Saved My First Life! Now How much do I have to lie about it?

[deleted1030570]

SO I've spent my summer volunteering as a street medic at the black lives matter protests. In fact I founded a street medic coalition and am acting as our treasurer. This past week while I was out at a protest my medic partner came up to me and told me they'd stopped sweating. This set off alarm bells for both of us and I immediately began treating with instant cold packs and by having them sip rehydration salts mixed with water bottles. They continued to deteriorate, and I insisted we fall off the protest and get back to the cars.

While waiting for an uber they began exhibiting cognitive impairment. They were still awake and alert, but they were punch drunk. I wanted to call an ambulance at this point, but they don't have insurance, so I cancelled the uber and dragged them into a parking garage. There I flagged down a total stranger and begged them to give us a ride back to my car. At this point their body temp was still increasing and they were dry as a bone. They didn't want to go to the ER, but I insisted. Once we got back to my car I blasted AC (still treating with water and more cold packs on the neck, armpits and groin). We got to the ER and their head was burning up despite directly being in the AC. They wanted to wait and see if they got worse, but I insisted.

Turns out they had a blood clot in their lungs and if we had waited they might've died. They've since thanked me for dragging them to the ER.

Now, can someone help me figure out how much lie about this story so I can use it in my application. Also if you have an idea on how to spin "street medic" so I can use those volunteering hours I would really appreciate it. I'm thinking "Volunteered providing first aid services at locally organized events"

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[zorcandpals]

I dont think you need to lie abbout this at all. You could talk about this incident as part of your involvement with the street medic coalition and then weave in more details on the administrative parts to form a cohesive story about your work.

 

[viralhiker]

I’m no expert, but I don’t think you should be lying on your application.

 

[LunaOri]

By "lie", do you mean change the details to protect your friend's confidentiality? Why not just ask him for permission to use this incident in your application?

 

[deleted1030570]

By "lie", do you mean change the details to protect your friend's confidentiality? Why not just ask him for permission to use this incident in your application?

I mean like dance around certain details, such as the fact we were at a black lives matter protest.

 

[LunaOri]

Oh, hell no! Do not lie about that!

 

[longhaul3]

I don't think you should use this story at all, at least not as dramatically as you tell it here. Remember, you are trying to impress a bunch of physicians. No physician is going to be particularly impressed that you noticed someone with a PE was in extremis and brought him /her to the ED. On top of that, your telling of it sounds a little self-congratulatory to me. Strong applicants tend to demonstrate humility, modesty, and lead the interviewer to believe they will understand and accept the gradual release of responsibility that is a central tenet and critical feature of medical training.

Furthermore, and of course I could be 100% wrong, but "street medic" sounds like an untrained eager beaver running around with a first aid kit. Unless you're licensed or certified in some capacity, I think you should avoid talking about how you are providing medical care and saving lives.

I don't mean to shoot you down, but as someone who interviews med school applicants, I want to explain that this will not come off to some people the way you intend it to so you are aware of that perspective before you go all in.

 

[ParaMagic1]

Congratulations on talking them into going to the ER... It probably saved their life.

Now, onto the advice you seem to be seeking... First and foremost... Do not lie on your application... unless of course you never want to get into medical school. A core value of virtually every medical school is integrity...

Next, I would echo what has been stated previously. Forming an "official" group that provides medical aid (un-licensed) and titling yourself the "treasurer" would probably not be something that should be brought up as it may be viewed poorly.

Although this is a very interesting experience the only place I could see this fitting is MAYBE inside of a secondary response... Or even in your personal statement if this was that impactful for you on your journey to medicine... Understand that this type of story to be used as a counter argument...Example of a counter would be in regards to the fact that you DIDN'T call EMS (professional medics) when you recognized a medical emergency...

TL;DR: Don't lie on your application.

 

[deleted480308]

SO I've spent my summer volunteering as a street medic at the black lives matter protests. In fact I founded a street medic coalition and am acting as our treasurer. This past week while I was out at a protest my medic partner came up to me and told me they'd stopped sweating. This set off alarm bells for both of us and I immediately began treating with instant cold packs and by having them sip rehydration salts mixed with water bottles. They continued to deteriorate, and I insisted we fall off the protest and get back to the cars.

While waiting for an uber they began exhibiting cognitive impairment. They were still awake and alert, but they were punch drunk. I wanted to call an ambulance at this point, but they don't have insurance, so I cancelled the uber and dragged them into a parking garage. There I flagged down a total stranger and begged them to give us a ride back to my car. At this point their body temp was still increasing and they were dry as a bone. They didn't want to go to the ER, but I insisted. Once we got back to my car I blasted AC (still treating with water and more cold packs on the neck, armpits and groin). We got to the ER and their head was burning up despite directly being in the AC. They wanted to wait and see if they got worse, but I insisted.

Turns out they had a blood clot in their lungs and if we had waited they might've died. They've since thanked me for dragging them to the ER.

Now, can someone help me figure out how much lie about this story so I can use it in my application. Also if you have an idea on how to spin "street medic" so I can use those volunteering hours I would really appreciate it. I'm thinking "Volunteered providing first aid services at locally organized events"

You avoided calling 911 while attempting to practice medicine (without a license or training) and organizing a group of other untrained people to pretend to be medically trained

this is not a story to tell to anyone. If you manage to get into medical school you will reach a point where you understand this

protest racism because racism is bad. Call 911 for very sick people. Don’t tell that story

 

[ArteryStudyPainting]

I mean, more power to do what you want.

But I would feel rediculous using this 'good(?) deed' as a form of currency for medical school.

 

[deleted1030570]

You avoided calling 911 while attempting to practice medicine (without a license or training) and organizing a group of other untrained people to pretend to be medically trained

this is not a story to tell to anyone. If you manage to get into medical school you will reach a point where you understand this

protest racism because racism is bad. Call 911 for very sick people. Don’t tell that story

I couldn't call 911 because my friend couldn't afford an ambulance. I got them to a hospital as fast as possible.

 

[deleted1030570]

Congratulations on talking them into going to the ER... It probably saved their life.

Now, onto the advice you seem to be seeking... First and foremost... Do not lie on your application... unless of course you never want to get into medical school. A core value of virtually every medical school is integrity...

Next, I would echo what has been stated previously. Forming an "official" group that provides medical aid (un-licensed) and titling yourself the "treasurer" would probably not be something that should be brought up as it may be viewed poorly.

Although this is a very interesting experience the only place I could see this fitting is MAYBE inside of a secondary response... Or even in your personal statement if this was that impactful for you on your journey to medicine... Understand that this type of story to be used as a counter argument...Example of a counter would be in regards to the fact that you DIDN'T call EMS (professional medics) when you recognized a medical emergency...

TL;DR: Don't lie on your application.

True, would it help if I made it clear my reasoning for not calling 911
-EMS has been known to work with police (Elijah McClain)
-My friend absolutely could not afford an ambulance ride on top of ER bills (No Insurance)
-Cops were blocking off massive sections of road at this point and I felt waiting on an ambulance would delay us even farther

 

[deleted1030570]

I don't think you should use this story at all, at least not as dramatically as you tell it here. Remember, you are trying to impress a bunch of physicians. No physician is going to be particularly impressed that you noticed someone with a PE was in extremis and brought him /her to the ED. On top of that, your telling of it sounds a little self-congratulatory to me. Strong applicants tend to demonstrate humility, modesty, and lead the interviewer to believe they will understand and accept the gradual release of responsibility that is a central tenet and critical feature of medical training.

Furthermore, and of course I could be 100% wrong, but "street medic" sounds like an untrained eager beaver running around with a first aid kit. Unless you're licensed or certified in some capacity, I think you should avoid talking about how you are providing medical care and saving lives.

I don't mean to shoot you down, but as someone who interviews med school applicants, I want to explain that this will not come off to some people the way you intend it to so you are aware of that perspective before you go all in.

Honestly I feel weird even saying that I "Saved their life." I do think I want to tell the story because being a street medic a big part of why I want to go into medicine: to get that higher training. I have a first aid cert and have been trained by other street medics who are working in crazier cities than mine, including paramedics, but I want to go to medical school so that I can be someone who people can go to when they need emergency care but can't afford it. Now I also have other stories that are more mild where I'm not the treater (A girl got hit by a car driven by a white supremacist once). Would those be better stories to focus on?

 

[viralhiker]

being a street medic a big part of why I want to go into medicine: to get that higher training.

As someone without “higher training”, you should be weary of describing yourself as a medic.

 

[deleted480308]

I couldn't call 911 because my friend couldn't afford an ambulance. I got them to a hospital as fast as possible.

That’s not how 911 works. If you want to be a doctor, don’t tell adcoms this story. When you finally learn a bit more you will understand

 

[LunaOri]

I think the story could work if you can show how you came to realize that your limited training did not prepare you to help people the way you would like. No shame in being a "street medic", but use your experience to explain how you helped out in a situation where no real medical care was available, and how you concluded that being a "street medic" was not good enough. Don't mention being the "treasurer".

 

[ArteryStudyPainting]

You need to really consider your maturity as well.

Look at your thread title. Really look at it.

I went to the protests in my capacity and with my credentials (NREMT).

Your job, if anything, is to be a gatekeeper to actual care.

It's one thing if someone scraps a knee, or needs water. And even then. Your biggest skill? Knowing when to initiate real care. Your phone. I hope it was a lapse in judgement. An in the moment lapse in judgement.

It's like you were charged in doing this, like a mall cop that gets to pull out their taser for the first time. I can emphatically tell you that charged feeling is misplaced. A true person who cares for others for the right reasons should never be excited to take care of things like this. An example would be a Firehouse. It is good to want to help, and it's good to say I'm glad I was able to help. But no one in that fire house should ever think darn, it's really quiet out. I wish I had something to take care of. Because what that means is there are people who are having the worst day of their lives. The best day is a day in which you do nothing.

Looking at what I just wrote, I might be being a little too harsh. It is okay to think that I'm glad I was there when that person needed my help. And it's an exciting feeling. I am glad that you were there to care for that person, but it needs to be done differently next time.

It's another thing to, with no standard of care, no protocols, no possiblity of an upgrade in care, or any communication, load someone up and go with a life threatening issue.

You advocate for that person. Call 911. Go get a cop. Etc. This is not a video game. They will not let that person die if they can help it.

You'd have been better off calling yourself a good samaritan, if anything. But going around like you are, is like saying you're investigating a robbery like a cop, but you're not r e a l l y a cop, per se.

Not how it works.

So I guess I don't have an issue with you doing what you did. I take issue with you calling yourself more than you are, thinking all of this is a game, trying to profit from it, and not really caring what happened (unlike other people who have a duty to care, a legitimate
Volunteer or professional, etc.).

Because truthfully, I assume two things. If that person was hurt because of your actions, you'd be in deep. And two, if that person was hurt or didn't make it, you'd probably ham that up in your head, and stretch it to the max on an application ("I could see the tears rolling down his family's eyes when I had to tell them, I did everything I could do" and it still wasn't enough. That's why I want to be a doctor).

Which frankly, makes me even more livid at this post.

 

[ArteryStudyPainting]

Also, what is your infatuation with trying to make yourself be more than you are? There is nothing wrong with being who you are. You can want to improve yourself always, but do not lie because one day it will cause a problem. I promise you that.

Stop looking for ways to lie, evidenced by your previous posts.

Be proud of who you are, not what you think you are. And if you are not who you want to be, work towards that. There is no problem in doing that.

 

[TelemarketingEnigma]

Your job, if anything, is to be a gatekeeper to actual care.

I think this is the most important thing you can learn at this level of skill/ability to actually help. One thing I wrote about in my med school apps was how as an EMT-B, sometimes the most important thing I could do was hold someone's hand and keep them calm until we got them to higher care. Very rarely are you directly "saving someone's life" in the field, especially with only BLS level training. You're mostly just making sure they don't die before someone else can really fix them.

You should be proud of helping your friend. You should also take a good look at what could have gone wrong in this situation. What if they'd gown downhill before you got them to the hospital? Would you have wished you'd called an ambulance? I'm highly sympathetic to the high cost of medical care, but deciding not to call an ambulance for a true emergency is not necessarily something to brag about, especially not in a med school application.

I don't have an issue with street medics, I have friends with extensive street medic experience and understand the value they bring to keeping people safe at protests. But one effect of recent events is that being a street medic has become a trendy thing among people who don't have the experience to match their level confidence. Knowing what you don't know is so important.

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

I couldn't call 911 because my friend couldn't afford an ambulance. I got them to a hospital as fast as possible.

So I appreciate the excitement and desire to help your friend. If you want to talk about it in your personal statement/interviews I would strongly recommend keeping it vague and about recognizing your own limitations (which it doesn't seem you are doing here) and I'll tell you why:
1. Ice packs don't fix a pulmonary embolism; that is, you recognized your friend needed help but the care you provided was wrong. And if you had assumed you were doing all that was needed your friend could have died.
2. Your friend certainly could have afforded an ambulance. Again, they quite possibly could have died and you delayed their care.
3. As said above, you are providing unlicensed care. Honestly, if your friend has complications you could be found liable because you did not call them an ambulance right away. Good Samaritan laws do not/would not protect you here.

You need to know that you should have 100,000% have called an ambulance. You were practicing outside your scope and could have hurt/killed someone.

 

[deleted1030570]

I think this is the most important thing you can learn at this level of skill/ability to actually help. One thing I wrote about in my med school apps was how as an EMT-B, sometimes the most important thing I could do was hold someone's hand and keep them calm until we got them to higher care. Very rarely are you directly "saving someone's life" in the field, especially with only BLS level training. You're mostly just making sure they don't die before someone else can really fix them.

You should be proud of helping your friend. You should also take a good look at what could have gone wrong in this situation. What if they'd gown downhill before you got them to the hospital? Would you have wished you'd called an ambulance? I'm highly sympathetic to the high cost of medical care, but deciding not to call an ambulance for a true emergency is not necessarily something to brag about, especially not in a med school application.

I don't have an issue with street medics, I have friends with extensive street medic experience and understand the value they bring to keeping people safe at protests. But one effect of recent events is that being a street medic has become a trendy thing among people who don't have the experience to match their level confidence. Knowing what you don't know is so important.

So I appreciate the excitement and desire to help your friend. If you want to talk about it in your personal statement/interviews I would strongly recommend keeping it vague and about recognizing your own limitations (which it doesn't seem you are doing here) and I'll tell you why:
1. Ice packs don't fix a pulmonary embolism; that is, you recognized your friend needed help but the care you provided was wrong. And if you had assumed you were doing all that was needed your friend could have died.
2. Your friend certainly could have afforded an ambulance. Again, they quite possibly could have died and you delayed their care.
3. As said above, you are providing unlicensed care. Honestly, if your friend has complications you could be found liable because you did not call them an ambulance right away. Good Samaritan laws do not/would not protect you here.

You need to know that you should have 100,000% have called an ambulance. You were practicing outside your scope and could have hurt/killed someone.

Thanks I'll take that into consideration next time the person I'm treating has insurance/doesn't EXPLICITLY tell me they will refuse care should I call an ambulance.

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

Thanks I'll take that into consideration next time the person I'm treating has insurance/doesn't EXPLICITLY tell me they will refuse care should I call an ambulance.

You yourself said they were punch drunk. Literally meaning altered sensorium. Which means they were not in a state of mind that would allow for refusal of care.

EDIT: And, again, making any of these decisions is outside your scope. You shouldn't be and shouldn't have to be making these decisions.

 

[deleted1030570]

You need to really consider your maturity as well.

Look at your thread title. Really look at it.

I went to the protests in my capacity and with my credentials (NREMT).

Your job, if anything, is to be a gatekeeper to actual care.

It's one thing if someone scraps a knee, or needs water. And even then. Your biggest skill? Knowing when to initiate real care. Your phone. I hope it was a lapse in judgement. An in the moment lapse in judgement.

It's like you were charged in doing this, like a mall cop that gets to pull out their taser for the first time. I can emphatically tell you that charged feeling is misplaced. A true person who cares for others for the right reasons should never be excited to take care of things like this. An example would be a Firehouse. It is good to want to help, and it's good to say I'm glad I was able to help. But no one in that fire house should ever think darn, it's really quiet out. I wish I had something to take care of. Because what that means is there are people who are having the worst day of their lives. The best day is a day in which you do nothing.

Looking at what I just wrote, I might be being a little too harsh. It is okay to think that I'm glad I was there when that person needed my help. And it's an exciting feeling. I am glad that you were there to care for that person, but it needs to be done differently next time.

It's another thing to, with no standard of care, no protocols, no possiblity of an upgrade in care, or any communication, load someone up and go with a life threatening issue.

You advocate for that person. Call 911. Go get a cop. Etc. This is not a video game. They will not let that person die if they can help it.

You'd have been better off calling yourself a good samaritan, if anything. But going around like you are, is like saying you're investigating a robbery like a cop, but you're not r e a l l y a cop, per se.

Not how it works.

So I guess I don't have an issue with you doing what you did. I take issue with you calling yourself more than you are, thinking all of this is a game, trying to profit from it, and not really caring what happened (unlike other people who have a duty to care, a legitimate
Volunteer or professional, etc.).

Because truthfully, I assume two things. If that person was hurt because of your actions, you'd be in deep. And two, if that person was hurt or didn't make it, you'd probably ham that up in your head, and stretch it to the max on an application ("I could see the tears rolling down his family's eyes when I had to tell them, I did everything I could do" and it still wasn't enough. That's why I want to be a doctor).

Which frankly, makes me even more livid at this post.

Street Medic 101: NEVER turn a patient over to a cop. They're lible to just toss them in a cell and let them die. That statement in and of itself tells me you have no business being out as a street medic.
I'm sorry if my post came off as dramatizing. I'm a creative writing major so my writing tends to feel very structured. I will definitely take that feedback into account when I'm writing. I definitely don't want adcoms to think that I somehow consider myself the "hero" of this story. I just thought it was good for showing that I can keep my head under pressure and can assess all the aspects of a situation.

 

[deleted1030570]

You yourself said they were punch drunk. Literally meaning altered sensorium. Which means they were not in a state of mind that would allow for refusal of care.

EDIT: And, again, making any of these decisions is outside your scope. You shouldn't be and shouldn't have to be making these decisions.

They weren't punch drunk when they told me not to call an ambulance. They only started mentally declining when we were already on our way to the hospital

 

[deleted1030570]

Street Medic 101: NEVER turn a patient over to a cop. They're lible to just toss them in a cell and let them die. That statement in and of itself tells me you have no business being out as a street medic.
I'm sorry if my post came off as dramatizing. I'm a creative writing major so my writing tends to feel very structured. I will definitely take that feedback into account when I'm writing. I definitely don't want adcoms to think that I somehow consider myself the "hero" of this story. I just thought it was good for showing that I can keep my head under pressure and can assess all the aspects of a situation.

Above we believe in CONSENT. If they specifically ask for no ambulance and we aren't in a implied consent situation I am not calling an ambulance. You are right though. I will keep it more vague if I choose to write about it.

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

They weren't punch drunk when they told me not to call an ambulance. They only started mentally declining when we were already on our way to the hospital

Maybe it is the creative writer in you, but check out your second paragraph. You reconsider calling an ambulance (now that we are entering an 'implied consent' situation) and still don't. But you know what? Fine. Tell the story as is and talk about how you saved lives and ignore the advice of multiple physicians and AdComm members. If you do not think you did anything wrong in this situation there is no reason to lie about any of it.

 

[TelemarketingEnigma]

I just thought it was good for showing that I can keep my head under pressure and can assess all the aspects of a situation.

As described above, I don't think this story shows what you think it does. I'm not saying you should have handed your friend to a cop (cops aren't particularly good at medical care either), and you got lucky here in that an ambulance wasn't necessary this time. but I am saying that you don't seem to recognize how this could have also gone very very badly. you should take some time to consider the ways that could have happened if you want to pursue prehospital type care, street medic or otherwise. Calling an ambulance doesn't mean that they have to accept the ride - they can still refuse care and if the paramedics/EMTs feel it is safe, they will let them go. Calling an ambulance DOES mean that you have a higher skill level on their way to bail you out if things go south.

 

[deleted1030570]

Maybe it is the creative writer in you, but check out your second paragraph. You reconsider calling an ambulance (now that we are entering an 'implied consent' situation) and still don't. But you know what? Fine. Tell the story as is and talk about how you saved lives and ignore the advice of multiple physicians and AdComm members. If you do not think you did anything wrong in this situation there is no reason to lie about any of it.

Okay, yeah you're right. If I keep the story for my PS I will probably be a lot more vague. I have a lot of guilt about things I could've done differently, but I believe I did the best I could with the information I had. Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate it.

 

[Dave1980]

Don't use the story for many of the reasons above. Also the signs and symptoms and final diagnosis don't add up at all.

Stopped sweating, burning up, altered mental status --> PE?!?!?

 

[deleted1030570]

As described above, I don't think this story shows what you think it does. I'm not saying you should have handed your friend to a cop (cops aren't particularly good at medical care either), and you got lucky here in that an ambulance wasn't necessary this time. but I am saying that you don't seem to recognize how this could have also gone very very badly. you should take some time to consider the ways that could have happened if you want to pursue prehospital type care, street medic or otherwise. Calling an ambulance doesn't mean that they have to accept the ride - they can still refuse care and if the paramedics/EMTs feel it is safe, they will let them go. Calling an ambulance DOES mean that you have a higher skill level on their way to bail you out if things go south.

I have a lot of guilt about how things could've gone differently, but I still believe I did the best I could with the information I had. We actually ran into a firefighter on the way there (I left it out because narrative flow. It sounded more dramatic without it, yeah that's the creative writer in me) who said we were good to drive to the ER, but we should definitely go to the ER. At this point my friend still wanted to sit in the car outside of the ER and I had to talk them into going in.

 

[deleted1030570]

Don't use the story for many of the reasons above. Also the signs and symptoms and final diagnosis don't add up at all.

Stopped sweating, burning up, altered mental status --> PE?!?!?

I thought they were just dehydrated. But when we got to the ER they had a double-normal D-dimer test and they got a CT scan that found the blood clot in their lungs.

 

[viralhiker]

Above we believe in CONSENT. If they specifically ask for no ambulance and we aren't in a implied consent situation I am not calling an ambulance. You are right though. I will keep it more vague if I choose to write about it.

What did your first aid training teach you about this situation? Did your instructor say, “if you believe your friend to be in a life or death situation, and they say no ambulance, try to hitchhike to the hospital”?

I get that you thought you were being noble and helping your friend for the plethora of reasons you’ve described, but what if you couldn’t flag down a passerby, trying as hard as you were, and in all reality an ambulance would have gotten there sooner? You and your patients’ success as a future healthcare provider will rely on your understanding of when and where you are out of your league. The attitude your post displays of Ricky Rescue bragging about saving their “first life” is not going to get you far. This all on top of the fact your first reaction was to recruit others to help you craft a lie to make this more palatable with Adcoms represents a further lack of judgement.

 

[viralhiker]

Above we believe in CONSENT. If they specifically ask for no ambulance and we aren't in a implied consent situation I am not calling an ambulance.

Sorry to keep harping on you, but speaking as an EMT I need to point something else out (if not at least for anyone else that might feel as you do and refuse to call 911 in an emergency).

You could have called for EMS assistance without your friend being charged for the ambulance ride and treatment. Given that the paramedics/EMTs that would have responded are trained and licensed in recognizing situations of implied consent, they would have never forced care upon your friend if he refused it (and was of sound mind and body). You could have deferred to the experts and allowed them to explain the risks of refusing care. Who knows? If your friend heard a trained paramedic say what they certainly would have in this situation, then they may have responded differently.

EMTs and Paramedics are NOT going to hold you in custody. They WILL NOT force care upon you and charge you with exorbitant fees just because you called 911. You and anyone who is reading this post should not be afraid of calling for emergency services because of the situation you laid out for us.

Please, in the future, call 911.

 

[dr_kateb]

OP has textbook Messiah complex.

 

[deleted480308]

Street Medic 101: NEVER turn a patient over to a cop. They're lible to just toss them in a cell and let them die. That statement in and of itself tells me you have no business being out as a street medic.
I'm sorry if my post came off as dramatizing. I'm a creative writing major so my writing tends to feel very structured. I will definitely take that feedback into account when I'm writing. I definitely don't want adcoms to think that I somehow consider myself the "hero" of this story. I just thought it was good for showing that I can keep my head under pressure and can assess all the aspects of a situation.

I change my mind. Please tell the entire story from beginning to end to every medical school

 

[Tenk]

I don't think you should use this story at all, at least not as dramatically as you tell it here. Remember, you are trying to impress a bunch of physicians. No physician is going to be particularly impressed that you noticed someone with a PE was in extremis and brought him /her to the ED. On top of that, your telling of it sounds a little self-congratulatory to me. Strong applicants tend to demonstrate humility, modesty, and lead the interviewer to believe they will understand and accept the gradual release of responsibility that is a central tenet and critical feature of medical training.

Furthermore, and of course I could be 100% wrong, but "street medic" sounds like an untrained eager beaver running around with a first aid kit. Unless you're licensed or certified in some capacity, I think you should avoid talking about how you are providing medical care and saving lives.

I don't mean to shoot you down, but as someone who interviews med school applicants, I want to explain that this will not come off to some people the way you intend it to so you are aware of that perspective before you go all in.

As an ED doc, 100% agree with this. This story made me cringe.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Okay, I don’t think this is going anywhere. OP has gotten a pretty unanimous vote here, which I agree with.

As a side note, we do not support nor recommend practicing medicine without a license or acting in the scope of any healthcare provider without proper training. Even a physician who is out in the world and sees something happen will call 911 in an emergency.