by Michael Barnum, M.D. and Michael O’Brien, M.A., NREMT-P
SDN Staff Writers
Often in the Pre-Hospital and Pre-Allopathic forums, we encounter questions that interest
many users. Many such inquiries come from users wanting to know if getting involved in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) — as either an Emergency Medical Technician or Paramedic — will help their applications for medical school.
Yes, it will.
But…
It is widely agreed upon by those of us on this board who have gone from EMS to medical school that wanting to be a doctor is not a good reason to become an EMT (at any level). There are several reasons for this:
- EMS and medicine are not the same thing. Some elements are similar but they are totally separate skill sets and work environments. You could get into EMS and love it and then be bitterly disappointed by medicine. You could be needlessly turned off from a career in medicine because you decide you dislike EMS.
- EMS is viewed by most medical school admission committees as some kind of medicine-related extracurricular activity like research or volunteering. Yes, it shows some dedication to the field. Yes, they’ll like it. But the real key to getting into medical school is your grades and MCAT scores. People love to hear that there are other ways to get in despite a mediocre GPA and poor test taking skills but that’s the exception to the rule. If you are looking at EMS just because it will look good on your application, your time will be better spent studying and preparing for the MCAT.
- EMS training without any real EMS experience is not particularly valuable. To really get anything useful out of it, you need to become an EMT (usually a ~120 hour course followed by written and practical tests) and then actually work as an EMT. Employment as an EMT is usually pretty mundane. You will be doing lots of interfacility transports, which means trucking nursing home patients to doctor’s appointments. To get the experience you really want you would need to become a paramedic. That usually requires you to work as an EMT for a year then go to paramedic school (1000 to 1400 hours followed by clinical rotations, field internship and more testing). By that time, you will have spent more time getting into EMS than you would have in undergraduate school. So again, your best bet is to study more Bio and O-Chem and take an MCAT prep course.
So does this mean people should avoid EMS? No! If you want to get into EMS because you want to work in EMS, then by all means go for it. It’s a great field and can be very rewarding. If you are already in EMS and want to change to medicine for some reason, then again, go for it and use your experiences to your benefit. Just don’t start down the EMS pathway hoping it will lead to medicine. It might, but it’s not the best way to get where you really want to go.
Forum Flashback is a new feature which brings some of the most popular threads, FAQs, and jokes from the SDN Forums right to the Front Page.
Great article! It was very encouraging. I took the path you described and decided to see if a medical profession would be right for me by joining the local rescue squad. It looks like it may be one of the best decisions I’ve made. Good luck to others considering the same path!
That is horrible advice!
EMT wont overcome bad numbers..
But…
it looks GREAT, I was asked about it at all of my medical school interviews and I am still asked about it and tell interesting stories about it at most to all of my residency interviews.
You absolutely do NOT need to become a paramedic. Half the doctors who interviewed me didnt even know the difference between an EMT/paramedic.
You can take the course in a few months for like 350 and the tests can be passed by anyone with a pulse. You can even make like 10/hr. You do get stuck doing some transfers, its a job, but many emergencies.
Looks as good as or better than boring research and is a lot more enjoyable.
I believe this is a great article, but I do have some suggestions for those still interested in both EMS and medicine. There is the option of joining EMS and/or first responder groups at various universities throughout the country and gain significant experience working through those universities’ rescue squads. Many schools, including Virginia Tech, University of Washington at St. Louis, and others, have basic EMTs working as the primary responder to EMS calls on campus, and transfer more advanced cases to local fire-rescue paramedics. Also, some universities such as the University of Miami, have disaster response teams which are trained in disaster medicine, first aid, triage, and other tactics akin to FEMA’s Urban Search and Rescue teams, although not that advanced. As the Incident Commander for UM’s ‘Canes Emergency Response Team and an undergraduate student very interested in pursuing trauma surgery and critical care, I can reassure that getting into some group like this which does not take as much time from your studies is definitely beneficial if you are looking to enter a “pre-hospital-like” profession, such as emergency medicine or trauma. I have been accepted to one medical school already and have interviewed at a few others, waiting for decisions. Being on groups like this also gives great conversation topics during interviews!
I have been in EMS over a year as an EMT and am not pursuing my Paramedic in addition to full time undergrad and full time employment as an EMT. It has been by far one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I got into EMS for EMS itself, not as a stepping stone. However, I do find that it is more intellectually stimulating than volunteering and probably on par with research (albeit different ways in stimulating the intellect).
If you are not big into research and enjoy clinical/hands-on…consider EMS. But do it because of the field itself, not just a resume filler because that time you are the EMT on a call that everything goes to hell, your patient deserves someone who will bust their balls to provide the absolute best care possible. The job is physically demanding, mentally exhausting, and emotionally draining. And it is amazing!
all the best!
I think the article has some of it wrong. I think many things are true, but I am an EMT-B and used that to get a job in three different emergency rooms, one being a level 1 trauma center. I have done more than I had thought possible, with 90% of my work being hands on, not transport. I have helped deliver babies, done CPR 100+times at least, help care for trauma victims and even helped with an open thoracotomy in the trauma bay. I love my work and i did it all on on “just” the EMT part.
Also, I think working in that setting would make many more doctors stay a little more humble. Wiping bottoms, having to empty commodes, clean beds and dump biohazard buckets really keeps things in perspective and will ingrain a sense of respect for lower level employees once in the medical profession.
Um wipe bottoms as an EMT? I’m not too sure I want to take that EMT course anymore…
Here’s the way I see it. There are some similarities between EMS and regular medicine. However, those similarities are usually in the process of providing care rather than the content.
For instance, an emergency room doctor takes a definitive care perspective, such as this patient has a bellyache and needs a CT scan. As far as the doctor is concerned, the patient could have flown in by hot air balloon. The EMT takes a short-term perspective, in some ways more like the way a nurse would view things. In the above scenario, the EMT might know that the patient will ultimately need a CT scan, but they’re not going to get one unless you carry them down the stairs in the Reeves first. You thus gain a more complete understanding of the treatment process by seeing the circumstances in which patients seek care in the first place and how it fits into the rest of medicine. To really understand something, it is important to see it from all sides.
As an EMT and as a doctor, you see what it feels like to be by yourself with just the patient and no one telling you what to do. That’s especially when, not if, you see something significantly different from the textbook and you need to quickly figure out what to do. If you don’t do it right and/or do it fast enough, you will have made a fool of yourself and worse, have possibly harmed the patient. The principle applies to quickly backboarding a patient trapped in a mangled wreck, in traumatic cardiac arrest with obvious neck and back injuries. The same principle also applies to pulling together nonspecific symptoms into an accurate diagnosis with the appropriate treatment and a waiting room full of impatient patients trying to break down your door. The weight of the situation, and the possible consequences, all rest on you.
I have been an emt for many years now and we deal a great deal with “medicine”. In fact I am an EMT-Intermediate and here in Ohio, the difference from me and a Paramedic is that the paramedic can access 2 more different airway techniques than I and can give cardiac drugs. Besides that I can give narcotics and all other drugs. I have run 911 for years, ut I learn more about “medicine” on the interfacility transports due to the procedures and exams and all the drips we monitor and need to know about in order to monitor. What RN can transport 10 drips on his or her own with the knowledge they have? Only flight nurses and they must have one emt and one paramedic with them for the transport.
ems can open doors to further medical careers. my wife in in nursing school an I am finishing up pre-med.
“But the real key to getting into medical school is your grades and MCAT scores. People love to hear that there are other ways to get in despite a mediocre GPA and poor test taking skills but that’s the exception to the rule”
I was the exception I guess.
Paramedic 10 years — quit —> Undergrad while a paramedic for busy city service (very mediocre)grades 3.0 gpa —> MCAT (poor 26) —-> Did research —> applied —> accepted many DO schools —> 4 MD schools —> Go to a top 10 medical school
Oh and being a paramedic has not helped at all in the first two years of medical school. It has the opposite effect. You think you know a lot but then realize you hadn’t really learned squat.
As an EMT-B, I stayed up late taking care of patients, was awoken 3 times a night by the firehouse alarm to run out into the snowy and cold night to care for patients. I took countless BPs, pulse and assessed respirations. I also took care of the poor, the sick, the drunk, stupid and the smelly. I saw people die. I saw people get crippled in car wrecks. I realized that life can be cruel and unfair. I also learned that I can go on in the face of that and provide care at anytime in any situation no matter the horrible conditions. Perhaps some admissions officer thinks that some girl who answered 3 more questions correctly on the MCAT is a better candidate. I don’t think so.
What do you think?
EMTs jobs are vary from GOMER toting wheelchair van jockey positions in suburbia to 48 tones in 24 hours riding the check-you-bus in busy 911 zones. Anyone willing to relocate to Atlanta can get all the blood and guts EMS they care to experience on a EMT cert. Trust me, working as a physician with plenty of staff, in a well lit environment, and with security personnel on call should a patient get unruly is a vacation compared to the war zone if inner city EMS. Anyone who doesn’t think that prepares you to be a better doctor should go join up as a corpsman, then you get the added thrill of beng shot at with fully automatic weapons for 10$ an hour rather than the gangbangers semi-auto thug specials. My months on trauma surgery were cake in comparison.
Farnobi I think the High MCAT wins everytime as long as they know what they are gettng into
Medical schools first look at grades and MCAT scores. That’s the bottom line. If you had on your resume that you cured cancer, AIDS, and the common cold you would still be rejected with sub-par numbers because they wouldn’t even read the rest of your application. No matter how noble and valuable your extracurriculars are, they will still be hidden behind GPAs and MCATs.
That having been said, applications have been more competitive than ever. Even looking to just a few years ago, averages are becoming almost unrealistic. It seems as if everyone is getting closer and closer to 4.0, and nothing below a 30 will cut it. When everyone is already at this level, it’s not a matter of distinguishing who is one-tenth of a percent smarter, it’s a matter of who is the better-rounded student as a whole (unless you are applying to a Top Ten, dare I even say Top Five school). This is where and when meaningful activities make a difference. This not only applies to EMS, but any health related field with direct patient care. Many (most?) schools want to see that you actually want to make not just a career, but a life out of helping complete strangers with some of the most unbelievably disgusting ailments and illnesses, and you’re cool with it. This is a hell of a lot more relevant than spending time in some lab. And whatever it is that you do, commit to it. Play an active role, show leadership qualities, and make it a routine. It will be infinitely more impressive than spending one summer “shadowing” a doctor.
Being involved in EMS is not a casual college job you can just pick up. The class is easy but it is still yet another time commitment. Even if you are lucky to have a training facility on/near campus, you still may find yourself traveling a way’s away for various activities. Depending on the EMS agency and the laws of the state you are training in, you may also be required to ride along with an ambulance service and/or spend a few shifts in the Emergency Department (which may not be all its hyped up to be, especially when you are a clueless, inexperienced stranger who gets in the way). Hours, if not days will be lost where you cannot study, do homework, and will feel very tired the next day. And after you pass all the classes, exams, and practicals, you will still have to take a few more classes and pass a few more tests to keep your certifications and licenses current. There is very little glory in the EMS world. It is very grimy and not at all pretty. If you dedicate yourself to it, you will learn good information. Passing the class is one thing, but taking in all the knowledge and applying it practically is where you shine. It is extremely rewarding and you learn a lot about yourself, about others, and how to handle certain situations, both medically related and not. And it opens up a lot of doors and opportunities whether you pursue EMS, medicine, or even something totally unrelated.
If you’re asking yourself “Should I become an EMT to get into medical school?” the answer is probably no. Many colleges, like Emory University in addition to the others listed, have campus-based services. And there are still many applicants higher in the healthcare field, like nurses, physician’s assistants, physical therapists, etc. Having an EMS background won’t put the shiny gold star on your resume as an undergraduate. And honestly, becoming a paramedic as an undergrad won’t increase your chances that much. You will only learn and do a little bit more, but it is the same world. An EMT and a paramedic are the exact same person with the exact same knowledge and skill sets until you pop open a intubation kit and start pushing cardiac drugs. Paramedic certification can take just as long, if not longer, than an EMT course and are harder to find. By the time you are done with it all, it’s almost time for medical school and your time will be better spent studying, MCATing, applying, and prepping for interviews. Working in EMS has the potential to give you good patient care qualities that you can use later in the medical world. But if you think what you will learn will give you a great advantage, you’re terribly mistaken. It is still a different world from the rest of medicine (and medical school, for that matter) with completely different styles and paradigms.
It’s not a walk in the park and like I said, it’s not a nice environment. You will need to make a lot of sacrifices if you’re carrying a full college load.If you know that you can put in the time needed, get the most out of it, and still be a successful student, then by all means go for it!
I have to disagree with this article a bit too. I think that pursuing your EMT can be a great stepping stone to med school, although I’m sure it really depends on where you end up working (and yes, if you don’t do anything with it, big deal). I got my EMT-B, did some volunteer EMT work, and then found a job as an Emergency Room Technician (EMT was the requirement for this). I worked at a somewhat dysfunctional ER, but it really cemented my desire to go to med school and possibly end up in the ER. I really agree with Bob above, you get to do a lot of really interesting things and see if ER work is something you might like. Also, you see what it’s like to be at the bottom of the totem pole – you get s* on a bit. So I also agree with Bob in that this sort of work can really make one a better doctor in the end.
I think it certainly helps your app, but I don’t know for sure I guess. The fact that I had ER docs and nurses commenting on my work habits and patient skills in their letters sure seemed to help.
Anyway, I really liked that job and I think it helped me a ton with getting into the MD school that I’m at now.
I have to disagree with this article a bit. I’ve been an EMT for a few months and it is an absolutely rewarding experience, not to mention a great experience for medical school. Being an EMT helps you not only learn how to deal with patients but also how to interact with various health professionals in different hospital and nursing home settings.
I am currently in the process of applying to medical school and I just want people out there to know that my interviewers were much more impressed by the fact that I have experience working with patients first-hand than many of the other applicants with MCAT scores higher than mine but who lacked such excellent exposure to the medical field.
To anyone out there who is thinking about becoming an EMT, I strongly encourage it, especially if you are taking some time off between undergrad and medical school. Even if you are doing interfacility transports everyday, there are still chances for you to learn a lot, whether you are doing BLS transports, ALS with paramedics, or Critical Care Transports with a nurse. There is always room to learn and as an EMT you are in the middle of the action all the time.
If you are thinking about becoming a paramedic, just keep in mind the schooling is much longer and it becomes more expensive. Being an EMT is a great experience in itself, and if you work with paramedics you can learn a lot depending on how much you are willing to ask and learn from them.
All I have to say is that I’m glad I became an EMT and it is definitely making up for my not so stellar score on the MCAT. That’s just my two cents.
Being an EMT is one idea, but your could also be a nurse tech and work in an ER. I think that gives you more ‘medicine’ experience then an EMT would. That is what I did and it has helped me in med school more than anything else!
I’ve been an EMT for about five months now. I have a somewhat unorthodox EMT-B job – working overnight at a large retirement community while the medical center is closed. I communicate with the doc and nurses about which issues to be ready for and deal with any emergencies or urgencies that occur overnight. Most students who are going to get into med school could learn the content of EMT-B class in three days, and I’m often reminded how little I know. But, for me, the benefits are 1) getting comfortable dealing with patients 2) experience among various roles of health care team and 3) providing motivation for studying during the doldrums of pre-req-dom.
I think an ER tech job is the plum position for those pre-meds with an EMT-B cert. In some areas it may be easier to get one of these positions with a CNA cert than an EMT one. An EMT course is surely more interesting and comprehensive than a CNA course. However, non-ER hospital patient care tech gigs generally want a CNA, and I’d rather work as a hospital tech than do ambulance transfers. Then again, the transport jobs in my area are saturated with wannabe firefighters who can’t get on anywhere. Many of these guys think the fart is the apex of humor. I’d rather be bossed around by nurses.
I became an EMT during my sophomore year of college and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I used it to join my schools Emergency Medical Services team as a volunteer EMT while in school, and after graduation it allowed me to get a direct patient care position in a hospital’s psych ward (ED wasn’t hiring at the time). After a short stint there, I transferred to that same hospital’s Level-1 Trauma Center (I also passed the N.A. exam – both the N.A. and EMT certs. were required) where I got a position as an ED Tech. As another poster mentioned, over 90% of my work is hands on – helping manage incoming medicals and traumas in the STAB rooms, doing CPR, making and applying fiberglass and plaster splints, inserting catheters, wound-preps and dressing, being the Docs second set of hands on numerous procedures such as LP’s, central lines, chest tubes, concious sedation-bone reductions, etc. The plastic surgeons even use us as their techs when cases come through the door. I have put amputated fingers and ear lobes on ice as well as tagged and bagged bodies and brought them to the morgue. I have learned an enormous amount in my time there as well as gained a better understanding of the health care system. On top of that I make over $19/hr! Best decision I ever made!
is this mike o’brien from suny albany 5 quad?
anyone on this comment live in oklahoma? i am thinking of applying there to OU.
Also, like when in high school, The ACT, the only section, you had to know to do good was the math part. The other sections you couldn’t really study a lot for.
same way, what courses should i put a lot of emphasis in so that i can do excellent on the MCAT?
what courses do i have to have before taking it? hope someone can help.
Sorry, Jess, it’s not.
My EMT-B class was wonderful. It was superbly taught and great fun as well. Highly recommended.
I’m in an emt basic class right now but see mostly job listings for intermediates and paramedics. Did any basics out there have trouble finding work out? Should i spend the time and money to take the intermediate course? Thanks
I disagree with this article a bit. I think that the EMT experience is really what you make of it. I do agree that you should not do it just because you want to get into med school. This can be PART of the reason, but as the other posters said your time would be better spent studying for the MCAT and getting good grades. That’s where the rubber meets the road, like it or not.
An EMT-B or EMT-I cert is totally attainable for a full time college student. It is a big time commintment, however. And sometimes expensive. I will say that actual field work and “classwork” are totally different. I have never felt like more of an incompetent a$$ than when i was first starting as an EMT. It is a humbling experience.
As far as whether or not it will help you get into med school, i would say it certainly doesnt hurt; but it’s not going to trump lousy grades or MCAT scores.
A teacher at the university I attend has been telling a lot of people that come to him (he is an advisor for one of the departments in the natural science college, and also on the MD admissions committee) that they will “get into medical school if you become an EMT”. I have heard this over and over and can’t believe someone in his position with his experience would point so many kids in the wrong direction, because I have never heard something so wrong in my life.
I honestly believe that these people are complete idiots. They think that admissions committees are going to appreciate the superficial stuff they put on their application, like their one-time volunteer experiences or one-time shadowing experiences. Obviously we all know this is incorrect and these short term experiences will not make you a competitive applicant. However this professor keeps telling people to become an EMT because it will make them HIGHLY competitive for the MD school at my university. What he is really telling them is to spend between $1000 and $2000 on a class they will probably not care about, because they are doing it for an external reason, and then another few hundred on testing, IN ADDITION to spending the time (more valuable than the money as a pre med) to study, drive, go to clinicals, etc. Nobody could be more wrong about good advice for a pre medical student looking to make their resume a little more attractive.
I have little respect for people who are in EMS and are in it for this reason. I have a LOT of respect for people who are in EMS for EMS. I work for a private service in southeast Michigan and let me tell you– there are a lot of patients we serve regularly who need a lot of help. Any of you who work for any service know what I mean. If you were an ESRD pt with CHF and IDDM would you want a person who cares about what they are doing as the attending technician or someone who could care less, and is only treating you so they can tell someone about it?
Sorry if I sound harsh but this is something I feel strongly about and every time I hear about another person that this advisor tells to go through basic training and put it on their application, whether they formally worked or not, that person gets basically the same benefit as an EMS provider like me (EMT intermediate) who takes it seriously. Not too fair.
You know… EMS is only 40 years young as opposed to hundreds of years of nursing and nursing unions boosting their level of pill passing to overrated heights of “medical care”. My aunt ran White House Nursing Staff in regeans first administration. She also is dying from lung cancer from smoking. No sideline medical carrer is perfect. EMS just set one in the center of the action without a Doc over your shoulder telling you how to keep your patient alive. Unlike the Docs and nurses in the hospital trauma room, that will do very well in knowledge and training to save the persons life, have 10 + people there, unlike the back of the ambulance. 2-3 people tops preserving life and trying to prevent the enevitable. Now wheelchair jockeys, I used to be, will not get these skills, but all the Docs I met that have been paramedics or EMT’s first give the pest patient care. Not always perfect, but more in tune with the patient. They are not affraid to wipe poop. They don’t call for the “nurse” to give a shot or start the IV. That is their patient and they will trat them. Plus they take report directly from the EMT’s. Over bearing nurses don’t have a chance in this situation to tell the grimm story of what really happened out on the streets. They weren’t there, why should they tell the story to the docs? It is not a power trip, it is a “Doc, this is what I did, this is what I saw and this is what happened” Story. I would personally feel better knowing that the paramedic that gave me a drug told the Doc what he/she gave, not someone that truely doesn’t know. And yes, there is a paperwork trail, but continued care is already underway prior to the completion.
I am n ot saying that pre-med students should or shouldn’t become EMT’s, I am saying for the masses of idiots that think EMS is all about just boosting self image, that EMS actually saves thousands of live each year and without it they would die. With out the emergency medical approach, did you notice the word medical, then we as a world would be in the 1800′s still. Dying of the common cold like it was a pandemic.
SOME, not ALL in EMS take advantage to learn what other medial careers are about. But not too many older schoold Docs and nurses care about EMS until they need us. I met an older gentleman from Columbus, Ohio dying. His son was a Doc and wanted to ride in the back. I said a s a DOC I cannot refuse if he takes care of the patient on the way to the ER. He told me he graduated and now teached for Harvard College of Medicine. He asked me what I would do in this situation. I said you are the Doc. He said, I am smart enough to know I am not trained in this area of medicine, I need you today! ‘Nuff Said!
It may not increase our chances to get into med school, but by God It sure won’t hurt if it is for good reason and with a good heart!
So, to those whose office number in 911, I salute you! I need your help and without it I would be a failure. You have taught me about medicine and sparked a higher learning for medicine that I wouldn’t have had. The world will be a better place with you, even if Med school is not. A few more years and we should have shaken the idiot thinkers out of the trees that we are not a true medicine. My wife is in RN school and her med math book doesn’t teach how to dose, only to give the Docs ordered dose. EMT’s are taught to dose and give it correctly. Therefore we are truely onestep up already. She also said RN school is a joke compared to Paramedic school. She learned more in 2 years of it than in 2 years of RN school. Again ’nuff said.
and ignore my spelling errors in the previous please… I type faster than my eyes can see… Lesson # 1,386,759 of just a Paramedic… Proof read! LOL Best wishes to all trying to get in!
I disagree with a number of items in your article. While I agree that being a paramedic may not help you in the first two years of medical school it will def. help for the rest of it! First of all paramedics and basic EMT’s are two completely different animals, and to say paramedic work has nothing to do with medicine is just totally arrogant!
I have worked in both the pre-hospital and in-hospital settings and if one is looking to become an E.D. physician being a paramedic first is invaluable. I have seen so many E.D. residents that are great when it comes to the books but totally blow it when it is time to take action and perform a procedure (putting the bookwork and practical work together). One has to have an equal balance in book smarts as well as putting it into action. If you cant do both it does not work out so well!
You write the article as if you are dismissing the invaluable experience that paramedics gain in the field and in medicine as well.
One of the comments stated that most doctors (except E.D. docs) do not have a clue regarding the differences between paramedics and EMT’s. This comment is right on the money! Being a paramedic in the end makes one a better doctor and a better practitioner (In general). I was so disappointed by your article, and it sounds like you might need to come out of the clouds a little. Some of the best E.D docs that I know were paramedics first. Come on! Of course you don’t have to become a paramedic to get into medical school. Being a paramedic is something you should WANT to do and experience, and those of us that have done it are better for it, and more prepared for interacting with patients and their problems.
If any of you ever wonder why WE (Emt’s and Paramedics) hate being called an ambulance driver….. this is why…
You wouldn’t call a policeman a police-car driver or a firefighter a firetruck driver…. so, why call us Ambulance Drivers……
I am Just an ambulance driver, you say as I am on the scene of a vehicle accident that has a popular high school student that is trapped in the submedged S.U.V. in the creek as I’m standing in chest deep water,freezing rain falling and stinging as it hits the exposed parts of my body. Holding her head above water to keep her from drowning until rescue could get there to cut her free—
BUT I’M JUST AN AMBULANCE DRIVER
I comfort a 89 year old woman who just watch me and my partner cover the face of her husband of 64 years as he lay dead in their bathroom floor—
BUT I’M JUST AN AMBULANCE DRIVER
I am on scene at another mva with mom trapped upside down in her car and her dead sons body laying on top of her without a second thought for my own safety i crawl into the wreckage to take C-spine control and calm the frantic lady—
BUT I’M JUST AN AMBULANCE DRIVER
I get called away from my just prepared meal to respond to the middle of B.F.E to a house with no numbers,no porch light on,nobody waiting to signal us in and they bitch because we took too long only to find out the patient left in there own vehicle ten minutes ago…so we smile and walk away from the verbal lashing only because we are
JUST AMBULANCE DRIVERS
I stand in the middle of the street at midnight on the wrong side of town trying to patch the holes and stop the bleeding of a 19 year old shooting victim with the occasional bullet wizzing past our heads we never break stride because this kids life is in our hands—
BUT I’M JUST AN AMBULNCE DRIVER
Or how bout doing chest compressions on a 16 year old girl who decided this life was more than she could take.Her family screaming at us to help as though we are the ones who did this to her.Her lifeless body flailing about as the tube goes in and IV’s being started, my arms and back burning from the pain of 30 minutes of CPR never once giving up, hoping she would make it through and over come whatever lead her to this bad decision—-
BUT I’M JUST AN AMBULANCE DRIVER
Death is all around me and still i go home to live my life
i get kicked,hit,spit on, bled on, puked on,cussed at and disrespected…
i look into the eyes of a lifeless child at 7am and by 8 am i’m holding my child a little tighter and they know nothing about what happened. i have hundreds of hours of classroom time
years of in the field experience i have challenged death and won.
i’ve helped the helpless
i’ve neglected my family for yours
i find comfort in complete chaos
i eat cold meals if i eat at all
i work with no sleep for days at a time
i miss birthdays,holidays and school functions
i put myself in harms way for a total stranger on a daily basis
ALL BECAUSE I AM JUST AN AMBULANCE DRIVER
I AM AN AMBULANCE DRIVER!!! I DRIVE 90 MPH THROUGH CONJESTED TRAFFIC FULL OF PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO YEILD RIGHT OF WAY WHILE MY PARTNER STANDS UNRESTRAINED IN THE BACK OF THIS SCREAMING LAND MISSLE SAVING YOUR LOVED ONES LIFE!! NEVER ONCE DOES HE QUESTION MY DRIVING HE KNOWS THAT AT THE END OF THIS SHIFT HE WILL GO HOME TO HIS FAMILY SAFELY BECAUSE I AM AN AMBULANCE DRIVER….
I loved the post previous to mine…………absolutely beautiful and eloquent. You’re a hero!
Amazing! You ARE a hero.
Thank you for all that you do… If only people knew what “simple ambulance drivers” do…
Most of the negative comments are due to people misunderstanding the intent of the article. This piece was originally written as a FAQ page for the EMS forum on SDN. It was intended to head off the very frequently asked question “Should I get an EMS cert to help my chances of getting into medical school?” I stand by my assertion that for students with the ultimate goal of going to med school investing time in EMS solely to enhance their CV is not the way to go. That time would be better spent in other ways and it takes up a spot in EMS training that could otherwise be used by someone who intends to practice EMS. Realize that I am talking about those who are on the med school track and looking for CV padding. I’m not talking about people (like me) who got into EMS to practice EMS and then decided to go into medicine. I have a very high opinion of EMS and I am the medical director for an EMS training program teaching all levels, FR through EMT-P. I would think we can all agree that directing pre-meds with no goals other than CV building and med school acceptance into EMS training cheats them, the system and the legitimate students they displace.
MB
To Mike Barnum, MD:
I honestly wish you could come to my university and say exactly what you said in the post above to a certain professor who is also ON THE HUMAN MEDICINE SCHOOL ADMISSIONS BOARD. This professor / advisor has been telling pre-medical students who are severely lacking in many areas that an EMT license could very well be their ticket into medical school. What you said people SHOULDN’T do is exactly what this professor is doing. He is not directly my advisor because I am not in that college within the university. I have wanted to approach him about this for a long time and I’m not quite sure what I would say. I have talked to quite a few students about this and they agree that it is not “selfish” but rather helping students like myself who are getting a different kind of benefit out of working in EMS rather than the superficial value of having the license. I plan on talking about this extensively in medical school interviews and personal statements. Thanks for your post!
-Mich EMT-S
I am an NREMT-B and in 2 months, i will begin my 3rd year of Med School. I obtained my EMT after finishing undergrad because I was burnt out and didn’t want to go to medical school. I used my EMT to work in the Emergency Department and Trauma Center of an urban, 900+ bed Level 1 Trauma Center for 4 years. The hands on experience was absolutely phenomenal and motivated me to pursue a career in medicine. Working in a teaching hospital, I was able to see the spectrum of medical education from EMT students to Interns to Attendings and it gave me a better understanding and appreciation for the field of medicine.
To be brief, one should not use EMT certification without experience as a CV builder. But, before committing $150,000+ dollars and 8-10 difficult years to medical education, spend some time working in and understanding how medical care is delivered along the continuum. Becoming an EMT is very rewarding and offers a chance for patient contact in an autonomous, decision making environment, skills that will be vital to the successful practice of medicine later in your career, regardless of specialty.
Please feel free to contact me if you would like to hear more or discuss it further.
I plan on taking the classes to become an EMT this year. I personally do not think that doing it before you apply to medical school is a bad thing, especially if one wants to gain experience before enrolling into med school. I actually think that EMTs should be proud that the job is thought of as the perfect way to boost one’s chances of getting into med school becuase it shows that people actually do value and appreciate that job enough to realise that it is very important in the medical field. Also, the fact that medical admission boards place a certain value on applicants with that experience should also re enforce the fact that this job is looked upon with respect and not simply as a steppng stone to something higher.
But that’s just my opinion
Hello everyone! I have been an EMT-P for two years now, and have finally made the decision to go back to school for nursing. I was initially on the nursing track straight out of high school, and planned to continue on to CRNA. I chose to take EMS classes at night while I took my core classes during the day. I felt EMS would be great experience while I worked my way up to my goal. Well I’m telling everyone this to remind you not to be swayed by “the now” and let go of your goal! Paramedics have what many people consider to be great work schedules. Many services work 24 on 48 off, so two and three days a week. The pay, for a student at least, is wonderful. As a junior in college that kind of income is unreal. The experience is good, but very very different from in hospital care! In all, it took me two years to go from nothing to EMT-P, and when considering those two years plus the two years of working as a paramedic, had I stayed on track with my BSN I would already be in a CRNA program instead of working on my RN! I am not trying to sway anyone’s opinion on taking EMS courses; just don’t let them interfere with your final goal of MD!
As I’m about to start my third year in med school, some of my most incredible life experiences definitely came from being in EMS. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat even if I were never going to put it on my med school application. It was worth it because of its own merit. If you think you’ll enjoy EMS, you probably will, and it was great. Just make sure you’re in an area that will allow you to do 911 calls, because nursing home transports get real boring real fast.
I am taking an EMT class right now but I’ve been volunteering with my Rescue Squad for over a year now and I can easily say that I’ve seen things which have really made me far more devoted to becoming a doctor than anything else.
Being an EMT gets you a lot of experience. You’re the first responder, thus you need to develop critical thinking skills which will be useful in Medicine (What do I do? Do we have to ambulate? Do we need medics? What about Medevac? Or if the problem isn’t obvious: what the hell is bothering him?) It sure as heck isn’t easy but it definitely is rewarding.
Everytime I see a doctor in the ER when we transport after a call it makes me all-the-more devoted.
I could not disagree more. First of all, you are in direct care of the patient. You make decisions and interventions that could save someone’s life or do the opposite. The article says that EMT is looked at as an extracurricular activity such as volunteering or research. Obviously the author of this article has not been an EMT out in the field. Maybe its because I work EMS in the Bronx, but volunteering? i mean yes we do have to transport geriatric patients from time to time but how about the time when someone handed me an unresponsive infant? How about the HIV patient who was bleeding from the forehead after being hit in the head by a cain and needed bleeding control? How about being dispatched to a patient breathing at 40 breaths per minute? I’m sorry we are the first responders. We make the first decisions in patient care. So to compare it to volunteering (what max you get vitals- we get two sets for each patient-which is standard) or doing “research” without a Ph.D (which is pretty much equivalent to cooking), is a disgrace. Furthermore, Paramedics (which I will be by the end of next year), can do far more than emts. They are pretty much the doctors of the road. They can ETI, do EKG’s, give over 24 drugs, and a whole host of other things. So choose what you want to choose… What do medical schools really want? Yes, it is important to know how many ATP’s come out of the TCA cycle, but I know when it comes to my interview… probably sometime in the near future, and if the question arises: why do you want to go into medicine? I will have no problem telling them about the time I saved an infants life and the look on his crying mothers face when he became conscious.
NYCEMT-The author of this article has worked as an EMT. He talks about his background in a post above yours.
What about EMT vs. Nursing school? I’m trying to figure out whether I should do my prereqs for nursing school or become an EMT first to figure out if I want to be in the medical field.
I am currently an EMT-B. I will be working for the City of Honolulu EMS. My course was and EMT-I course requiring 700 hours (2 months 40 hour/ week ambulance rotations). This is experience is for Physician Assistant school. Many P.A programs require 1 year or 2000 hours of experience. I have found that just the clinicals alone have exposed me to many different types of patients from sick to injured. This experience is valuable and humbling as a medical professional, and will recommend it to anyone getting into the field. You get dispatched to a variety of cases: gunshot, stabbings, trauma, DOA, cardiovascular (CHF, CP, HA, HTN), stroke (CVA), OD, childbirth, psychiatric, respiratory, drowning, diabetic patient, seizure, and oh yes many others. Through EMS you learn how to take a patient history, and possibly figure out what the underlying problem could be. BUT At the same time, medical school (MD), nursing school (RN), and Physician assistant school (PA) will only accept students with the best grades. So make sure you have something close to a 4.0.