Will being a ER Tech help?

[poshdoctor]

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So I am contemplating whether or not I should just focus 100% on my grades and practicing on the MCAT or should I complete a 12 week long, 3 days long EMT-B course so I can become a ER Tech while going to school at my UC as well.

Will being a ER Tech prior to applying to Med School improve my chances of admission? Will it honestly help me or give me a advantage over other applicants?

Thanks y'all 🙂

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

It won't hurt that's for certain...

 

[HalfListic]

So I am contemplating whether or not I should just focus 100% on my grades and practicing on the MCAT or should I complete a 12 week long, 3 days long EMT-B course so I can become a ER Tech while going to school at my UC as well.

Will being a ER Tech prior to applying to Med School improve my chances of admission? Will it honestly help me or give me a advantage over other applicants?

Thanks y'all 🙂

its not a bad option for med schools to see that you've had exposure to the healthcare environment. I did this and I thought it was a good experience and helped my volunteer hours be more meaningful.

Plus, all the sterilization skills you'd pick up as an ER Tech could help in your possible career choice as a Stripper (or dentistry, depending on which you choose).

 

[poshdoctor]

its not a bad option for med schools to see that you've had exposure to the healthcare environment. I did this and I thought it was a good experience and helped my volunteer hours be more meaningful.

Plus, all the sterilization skills you'd pick up as an ER Tech could help in your possible career choice as a Stripper (or dentistry, depending on which you choose).

Hahaha I need to take signature off! I'm a definite, devoted, and obsessed with medical school pre-med

Why do you think that volunteering is more "meaningful"?

 

[HDaddyDollarz]

volunteering shows your compassionate


just get good grades and mcat, in reality no one will be too impressed if your an emt.....just get some clinical exposure, shadow a DO

nothing looks better on your application that a high gpa/mcat....they need to know you can succeed in med school

 

[MedPR]

So I am contemplating whether or not I should just focus 100% on my grades and practicing on the MCAT or should I complete a 12 week long, 3 days long EMT-B course so I can become a ER Tech while going to school at my UC as well.

Will being a ER Tech prior to applying to Med School improve my chances of admission? Will it honestly help me or give me a advantage over other applicants?

Thanks y'all 🙂

Hahaha I need to take signature off! I'm a definite, devoted, and obsessed with medical school pre-med

Why do you think that volunteering is more "meaningful"?

If your GPA is already good, then do the EMT. If your GPA sucks, skip EMT.

 

[dntke1518]

I got my EMT-B certification in-between my freshman and sophomore year, it definitely wasn't easy. Then I worked in the ER as a tech through out my undergrad... That wasn't easy either, but I was able to bring a lot of patient exposure and experience to the table. I think that it helps, but it won't take weight over academics and MCAT scores.

 

[HalfListic]

Ok good choice 🙂

What I meant by that was when you work in an ER you can also volunteer there as well. And as a tech, you'd be able to do a lot more than change sheets, like EKGs, splints, etc

 

[MedPR]

Ok good choice 🙂

What I meant by that was when you work in an ER you can also volunteer there as well. And as a tech, you'd be able to do a lot more than change sheets, like EKGs, splints, etc

You might consider volunteering in a different ED, though. Volunteering and working in the same place might make you pull your hair out.

 

[COMedic2Doc]

My .02 on getting EMT-B as a pre-med is that if you're going to use it and you are genuinely interested in Emergency Medicine then do it, if not skip it. Clinical experience is clinical experience in the long-run, and volunteer experience is volunteer experience. You can absolutely get your EMT, hopefully get a tech job and do that as well as volunteering in some other capacities such as Habitat for Humanity, etc to demonstrate your altruistic nature in medicine and out of medicine as well. Tech jobs are challenging to get, so keep that in mind, and might be worth checking around to see if there are volunteer EMS agencies in your area that you could volunteer with. Just my .02 as a Paramedic who went from being an EMT working in the ER and covering a vast array of experiences over my tenure.

On a side note, tech jobs are very hard to standardize for many ERs. In my experience, I was not only doing the mundane tasks as already mentioned but also scrubbing in on trauma surgeries until the rest of the team arrived, etc. Our ER was a huge ER so it allowed for a lot of different patient type contacts as well (pediatric, urgent care, trauma, etc). To me it also allows one an excellent opportunity to get better LORs because physicians get to know you as you're working alongside them.

 

[Iliketoytles]

The problem with being a premed is we want all our volunteering efforts to revolve around something clinical. I suppose it makes sense, but whatever.

Anyway, OP - your decision should be based on what your GPA is. But ultimately, your numbers are the priority. If you have some decent ECs under your belt, focus more on your classes. Being an ER tech is great if that's your thing, but if you feel like it will take away from your school work, I'd advise against it.

 

[deleted92121]

I have loved being a paramedic and ED tech. I am going on my eighth year in the field and if med school doesn't work out, will go on to become a flight medic. But that isn't going to happen if I have anything to say about it, lol.

Anyway, only get your EMT-B if you really are interested in the actual job and plan on working or at least volunteering for a service. I have worked with countless folks who got their EMT-B just to pad their app. I despise teaching these kinds of people because their interest is not in the actual material. Being in EMS is serious business and most of the time, say 99%, you really don't do that much. But that 1% of the time, the well-being of your patient depends on you being focused and spot-on, even as an EMT-B.

Good luck on your decision.

 

[COMedic2Doc]

OP, to also note is that adcoms have caught on to the getting my EMT-B to pad your application. So it won't pay off unless you're genuinely interested in EM and you actually use it after obtaining your EMT.

 

[HalfListic]

OP, to also note is that adcoms have caught on to the getting my EMT-B to pad your application. So it won't pay off unless you're genuinely interested in EM and you actually use it after obtaining your EMT.

Im not sure if I agree with you here, and I usually agree with you!

EMT-B isn't huge, but its also not empty padding. It gives you patient contact and clinical experience. Compare this to volunteering as an ER scribe and the EMT-B wins every time.

It doesn't replace grades and MCAT performance and others have mentioned, and its always good to have non medical volunteering as well, but if you have time and desire, its a great plan and its fun. I can also be a good job during the application year if you are done with school

 

[COMedic2Doc]

Im not sure if I agree with you here, and I usually agree with you!

EMT-B isn't huge, but its also not empty padding. It gives you patient contact and clinical experience. Compare this to volunteering as an ER scribe and the EMT-B wins every time.

It doesn't replace grades and MCAT performance and others have mentioned, and its always good to have non medical volunteering as well, but if you have time and desire, its a great plan and its fun. I can also be a good job during the application year if you are done with school

We're still agreeing. I'm talking about solely getting the certification and then never using it again. You're talking about using one's EMT cert once they have it. We're still in one accord as far as I can tell. 😀

 

[HalfListic]

We're still agreeing. I'm talking about solely getting the certification and then never using it again. You're talking about using one's EMT cert once they have it. We're still in one accord as far as I can tell. 😀

sweet, we're friends again then

 

[COMedic2Doc]

sweet, we're friends again then

Rock on!

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

I don't personally think an EMT-B cert is hard to do, it's a 3mo course, and you're done... If you add in some IV and advanced training you're a shoe-in to get an ER job, and that will 100% help you. Sorry, but grades/Mcat aren't the ONLY thing adcoms look at. If they were, I'd be screwed and wouldn't have had 5ii of the places I completed secondaries...

 

[COMedic2Doc]

I don't personally think an EMT-B cert is hard to do, it's a 3mo course, and you're done... If you add in some IV and advanced training you're a shoe-in to get an ER job, and that will 100% help you. Sorry, but grades/Mcat aren't the ONLY thing adcoms look at. If they were, I'd be screwed and wouldn't have had 5ii of the places I completed secondaries...

Well said.

 

[FirefighterDoc]

I also love my tech experience. I did EMT straight out of high school with the intent of using it in the fire service, it wasn't until i started working in an ER as a tech that I even got interested in medicine as a career. While i did learn a lot about medicine by working, i think the most invaluable experience was my patient skills. I'm now extremley comfortable talking to patients and explaining things to them and doing things to them. I think that experience will help more than anything when I get in somewhere; I even touched on that in my PS.

 

[WhyDoWeFall]

I don't personally think an EMT-B cert is hard to do, it's a 3mo course, and you're done... If you add in some IV and advanced training you're a shoe-in to get an ER job, and that will 100% help you. Sorry, but grades/Mcat aren't the ONLY thing adcoms look at. If they were, I'd be screwed and wouldn't have had 5ii of the places I completed secondaries...

Like everyone said, it really depends on what your grades are compared to your experience. As for the ER tech job, I am one currently and its great experience. Also you can talk to a lot of doctors who will help you with LORs. EMT-B cert can be boiled down to a 1 month course over the summer time or a 3-4 month course if you take it during the weekends only. Lastly, ER techs aren't legally allowed to do IVs or give drugs. I know the tech job varies from place to place but at Morristown in NJ, we do EKGs and phlebotomy as opposed to Overlook Hospital in NJ which only does EKGs. Lastly, please check how many years of experience you need before applying to the ER tech job. Some places require a min of 1-2 years of being an EMT. Just double check!

 

[FirefighterDoc]

Like everyone said, it really depends on what your grades are compared to your experience. As for the ER tech job, I am one currently and its great experience. Also you can talk to a lot of doctors who will help you with LORs. EMT-B cert can be boiled down to a 1 month course over the summer time or a 3-4 month course if you take it during the weekends only. Lastly, ER techs aren't legally allowed to do IVs or give drugs. I know the tech job varies from place to place but at Morristown in NJ, we do EKGs and phlebotomy as opposed to Overlook Hospital in NJ which only does EKGs. Lastly, please check how many years of experience you need before applying to the ER tech job. Some places require a min of 1-2 years of being an EMT. Just double check!

+1

Got a great LOR from a doc at my home DO school. Also shadowed him in the ER as well.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

Like everyone said, it really depends on what your grades are compared to your experience. As for the ER tech job, I am one currently and its great experience. Also you can talk to a lot of doctors who will help you with LORs. EMT-B cert can be boiled down to a 1 month course over the summer time or a 3-4 month course if you take it during the weekends only. Lastly, ER techs aren't legally allowed to do IVs or give drugs. I know the tech job varies from place to place but at Morristown in NJ, we do EKGs and phlebotomy as opposed to Overlook Hospital in NJ which only does EKGs. Lastly, please check how many years of experience you need before applying to the ER tech job. Some places require a min of 1-2 years of being an EMT. Just double check!

Not sure where you are or your rules, but the rules in CO and MN say with IV cert an EMT can insert an IV. I never said anything about drugs. EVER. Therefore, please don't tell me that the National Registry CERT for IV doesn't apply NATIONALLY. It is what YOUR hospital does NOT what is 'legal'

 

[COMedic2Doc]

Not sure where you are or your rules, but the rules in CO and MN say with IV cert an EMT can insert an IV. I never said anything about drugs. EVER. Therefore, please don't tell me that the National Registry CERT for IV doesn't apply NATIONALLY. It is what YOUR hospital does NOT what is 'legal'

+10000.

Not to mention Gsun's state's nurse practice act which is more than likely heavily restricting the function of an ER Tech. OP, of fair mention is that EMT-Basics with IV certification here in Colorado can give drugs such as Narcan, NS, and D-50. We're also introducing EMT-Advanced which will allow for even more liberality of giving drugs under direct Paramedic supervision. Also, Gsun's mention of a one month EMT class is a Mon-Fri class in order to meet NREMT standards for education (now required in most states across the Union for initial certification). Otherwise you can plan on 2-3 days a week over approx. 3 months.

ER Tech jobs vary heavily based on the location, state, and hospital system that you work in as well as the comfort level of the physicians that you work with, i.e. I have a friend who is currently an EMT working in a Sports Medicine clinic giving steroid injections for sports injuries under the supervision of the DO that he works with just to prove the point of comfort level of the physicians that you are working with and to open the idea of not only working in the ER but also private practice clinics as well to gain experience.

Of fair mention back to the IV discussion for just a moment is that in AZ, you don't go through an IV certification class to learn IV skills or be able to use IVs during patient care. This just further exemplifies how varied EMT scope is across the US. Some states are extremely restrictive (i.e. NJ) and others are more liberal (i.e. CO) due to system design.

 

[xBODOMx]

Just my two cents.

Don't plan to magically jump into a ER tech position. In my state these are probably the hardest jobs to land besides FF jobs. EMT school is pretty easy and 10 weeks long to land a $10-$12+/hour job, of course everyone is going to go for it. You're not competeing with just pre-med/pa kids, you're competeing with pre-fire kids. I work in the ED now as a different position and most of them are pre-fire waiting for positions to open or in paramedic school. There is serious limited number of positions availabe.

I got my EMT cert that had good clinical's as well associated with the program. I applied to probably 75-100 positions with no luck and just let it expire. Currently scribing and I think it is a significantly better experience then teching.

But if you do, good luck.

 

[sylvanthus]

Ehhh it depends on your area. I had multiple job offers after getting an EMT and ED tech cert. just look around ahead of time and see what the market is like.

 

[COMedic2Doc]

Ehhh it depends on your area. I had multiple job offers after getting an EMT and ED tech cert. just look around ahead of time and see what the market is like.

+1. Colorado shows a difficulty in landing ED Tech positions as well, just depends on the timing and of fair mention is that you're competing against seasoned EMTs and Paramedics as well that are looking for a change, pre-nursing students, and just people that want the easy schedule to plan their schedule around their lives not the other way around (a lot of positions do 12 hour shifts so lots of people like to have 4 days off a week).

 

[NurWollen]

I think being an ER tech will help if you enjoy it, and can convey that passion to adcom's. You'll definitely get some quality clinical exposure, which can be a challenge for many of us.

 

[TopTomato]

I'm currently an ER tech and and ER scribe at two different hospitals. I think the exposure as a tech is invaluable experience. However it will not replace MCAT or a poor GPA. As for the experience as a ER tech, I can only say that it is awesome. It gives you a chance to get your hands dirty and do some cool stuff (EKG's, phlebotomy, CPR). One minute you'll be joking around with the people you work with, the next you'll be running to a room to respond to a code. One time I had a patient come into the ER for a migraine a day after he had a spinal tap done. Well needless to say his spine was leaking CSF, so we called the anesthesiologist on call to come do a blood patch. So while I drew blood on this patient the anestesiologist tapped his spine and took the blood I drew and injected it back into his spine which I thought was pretty sweet.
I think that being a tech shows another side of medicine that many doctors are unaware of. For one thing, it definitely is a great way to interact with a patient and show some compassion. You have to realize that not only are you dealing with patients during a time of need, but their families as well. Also being a tech would get rid of any "i'm a doctor so i'm better than you attitudes" that some people develop. I only say this because one of the scribes I work with already has this attitude, and if he gets into medical school somewhere, god help the nurses hes going to work with.

 

[TopTomato]

I forgot to mention, many of the docs you work with are really cool and can provide awesome LORs. (Just another perk of the job)