What can I do? Really need $$$

[pharm1234]

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I really need money and need a part time job. What can I do that will give me the best exposure to patients and will be the most suitable job as a soon to be medical school applicant? I do not have any certifications currently. I am planning on taking an EMT class and working as an EMT eventually but it will be the end of this year when I finish the class. Until then I need a part time job to hold me over. I would like to do something where I interact with patients and staff. Can someone please give me some ideas?

 

[MD2b20004]

I really need money and need a part time job. What can I do that will give me the best exposure to patients and will be the most suitable job as a soon to be medical school applicant? I do not have any certifications currently. I am planning on taking an EMT class and working as an EMT eventually but it will be the end of this year when I finish the class. Until then I need a part time job to hold me over. I would like to do something where I interact with patients and staff. Can someone please give me some ideas?

Clinical Research at a University Hospital.

 

[2badr]

I really need money and need a part time job. What can I do that will give me the best exposure to patients and will be the most suitable job as a soon to be medical school applicant? I do not have any certifications currently. I am planning on taking an EMT class and working as an EMT eventually but it will be the end of this year when I finish the class. Until then I need a part time job to hold me over. I would like to do something where I interact with patients and staff. Can someone please give me some ideas?

Nurse Aide (certification depends on your state) is one but you probably won't make more than 10-11 bucks an hour. Student Interns...check ALL the hospitals in your area. Scour the employment career section. Make it your full time job. You'll find something. That is what I am doing now and really wish I done that a year ago.

 

[relentless11]

I am planning on taking an EMT class and working as an EMT eventually but it will be the end of this year when I finish the class. Until then I need a part time job to hold me over. I would like to do something where I interact with patients and staff. Can someone please give me some ideas?

Depending on where you live, it may actually be nearly if not impossible to find a job as an EMT. You can be an ER tech or work for an ambulance company...but the problem is there are so many EMTs here that you can barely find a decent paying job with these credentials. So I suggest checking that out before diving into an EMT program. There are many other ways to interact with patients and staff.

As MD2b20004 said, clinical research may be a good alternative....especially if you are a graduate student. My tuition is paid for, and I also earn a salary (~$21k/yr), as I talk to patients, make diagnoses, consent them for my research, and be taught by attending physicians on the finer points of internal medicine. 😀

The caveat though is research isn't for everyone.

 

[PineappleGirl]

Sorry to say but you will not make very much money as an EMT. I live in the Boston area and most places, starting rates for EMTs with no experience are between $11 and $13 an hour. EMT is good if you are just doing it part-time while in school to gain experience, but do not get a job as an EMT is you are looking to make a decent living.

 

[kitsy]

I really need money and need a part time job. What can I do that will give me the best exposure to patients and will be the most suitable job as a soon to be medical school applicant? I do not have any certifications currently. I am planning on taking an EMT class and working as an EMT eventually but it will be the end of this year when I finish the class. Until then I need a part time job to hold me over. I would like to do something where I interact with patients and staff. Can someone please give me some ideas?

My full time job was a lab tech in a basic science research lab, but I decided to take an EMT class at night to beef up my med school application with the idea I would work as an EMT. I really enjoyed the class, and the information is empowering; however, I don't think it really helped my application too much. After I was certified, I was told I would get much more clinical exposure volunteering in a trauma I ER than working as an EMT-B. Unless you do extra training to be and EMT-I or EMT-P (many times paramedics have to go through the fire department) you really won't see a lot of interesting cases. It will be more transporting older patients and minor things. Paramedics handle the major trauma. I ended up volunteering in the ER and saw a lot of really interesting cases.

If I could do it again, I would try to get a job or volunteer in a clinic or hospital. Sometimes volunteer work can turn into paying gigs. Also, research is a really good idea. I didn't have lab experience, so I had to volunteer in a lab. However, that turned into a paying gig after about a month.

Good luck and you will find something. Just keep looking and be creative. I'm not trying to knock the EMT idea, I just thought that the work and time involved didn't really pay off as far as my application. However, I'm still really glad I know how to handle an emergency and it is really good information. Plus, it gives you and introduction to history taking and medical assessment.

I'll be an MSI in a few weeks!