What is the best clinical experience?

[metalhead1023]

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I was thinking about becoming a low level EMT after I turn 18 but is there better experience to get you into med school.

 

[Depakote]

As an EMT, you're a first responder and you get a lot of good patient contact but you really don't get to see a lot of the physician side of medicine. You'll want to get into a doctor's office and/or OR and see what a doctor's daily life is like and how they make their decisions/how they interact with patients.

To do this, you can shadow a physician. Talk to the doc, see if you can follow them around and just get a feel for what it's like. You'll want to do this for an extended period and log a lot of hours (possibly in a few different specialties). This is really the best clinical experience you can have in terms of getting a feel for medicine and showing a medical school that you know what you're in for. Just as an aside, after an extended period of shadowing, you can ask these doctors for a letter of recommendation which will also help your application.

 

[metalhead1023]

Thats good information! thanks. A side question though, is it ok to point out what you would like in a letter of recomendation? Im wondering for getting letters for UG

 

[Depakote]

Thats good information! thanks. A side question though, is it ok to point out what you would like in a letter of recomendation? Im wondering for getting letters for UG

If someone has written letters before, then they probably know what should be going in... If not, it couldn't hurt when you ask them to politely hint that you're hoping they cover _________. It would be inappropriate to request to see the letter (unless they offer first) or to flat out tell them what should be in it.

 

[metalhead1023]

Ok I think I understand now, Thank you Depakote.

 

[tennisball80]

Just wondering, how many credits for the cource to become a EMT-B ?

10 Credits hour ?? 😕

 

[deleted74029]

Just wondering, how many credits for the cource to become a EMT-B ?

10 Credits hour ?? 😕

Thats gonna depend on the school.

 

[firecoins]

Just wondering, how many credits for the cource to become a EMT-B ?

10 Credits hour ?? 😕

Mine was 8. Other places I have seen 6.

 

[docB]

If you want to go to medical school don't get into EMS just to have something for your resume or just to get experience you can use to help you get into med school.

If you want to work in EMS then become an EMT. If you want to go to medical school do research or volunteering.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=5994783&postcount=2

 

[Terpskins99]

I was thinking about becoming a low level EMT after I turn 18 but is there better experience to get you into med school.

I roll my eyes whenever I see something like this. Get out of the mindset of doing extracurriculars because you feel they will "help you get into medical school". Thats a pretty poor reason to elect to participate in any extracurricular, and isn't fair to the people that are investing their time and energy towards teaching you.

Do the extracurriculars because you're genuinely interested in them, for the sake of the experience. Not simply because it looks good on your application. Participation in a collection of organizations and activities won't impress any admissions committee unless you can convince them of why you were involved in the first place. At the same time, having an outstanding long term commitment to one extracurricular that actually holds meaning to you will make an immeasurably more significant impact on any med school ad-com.

 

[steady hands]

Just as an aside, after an extended period of shadowing, you can ask these doctors for a letter of recommendation which will also help your application.

How long should you shadow in order to get a letter of recommendation? What can a doctor write about if you have just followed him and the residents around and not really done anything except ask questions?

 

[HotelCo]

Around here EMT's don't take the 911 calls, it's all Paramedics. We get the priority 2 and 3 patients. If you want to be an EMT.. do it. But if you just think it'll help you get into medical school, that's a poor reason to go into it.