To Current/ Former EMTs

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[AgentMichaelScar]

I was an EMT for 6 months doing IFT for a smaller company in LA.

I am thinking of going into 911 but am nervous about how intense it is going to be, is the work very different than IFT? Will the cases be significantly more useful/rewarding for premed than IFT?

EMS isn't for everyone, that's for sure. And before I started, I was also nervous. But absolutely no regrets. Volunteering on an amb has really boosted my confidence/critical thinking in intense situations, and even strengthened my goal to become a doc. Also, it proves to adcoms particular traits that not many other ECs can show. That being said, IFT doesn't exercise as many skills as EMS, even though it's still patient contact.

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

It's pretty fun imo.

 

[Amantryinghisbest]

I've loved EMS, being on a rig is great but i found that I've learn much much more being an emergency room technician than an EMT-B/A-EMT. I'd recommend getting into an ED, your scope of practice is very diminished but your brush shoulders with all kinds of providers and can learn a lot if you seek out knowledge.

 

[Gurby]

Paramedic here. I've done most of the flashy things you can do in EMS, but my "most rewarding patient interaction" was actually something that happened when I was an EMT-B doing a routine discharge. Your mileage may vary though.

911 is a very different beast, but once you've done it for a while it's not so scary. Somebody calls, you show up, you figure out what's going on, fix the problems or at least begin addressing them, take the patient to the hospital.

 

[NeuResurgens]

I used my EMT cert to get me into inpatient roles rather than first responder. My only first response experience was as a volunteer EMT at my undergrad's campus agency and they were not a 24 hour agency. Other than that I just used the volunteer experience to get into hospital jobs. The hospital jobs tend to be less intense of schedules than first response and there are more part time and PRN positions available, which work better for people in school.

 

[Paramagnetic]

If you let 911 jobs spook you, then you'll be spooked.
@Gurby hit the nail on the head