working as EMT while retaking premed courses?

[ilovesurf]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I'm a college freshman and my first semester I received a C+ in chem and a D+ in calculus 1. The C+ was my fault, but my calculus professor was horrible and many classmates who had taken AP calc in hs received unsatisfactory grades(my first time taking calc). I honestly believe I knew the material better and can do well with a retake. I know I'm only a freshman, but after I graduate is it possible to be able to retake courses and/or the MCAT to improve my GPA at a CC? Also, would it be a good idea to be an EMT (I want to get into emergency med) while improving my stats?

 

[essaywhuman]

I'm a college freshman and my first semester I received a C+ in chem and a D+ in calculus 1. The C+ was my fault, but my calculus professor was horrible and many classmates who had taken AP calc in hs received unsatisfactory grades(my first time taking calc). I honestly believe I knew the material better and can do well with a retake. I know I'm only a freshman, but after I graduate is it possible to be able to retake courses and/or the MCAT to improve my GPA at a CC? Also, would it be a good idea to be an EMT (I want to get into emergency med) while improving my stats?

In a word: yes. Although it matters less I think that you are an EMT than it does what you do with your EMT. It won't compensate for poor grades, but yes it's a good thing to do.

 

[Catalystik]

Having an EMT certificate won't help you unless you use it in a job or volunteer situation. If you do, it is an excellent source of clinical patient experience, but you'd still need to work/volunteer in a clinical environment, too. Taking EMT classes might be a distracting thing to do when your highest priority is to fix your GPA by getting straight As. You can more easily acquire the needed clinical experience by volunteering for 3-4 hours per week at a hospital, nursing home, hospice, or local clinic.

Retaking Calculus at a CC is fine. You don't need to retake the Chem I (unless you didn't understand it well) if you can get an A or B in Chem II to redeem it. If you bomb any science prerequisites, it is preferred that you retake at a four-year school if at all possible. It would be a better, less time consuming, and cheaper plan to do well the first time around.

 

[FirefighterDoc]

Try to get your EMT done during the summer, then it would be less distracting during school. I got mine done the summer before i started college and i only went two nights a week so i was still able to have my summer.

 

[FirefighterDoc]

In a word: yes. Although it matters less I think that you are an EMT than it does what you do with your EMT. It won't compensate for poor grades, but yes it's a good thing to do.

This.

 

[apumic]

.

 

[ilovesurf]

Thanks for the responses and the wake up call, apumic. I absolutely want to use my EMT and work on an ambulance. I would be able to pay some bills and get valuable experience. I was just unclear on being able to retake after grad.

Firefighterdoc, I was also thinking about being a firefighter for a while before going to med school, and it is also my fallback. Do you have any advice that could be useful to me?

 

[apumic]

Thanks for the responses and the wake up call, apumic. I absolutely want to use my EMT and work on an ambulance. I would be able to pay some bills and get valuable experience. I was just unclear on being able to retake after grad.

Firefighterdoc, I was also thinking about being a firefighter for a while before going to med school, and it is also my fallback. Do you have any advice that could be useful to me?

Retaking after graduating will work as far as DO and MD are concerned. (Although for MD it doesn't really "replace" or "average" the grades. It simply counts as another course, so a D+ in 4-unit Calc "averaged" w/ a B+ in 4-unit Calc the 2nd time around is simply 4 units of D+ and 4 units of B+, which "averages" to 8 units of C+.) Where it doesn't really "work" is in terms of your UG GPA that goes on your resume (i.e., for jobs if you take a year or two off post-UG). Technically, once you graduate, your UG GPA is fixed, although, to be honest, I list my current cumulative on my resume (including post-bacc coursework) as my GPA hasn't changed by more than a few hundredths of a point and I figure no one really cares that much since it's the most up-to-date GPA I have and all of the coursework is at the UG level (so it's not dishonest).

FYI, I just really hate the victim mentality some people put on. Biting it in the bud before you end up with a 2.5 senior year screaming "it's all their fault." Don't be that guy! lol, Just don't!

Good luck!

 

[ilovesurf]

Ok thanks that makes sense, I think I'm going to retake calculus this summer and thanks for the advice I know it's not too late to turn it around.

 

[Paramedic2DocMD]

I'm a college freshman and my first semester I received a C+ in chem and a D+ in calculus 1. The C+ was my fault, but my calculus professor was horrible and many classmates who had taken AP calc in hs received unsatisfactory grades(my first time taking calc). I honestly believe I knew the material better and can do well with a retake. I know I'm only a freshman, but after I graduate is it possible to be able to retake courses and/or the MCAT to improve my GPA at a CC? Also, would it be a good idea to be an EMT (I want to get into emergency med) while improving my stats?

Doing EMS is NOT going to make up for or fix your grades, ECs are great but when your doing poor in the classroom its not a way to escape a bad gpa. So since your a freshman you plenty of time to do EC's and volunteer. Focus on the classroom and whats going on there, seems like your plate is full already.

Good Luck