers though asked about my EMS experienced, and I told them this (and they loved it) (btw, I think its true). That if you have previous EMS experience, you KNOW what its like in "the trenches" and have a better appreciation for the EMS system. That will help a lot in dealing with EMS and also in being the medical advisor blah blah. They said even docs who become involved with EMS during residency (but had none before), its not quite the same.

Obviously, I was a bit more eloquent (I have a hat on and my contacts are out, so I'm not typing fluently)... but you get the idea.

Obviously, you have FOUR years before you start applying to residency (assuming you still want EM after the first three years of MS), so keep your options open. Who knows, you may like hearing fibromyalgic patients talk about their teeth itching.


Q

 

[FoughtFyr]

I was a Firefighter/Paramedic prior to medical school. I kept up all of my certifications because I made the mistake of working until well into my M2 year (and I have a "not so hot" Step 1 score to prove it 🙁 ). On my clinical rotations, I have retaken the courses whenever my classmates do - I just stress about them less.

I, like you, am anxious to see how (or if) my experience plays a role in the match. I was advised (by our student affairs dean - who will wirte my 'dean's letter'), to downplay the resume and experiences per se, and instead focus on my "growing into the physician's role" when I write my PS. Her point was simply that I am applying for a resident physician job, not a paramedic job.

IMHO - the experiences you had prior to medical school will matter a great deal more than your certifications when it comes to clerkship success, but I know nothing of the match yet!

BTW - I intend to keep renewing my EMT-P cert. I worked way too hard to get it in the first place! (I did let my EMS-Instructor cert. lapse, too much paperwork!)

- H

 

[deleted6669]

I have kept my acls instructor card up since I was a medic and still teach a few times a year. $25/hr isn't so bad if you are working part time and going to school part time. I intend to keep it current through med school so I can teach a few times a year for the extra $.I will also keep my pals and atls current so I can continue working pa shifts in the E.D. during school. I have heard lots of people say " you can't work during med school" but I know several pa's who worked 20 hrs/week 1st and second year and sporadic shifts 3rd and 4th year, got good usmle scores and matched EM at competitive programs, so I plan on giving it a try. ( my medic cert is still current too although I never use it anymore... the state I was certified in gives lifetime certification)