School while being EMT/ER-tech?

[Sainttpk]

Hello folks,

I am curious if anyone else is in my position. This summer I am completeing my EMT-B cert. Next year I am finishing my last year of law school, and my plan was to work as an ER-tech or EMT on the weekends until I apply to medical school.

I am getting my EMT cert because I want clinical experince before I apply to medical school. Which will be in about 3 years. Is an EMT cert worth it just to work 3 years? From what I have read, it seems that being an EMT is the only real way to get some decent clinical experince.

Upon graduation I want to work parttime while finishing up my medical school prereqs. Maybe 10 credits a quarter. or so. Is anyone else out there in my shoes? Do you know whether many hospitals hire many parttime ER-techs? I do not have time to work full time. but if I could work maybe 20-25 hours a week while going to school that would be nice, I appreciate your responses.

T

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[EMBess]

It depends a lot on your location, but getting an actual paying job as an EMT-B is not as easy as it would be if you were ALS in some capacity. That said, there are ways to go about it.

Most paid ambulance services that are in urban areas (i.e. ones that actually run real emergency calls) only hire EMT-B's as drivers, meaning you'd have to have EVOC as well. Some paid transport companies are like that, too. That doesn't get you that much clinical experience since you hae little hands-on time with patients.

There's always volunteer organizations (often in suburbs and/or rural areas) - that's where I got most of my pre-med school clinical experience. They tend to let EMT-B's do more stuff since they are often a little more stressed for staff and often use a "tiered" system of response (i.e. certain complaints get a BLS unit, and others get an ALS unit) where the paid, urban agencies use all ALS all the time. Also, other paid services that mostly do stuff like interfacility transfers don't allow for a heck of a lot of clinical experience in that your only real job in that situation is to continue the care the patient is already receiving - you make little or no decisions yourself. A way to tell how much you're going to see with a particular volunteer squad is to ask what their average number of calls per year is - the more the better.

As for a job as an ER tech, more and more they are requiring ALS since one of your main functions is IV starting and usually also participating in transporting patients that may potentially need ACLS intervention (i.e. taking patients up to the ICU). Also, even if they hire EMT-B's, oftentimes they want you to have some level of experience actually using your EMT before they hire you to work in the ER. The best way for you to find out whether or not you could get a job as an EMT-B at an ER near you is to ask. Try to talk to the nursing supervisor/manager for the ER, or ask who is the supervisor for the techs and just call them. Most of the time they're friendly (if a little busy and hard to catch up with) and are willing to talk. The other option is to look up that facility's job listings and see what their requirements for the position are.

Having done both volunteer EMS and worked as a ER tech I can tell you that the clinical experience you get in each is much different - in the field you have to know a little more how to respond in a crisis and be the one in charge, where in the ER you have to know how best to help the ones who are in charge in a crisis as well as getting to know the workings of the hospital system. Both are valuable in medical school for different reasons.

Hope this helps.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Hello folks,

I am curious if anyone else is in my position. This summer I am completeing my EMT-B cert. Next year I am finishing my last year of law school, and my plan was to work as an ER-tech or EMT on the weekends until I apply to medical school.

I am getting my EMT cert because I want clinical experince before I apply to medical school. Which will be in about 3 years. Is an EMT cert worth it just to work 3 years? From what I have read, it seems that being an EMT is the only real way to get some decent clinical experince.

Upon graduation I want to work parttime while finishing up my medical school prereqs. Maybe 10 credits a quarter. or so. Is anyone else out there in my shoes? Do you know whether many hospitals hire many parttime ER-techs? I do not have time to work full time. but if I could work maybe 20-25 hours a week while going to school that would be nice, I appreciate your responses.

T

You are right on! This is what I did, and it helped me out greatly at both interviews, and for practical experience (I know much more than my classmates when we are on clinicals.)

I encourage you to do exactly what you suggested.

 

[Emergency!]

You can definitely do the EMT-B for three years. The EMT-B course is not very long. As the others have mentioned, the amount of clinical exposure you will be able to get as a B will vary widely. Although as an EMT-B partnered with a paramedic you will do a lot of driving, a lot of medics like to "stay and play" and will give their basics the opportunity to help out a lot on the scene and in the back of the rig prior to heading to the hospital (such as doing vitals while they are starting and IV or hooking up the cardiac monitor). You will get a lot more of this experience in a 911 service than in a transport service.

I started out as a volunteer EMT - EMS is what got me interested in going back to medical school. Once I quit my teaching job to go back to school full time, I started working part-time for a private ambulance service 20 -25 hourse a week (part-time EMS work is MUCH easier to come by than full-time).

Good luck!

 

[thirdunity]

I started out as a volunteer EMT - EMS is what got me interested in going back to medical school. Once I quit my teaching job to go back to school full time, I started working part-time for a private ambulance service 20 -25 hourse a week (part-time EMS work is MUCH easier to come by than full-time).

I am considering this, myself. I'm back in school (non-traditional-age student; I'm 31) and I need a part-time job while I'm in school, that's something other than working at Starbuck's. [I came out of a line of work where there was virtually NO part-time work. It was all full time.]

 

[BaylorHopeful]

You are right on! This is what I did, and it helped me out greatly at both interviews, and for practical experience (I know much more than my classmates when we are on clinicals.)

I encourage you to do exactly what you suggested.

OSUdoc08, any idea where one could find part-time work as an EMT either with EMSA or as a Tech in Tulsa ??? Thinking about transferring to Tulsa.....

Also, on a side note completely unrelated to EMS, how bad does it look to do horribly at one school, transfer, and succeed in the same line of study at another school ???

 

[Febrifuge]

I work in a big County ED where we have approximately a billion residents and med students running around, plus our nurses have mad RN skillz, so my clinical guidelines say I don't start IV's. But I've maintained my full-time office job the entire time I've been a part-time tech (about 18 months now, doing 1 to 4 shifts a week). It is entirely do-able, especially if you live on 5 or 6 hours of sleep a night anyway.

 

[OSUdoc08]

OSUdoc08, any idea where one could find part-time work as an EMT either with EMSA or as a Tech in Tulsa ??? Thinking about transferring to Tulsa.....

Also, on a side note completely unrelated to EMS, how bad does it look to do horribly at one school, transfer, and succeed in the same line of study at another school ???

Working for EMSA would be the easiest option. There are also EMS services in the surrounding counties you can work for. ED tech is an option, but jobs are competitive without experience.

It depends on where you transfer to. If you are talking about going to TU, then that is a good option. I wouldn't recommend going to ORU or any other school in the area.

 

[Mr. Freeze]

I'm a non-trad also, worked as a firefighter in the Army right after HS and then went to school for a year or so before I got a fire dept. job, sorta back home.

We had an ambulance in the fire dept. when I was in the service, but really, given the demographic, I never ran on anyone older than say, 55. So to say I was mistaken about the nature of my current employ would be a gross understatement, since there is no other ambulance service in my area. I had all these delusions about what today's firefighter/EMT's actually do, and the job ended up being much more nonemergent stuff as far as EMS goes, and EMS makes up probably 80 to 85% of what I do. As I was already going to school when I got hired, after I settled in I went back. I figure if patient care is most of my job anyway, I've been doing it for 8 years now, and I'm smart enough to make A's and B's in the prereqs while often missing 1/3 of the lectures due to being on shift, then I might as well make headway towards medicine as a career.

It is just my opinion, and I haven't officially spoken with anyone about it, but any kind of clinical experience will be beneficial when it comes time to apply. Making the grades and doing well on the MCAT will get you in the door, but the soft points you earn from the interview, IMHO, is where the rubber meets the road. But that's just my opinion and I may be wrong. I have been once before. 😉

 

[The Saint]

Currently i am a dual major (biology & philosophy) premed student at a small liberal arts school in PA. Since gaining my EMT-B certification at the age of 16 i have continued on to gain ACLS certification at the age of 17, PALS at 18, and AHA BLS instructor at 19. I have been working as a student researcher in my professor's lab at school doing my own research, which i have presented at regional, national and international undergraduate and professional society meetings. However, my current GPA is a 3.44 (possibly a 3.47), and i am wondering if the fact that i have succesfully attained advanced medical training year after year beginning in high school would compensate for my less competative GPA. Beyond that, would it be worth while to pursue even more advanced training certifications such as the AAP's advanced pediatric life support (APLS)?

 

[MedicRN]

Currently i am a dual major (biology & philosophy) premed student at a small liberal arts school in PA. Since gaining my EMT-B certification at the age of 16 i have continued on to gain ACLS certification at the age of 17, PALS at 18, and AHA BLS instructor at 19. I have been working as a student researcher in my professor's lab at school doing my own research, which i have presented at regional, national and international undergraduate and professional society meetings. However, my current GPA is a 3.44 (possibly a 3.47), and i am wondering if the fact that i have succesfully attained advanced medical training year after year beginning in high school would compensate for my less competative GPA. Beyond that, would it be worth while to pursue even more advanced training certifications such as the AAP's advanced pediatric life support (APLS)?

Since you already seem to have most of the advanced certifications as a BLS provider (?? - things must be different in PA than most other places), why not just go on and get your EMT-P? One of the best doctors I've worked with as a paramedic was himself a medic before going to medical school. It made my life so much easier as he knew where I was coming from and why I wanted what I wanted when I had to call medical control.

 

[12R34Y]

Currently i am a dual major (biology & philosophy) premed student at a small liberal arts school in PA. Since gaining my EMT-B certification at the age of 16 i have continued on to gain ACLS certification at the age of 17, PALS at 18, and AHA BLS instructor at 19. I have been working as a student researcher in my professor's lab at school doing my own research, which i have presented at regional, national and international undergraduate and professional society meetings. However, my current GPA is a 3.44 (possibly a 3.47), and i am wondering if the fact that i have succesfully attained advanced medical training year after year beginning in high school would compensate for my less competative GPA. Beyond that, would it be worth while to pursue even more advanced training certifications such as the AAP's advanced pediatric life support (APLS)?

I would put more emphasis on USING your EMT-B skills in an ED or on a rig part-time/PRN or whatever. You've got a lot of badges (ACLS, PALS etc..), but since you are an EMT-B you can't actually use any of the advanced skills. Most docs who will be looking at your application will understand that an ACLS initial class is on ly two 8-hour days etc......getting a job and working and using your EMT-B skills in a clinical capacity would probably hold more weight.

However, having an almost 3.5 GPA isn't that bad to begin with. I wouldn't let it worry you too much.

Having said all of that having those badges definately won't hurt you. I'd just try and get some use out of your EMT-B by using it. ie. clinical experience.

good luck

later

 

[pushinepi2]

...Having said all of that having those badges definately won't hurt you. I'd just try and get some use out of your EMT-B by using it. ie. clinical experience...
later

Its interesting in that many people applying to PA/MD/DO school have some experience under their belt. Since EMT certification is becoming more of a common occurence on applications, students who gain additional maturity and perspective through clinical experience tend to distinguish themselves more easily. Obtaining EMT training is rather easy and listing it on a CV doesn't involve much more effort. Those EMTs and ER techs who have "time in the field," however, are at a unique advantage in that they've worked with complex patients, interacted with other healthcare providers, and have some informed opinions about access to healthcare and current problems affecting its delivery. Articulating a cogent opinion on any of these issues greatly helps with the interview process in addition to overcoming any traditional medical student anxiety about "touching" patients. Some med schools don't view EMT as any special committment and place a higher premium research and basic science accomplishments. That said, working as an EMT/ER tech/Medic will only serve to open more doors. My training and time in the field helpmed me during my interviews and in-hospital rotations. As others have said, APLS, PALS, ACLS, and other "merit badges" mean little unless you've had the opportunity to apply those advanced level skills towards your patient encounters. EMS doesn't always function as a virtual medical "step ladder," but it does give you an honest and valuable introduction to emergency medical care. Spending time with a busy ALS service would probably be of higher yield than working for a BLS transport company... Best of luck with your training!

 

[The Saint]

I would put more emphasis on USING your EMT-B skills in an ED or on a rig part-time/PRN or whatever. You've got a lot of badges (ACLS, PALS etc..), but since you are an EMT-B you can't actually use any of the advanced skills. Most docs who will be looking at your application will understand that an ACLS initial class is on ly two 8-hour days etc......getting a job and working and using your EMT-B skills in a clinical capacity would probably hold more weight.

However, having an almost 3.5 GPA isn't that bad to begin with. I wouldn't let it worry you too much.

Having said all of that having those badges definately won't hurt you. I'd just try and get some use out of your EMT-B by using it. ie. clinical experience.

Just to clarify, I have been actively riding for 4+ years now and I have been serving as a BLS crew chief while riding at school. I would love to be able to expand and begin working in the ED however i have also been working as a researcher in an animal behavior lab and i fear that for me to begin working in the ED i would have to stop working in the lab or seriously cut back. So which is preferable then... should i continue working in the lab where i actually get to do my own research (present and publish) (and serve as a BLS crew chief) or should i cut back on the lab and try to get a job in the ED?

 

[The Saint]

Spending time with a busy ALS service would probably be of higher yield than working for a BLS transport company... Best of luck with your training!

I am not sure how BLS services around the country work but my EMS work in both NJ and PA have been done in tiered response systems in which BLS services are automatically dispatched to all calls and ALS is dispatched as needed... in so far as applying the skills i have learned in ACLS and PALS i can honestly say that they have made a world of difference. My work is far from the commonly seen transport services, rather it has been at the opposite end of the spectrum, from CVAs, TIAs, AMIs, dyspnea calls... all types, and depending on the type of call i have had to perform more detailed assesments and make judgement calls as to whether or not the call waranted ALS services. Again people keep calling things like ACLS and PALS "badges" but i work in a location where i respond only to 911 dispatches ranging from dyspnea calls to rural trauma codes. So in light of this do you still feel that your advice is still accurate?

Thanks,
Chris

 

[12R34Y]

I am not sure how BLS services around the country work but my EMS work in both NJ and PA have been done in tiered response systems in which BLS services are automatically dispatched to all calls and ALS is dispatched as needed... in so far as applying the skills i have learned in ACLS and PALS i can honestly say that they have made a world of difference. My work is far from the commonly seen transport services, rather it has been at the opposite end of the spectrum, from CVAs, TIAs, AMIs, dyspnea calls... all types, and depending on the type of call i have had to perform more detailed assesments and make judgement calls as to whether or not the call waranted ALS services. Again people keep calling things like ACLS and PALS "badges" but i work in a location where i respond only to 911 dispatches ranging from dyspnea calls to rural trauma codes. So in light of this do you still feel that your advice is still accurate?

Thanks,
Chris

Yes, the advice you are receiving is still accurate.

I'm glad to hear that you ARE using your BLS skills and working on a unit. That is key. The fact that you have ACLS and PALS is NOT making the real difference here. You may feel that it is helping you in the field, but I don't think having them is going to "put you over the top" if you will. Another pre-med EMT working on a unit is equal as far as an adcom i would think. As long as you are both using your skills its the same. In all practicality you are both doing the same thing...........responding to calls and using your skills. Having your PALS and ACLS does not allow you to do more than any other EMT who doesn't have those "badges".

Bottom line...I think you've got a great start into healthcare with a myriad of great clinical experiences to write about in your personal statement as well as your interviews.

I personally would go work in an ED...just because it is fun and it is more clinically oriented, but you really don't need anymore clinical stuff at this point. You've got that covered.

I would caution you about the fact that you will be "doing more" in an ED. Depending on the role and the hospital you may be doing quite the opposite. You may be doing MUCH more as an EMT than an ER tech.

I worked at two hospitals where the role the ER tech was to change bedding, push people around to floors/studies etc..., fetch things, go to pharmacy etc....NOT as cool as riding on a unit working independently.

I have also worked as a tech in a place that allows you to do foley, IV's and 12-leads etc....just do some research into it first.

good luck,

later

 

[The Saint]

Excellent, thank you very much, I really appreciate it.

- Chris