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[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

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How do you know that and why is that?

At least one adcom on here has said multiple times that EMT = glorified cab driver. I would think that would NOT apply to paramedics (since they obviously have a larger scope of practice--quite larger depending on where you live), and I would think fire fighting experience would be pretty similar to LE with regards to any point boost.

 

[sliceofbread136]

"Not great" is different than "poorish" pal

Seems pretty similar phrasing to me...

 

[aalamruad]

Your numbers are so incredible DS and UB probably don't think you'll attend, so why waste an acceptance? I know its backwards thinking, but that's what adcom goes by.

Pretty sure resource protection only happens when deciding whether or not to offer interviews to high-stat applicants, not after the school has already spent resources interviewing the applicant. They wouldn't really save any resources if they interviewed an applicant and then rejected him/her due to overqualification. Is that right @Goro ?

 

[Goro]

I have heard fellow Adcom members say of a candidate from far away that "S/he'll never come here", but this never has once affected our decision on the candidate.

Walloobi is 100% correct, in my opinion; schools aren't going to waste their time and the candidates issuing an II if historical trends show that people of particular high stat ranges rarely matriculate with them.

Also agree with Matt9 that parameds are in a different league than EMTs.

Pretty sure resource protection only happens when deciding whether or not to offer interviews to high-stat applicants, not after the school has already spent resources interviewing the applicant. They wouldn't really save any resources if they interviewed an applicant and then rejected him/her due to overqualification. Is that right @Goro ?

 

[JB50]

Seems pretty similar phrasing to me...

Actually maybe you're right lol

 

[al22al22]

I know a ton of people who were waitlisted at UB and accepted over the summer, in fact their top 2 students in the M2 class were 2 of the last kids accepted... which just goes to show you that this entire process is a complete shot in the dark and that even perfectly qualified candidates like yourself may have a hard time getting an acceptance. I would try not to stress out too much (easier said than done, I know), maintain your involvement in your ECs, and hope for good news in April. If that doesn't come, then I would start worrying about re-applying with a more suitable school list and possibly refining your interview skills.

 

[Dr. Stalker]

I have heard fellow Adcom members say of a candidate from far away that "S/he'll never come here", but this never has once affected our decision on the candidate.

Walloobi is 100% correct, in my opinion; schools aren't going to waste their time and the candidates issuing an II if historical trends show that people of particular high stat ranges rarely matriculate with them.

Also agree with Matt9 that parameds are in a different league than EMTs.

Then why waitlist so many kids post-interview @ DS and UB???

 

[TheBiologist]

wait, did you only have 1 letter of recommendation?

 

[Goro]

Because they get so many good applicants and interviewees? Seller's market????? It helps to have a good bench come time to call up from the wait list?

Then why waitlist so many kids post-interview @ DS and UB???

 

[Dr.Sticks]

I think the only thing working against you is your GPA
It isn't bad, but didn't the AMCAS(spell check or maybe wrong word) stats say the average person who gets in has a 3.7?

I don't have the expertise to weigh your app really, but going off statistics I would say that is probably the main issue.
Oh and being top heavy like everyone else said
Some of the top schools like Hopkins have an average gpa of like 3.87(might be off by a lil)

Anyways I wouldn't worry about a gpa difference from 3.63 to 3.7 but for top schools it probably matters a lot

 

[Pusheen]

OP, I think you have a good shot at getting off the waitlist at either DS or Buffalo. I was a direct accept at Buffalo and waitlisted at Downstate even though my interview performance was pretty identical and I seemed to fit DS mission way better. Just goes to show there are a lot of things that go into these decisions, so don't beat yourself up too much over it 🙂

If you get another interview, you should do another mock interview first and get as much feedback as possible, just to make sure that's not going to hold you back.

 

[aprilfools]

wait, did you only have 1 letter of recommendation?

I have a committee letter from my undergrad, which is like a patchwork of 3 separate LORs.

OP, I think you have a good shot at getting off the waitlist at either DS or Buffalo. I was a direct accept at Buffalo and waitlisted at Downstate even though my interview performance was pretty identical and I seemed to fit DS mission way better.

I felt like I was literally the perfect match for Rochester when I went there. Do you know how the waitlist movement is there? I'd obviously be happy to get in anywhere but in terms of finding the whole "fit" thing I really felt Rochester was it

 

[Dr. Stalker]

Because they get so many good applicants and interviewees? Seller's market????? It helps to have a good bench come time to call up from the wait list?

I feel you, that makes sense

 

[Dr.Sticks]

At least one adcom on here has said multiple times that EMT = glorified cab driver. I would think that would NOT apply to paramedics (since they obviously have a larger scope of practice--quite larger depending on where you live), and I would think fire fighting experience would be pretty similar to LE with regards to any point boost.

That really depends
If you volunteer with a 911 service you will be on codes, crazy vehicle accidents, drug overdoses, etc
That is more than being a "cab driver"
You are seeing death, people at their most vulnerable times, learning to think and interact with people, etc

Now if you just get a card and don't really do anything then yeah it means nothing
Or just doing basic commercial stuff

That doesn't really amount to much

So if you are going to do EMT dedicate yourself to a 911 service as a volunteer would be my suggestion to anyone else

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

That really depends
If you volunteer with a 911 service you will be on codes, crazy vehicle accidents, drug overdoses, etc
That is more than being a "cab driver"
You are seeing death, people at their most vulnerable times, learning to think and interact with people, etc

Now if you just get a card and don't really do anything then yeah it means nothing
Or just doing basic commercial stuff

That doesn't really amount to much

So if you are going to do EMT dedicate yourself to a 911 service as a volunteer would be my suggestion to anyone else

Except for the majority of EMS services, all you do as an EMT-B is throw them in the box and drive them. Very little medicine is happening, and you usually aren't seeing any either. If you run a busy service where you're working with paramedics a lot, you might see more.

Personally, I still think it can be decent experience depending on where you are. I'm just reporting what adcoms here have said, and perception is reality in med school admissions.

 

[Dr.Sticks]

Except for the majority of EMS services, all you do as an EMT-B is throw them in the box and drive them. Very little medicine is happening, and you usually aren't seeing any either. If you run a busy service where you're working with paramedics a lot, you might see more.

Personally, I still think it can be decent experience depending on where you are. I'm just reporting what adcoms here have said, and perception is reality in med school admissions.

The only time "medicine" happens as an EMT is if you give them a Tylenol or Aspirin,Epi, Narcan, that is about it I believe.
EMT is being a first aid giver really

Also no; Based on the protocol you have to take vitals, a complete patient history, and then do any intervention if needed(do they need a splint, bandage, whatever)
Afterwards you have to write a patient history (if you were the provider, paramedic doesn't always take the call)

Also you are right very little medicine happens at the basic EMT level.
Any medicine that does happen is on the paramedic level and that is usually them giving IV's and whatever drug their protocol states.

Overall EMS isn't anything really like what it would be in a Hospital..
It is after all prehospital...

You might see more as a CNA in a hospital.. Some high schools now have a health concentration program where all those interested in the medical field become a CNA or at least train to be one.
It is clinical experience though I guess either way..
So if you get it somehow, good for you.
You just have to get it.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

The only time "medicine" happens as an EMT is if you give them a Tylenol or Aspirin,Epi, Narcan, that is about it I believe.
EMT is being a first aid giver really

At least here, you aren't giving epi or narcan unless you're a paramedic. That's kind of my point.

Also no; Based on the protocol you have to take vitals, a complete patient history, and then do any intervention if needed(do they need a splint, bandage, whatever)
Afterwards you have to write a patient history (if you were the provider, paramedic doesn't always take the call)

Like I said, I think some clinical stuff happens, but it's basic stuff. Still experience though.

Also you are right very little medicine happens at the basic EMT level.
Any medicine that does happen is on the paramedic level and that is usually them giving IV's and whatever drug their protocol states.

Overall EMS isn't anything really like what it would be in a Hospital..
It is after all prehospital...

Yup. That's the reason I think most adcoms here view it that way. Paramedic is still prehospital, but at least you're getting experience starting IVs, intubating occasionally, pushing drugs, etc.

You might see more as a CNA in a hospital.. Some high schools now have a health concentration program where all those interested in the medical field become a CNA or at least train to be one.
It is clinical experience though I guess either way..
So if you get it somehow, good for you.
You just have to get it.

Word. I was an OR tech for the bulk of my clinical experience. Awesome experience and easy to get into. Navy medicine is cool too. Lots of cool experiences (but you have to join the military, which is a big turnoff for some).

 

[aprilfools]

At least here, you aren't giving epi or narcan unless you're a paramedic. That's kind of my point.

I'm not sure where you are but I have a NY, MA and a NREMT (national) certification and I know for a fact this is not true. Epi and narcan are universal EMT-B drugs everywhere. I've lost count of the amount of times I've used narcan as a basic. Based on what youre saying about the clinical experience of EMS as a whole I'm not so sure I believe what you're saying adcoms think about EMTs (not taking this personally, I'm just seeing quite a bit of false information about what we actually do in terms of clinical/patient care roles).

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I'm not sure where you are but I have a NY, MA and a NREMT (national) certification and I know for a fact this is not true. Epi and narcan are universal EMT-B drugs everywhere. I've lost count of the amount of times I've used narcan as a basic. Based on what youre saying about the clinical experience of EMS as a whole I'm not so sure I believe what you're saying adcoms think about EMTs (not taking this personally, I'm just seeing quite a bit of false information about what we actually do in terms of clinical/patient care roles).

I could be wrong. There aren't many EMT-Bs here. Almost every fire fighter goes to paramedic school as part of their pipeline, and we don't have a separate EMS. But you're probably right!

 

[sufferfromrealness]

Someone look at my thread. Need some solid help.

 

[Dr.Sticks]

At least here, you aren't giving epi or narcan unless you're a paramedic. That's kind of my point.

Weird; Here where I live cops can give Narcan.

I'm not sure where you are but I have a NY, MA and a NREMT (national) certification and I know for a fact this is not true. Epi and narcan are universal EMT-B drugs everywhere. I've lost count of the amount of times I've used narcan as a basic. Based on what youre saying about the clinical experience of EMS as a whole I'm not so sure I believe what you're saying adcoms think about EMTs (not taking this personally, I'm just seeing quite a bit of false information about what we actually do in terms of clinical/patient care roles).

I would say he is right.
Okay, you are an EMT? So what, it takes 1 semester to become one. (Not trying to offend anyone)
I don't think they really care what you did, be it CNA, EMT, or whatever..
If you got clinical experience and learned something I think that is what matters.

 

[aprilfools]

Weird; Here where I live cops can give Narcan.



I would say he is right.
Okay, you are an EMT? So what, it takes 1 semester to become one. (Not trying to offend anyone)
I don't think they really care what you did, be it CNA, EMT, or whatever..
If you got clinical experience and learned something I think that is what matters.

No I totally agree that having the certification means absolutely nothing. I'm saying having the certification and using it allows you to get, imho, the best pre-graduate school (PA, MD, PT, etc) clinical experience possible (with exception of medics obviously).

And yeah there's no way EMT-B's anywhere cant give narcan. It was nationally rolled out as a mandatory in-servicing last year and where I was DO of the ambulance company it was required to have on the ambulance to even keep it in service (Massachusetts).

 

[Dr.Sticks]

No I totally agree that having the certification means absolutely nothing. I'm saying having the certification and using it allows you to get, imho, the best pre-graduate school (PA, MD, PT, etc) clinical experience possible (with exception of medics obviously).

And yeah there's no way EMT-B's anywhere cant give narcan. It was nationally rolled out as a mandatory in-servicing last year and where I was DO of the ambulance company it was required to have on the ambulance to even keep it in service (Massachusetts).

Yeah it is some good experience; It can be also a measure of maturity and ability to remain calm under pressure.
It isn't everyday but sometimes you walk into chaos and it is absolutely nuts.

 

[doctorbob23]

You might still have luck getting off those waitlists..I know at Rochester I was told they are very selective at the beginning and most students I met during my interview were accepted off the wait list later in the cycle

 

[Karabo]

You might still have luck getting off those waitlists..I know at Rochester I was told they are very selective at the beginning and most students I met during my interview were accepted off the wait list later in the cycle

+1, I was also told during my interview at Rochester that they waitlist much of the class at the beginning, and then stay accepting off the waitlist once they get a better idea of what this year's yield will be

Sent from my SM-N900T using SDN mobile

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

No I totally agree that having the certification means absolutely nothing. I'm saying having the certification and using it allows you to get, imho, the best pre-graduate school (PA, MD, PT, etc) clinical experience possible (with exception of medics obviously).

I have to disagree with this. I think it can give you good experience, but so many adcoms equate being an EMT-B with driving a cab. And being prehospital, you are not exposed very much to medicine as it's practiced by physicians. Also, my own personal experience in the OR and in the Navy has been, I think, very hard to top (which is why I suggest the former so often and the latter for people looking to fill gap years or grow).

And yeah there's no way EMT-B's anywhere cant give narcan. It was nationally rolled out as a mandatory in-servicing last year and where I was DO of the ambulance company it was required to have on the ambulance to even keep it in service (Massachusetts).

I'm sure you're right and have already admitted my mistake so I'm not sure why this keeps getting brought up. You're the EMT, so I will yield to your knowledge!