Medic or Not ???

[BaylorHopeful]

So.....I have a question for you guys. I recently got my EMT-B, my CPR-I, and plan to sit for the NR exam soon. Fortunantly, I've done all this and will be a Sophomore come September. I have the opportunity to take a MEDIC class (about an hour away) at nights, T Th 6-10 for about 6k. Would you guys recommend this while taking the typical BME/Pre-Med Soph. Year courses (Mechanics, Ochem, Diffeq, Circuit Theory) or not ??? I'm hoping to be able to go volunteer abroad during my Jun/Sen summer, and was also wondering if being a MEDIC would open me to more "opportunities" for that as opposed to just being a Basic.

Thanks

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[HNS]

Being a medic most certainly does open doors. What you propose, however, needs to be evaluated beyond what just how much help it will be. As you have just become an EMT you obviously have little BLS experience. While this does not preclude you from taking the class it raises the question of if you are ready for the responsibility that comes with the certification. My recommendation is that you spend a few months on the truck and see where you stand. Being an EMT in the eyes of many committee member is no different than being a medic. Your grades and MCAT scores have much more bearing. Good luck!

 

[DSM]

Being a medic most certainly does open doors. What you propose, however, needs to be evaluated beyond what just how much help it will be. As you have just become an EMT you obviously have little BLS experience. While this does not preclude you from taking the class it raises the question of if you are ready for the responsibility that comes with the certification. My recommendation is that you spend a few months on the truck and see where you stand. Being an EMT in the eyes of many committee member is no different than being a medic. Your grades and MCAT scores have much more bearing. Good luck!

As a paramedic, I would not advise taking the step while you are premed. The studying for Paramedic will take away from your ultimate goal. As a basic you will see plenty especially if you are working with Medics. Just remember what you are in school to become a doctor. Do the EMT thing and let the Paramedic slide.

 

[beanbean]

Paramedic school is much tougher than EMT class and it sounds like you will have your plate full with your regular academic load this coming year. Get some experience as an EMT first and do well in your regular classes. Med schools would rather see an experienced EMT with a great gpa than a new paramedic with little patient experience and a not-so-great gpa. If you are possibly interested in working in EMS for a bit before med school, by all means get you medic certification, but don't try to do it with a full academic load at the same time.

Deirdre

 

[Febrifuge]

I agree with the above. An EMT who has some real-life experience is a lot more attractive as a candidate to med school than a Medic who has training but little experience.

Also, the EMT-B is just fine for landing yourself a little part-time patient care experience, if you have an ED nearby that can use you as a tech. It's a fantastic way to use your basic medical knowledge, there's less waiting around than there might be on a truck (depending on location, of course), and it's unlikely you'll kill anyone.

Frankly, Paramedic is a perfectly good end in itself, and it's not so great as a stepping stone to med school. I work alongside a couple of Medics, as techs in a big academic center. If I get a little bored because there are a bazillion students and residents doing all the cool stuff, I can imagine how they feel.

 

[Blue128K]

I thought of doing this also. I got my EMT-B 6 months ago and was a little disappointed with EMT's scope of practice. I really wanted to become a medic. I looked into doing a dual major in Emergency Medicine that would get me my medic and also trying to do a noncredit program on weeknights. The program on weeknights would really hurt my grades when i really wanted to be a doctor and grades were very important and would take up alot of my time. Also along with the like 2000 hours of classroom time there are also ridealongs that you have to do that you don't get paid for and volunteering in the ER. Both which take even more time. Also something very important that I just found out...My academic advisor told me that Medical schools look at a paramedic applying in a bad way. What I mean is that they view someone becoming a doctor as a "calling" and if you become a medic they look at it as you want to be a medic and maybe also a doctor. Losing one health professional and gaining another. They want people who have always wanted to be doctors and you getting your medic can hurt your chances of bein accepted. Or maybe that only applies to majoring in Emergency medicine. Either way i'm not taking any chances. Hope everything works out for you.

 

[DSM]

Also something very important that I just found out...My academic advisor told me that Medical schools look at a paramedic applying in a bad way. What I mean is that they view someone becoming a doctor as a "calling" and if you become a medic they look at it as you want to be a medic and maybe also a doctor. Losing one health professional and gaining another. They want people who have always wanted to be doctors and you getting your medic can hurt your chances of bein accepted. Or maybe that only applies to majoring in Emergency medicine. Either way i'm not taking any chances. Hope everything works out for you.

I don't think that is true. I know of several paramedics who have become doctors as well as RN's, Resp. Therapists and Lab techinicians. Some of my med control docs were paramedics first....in fact, because of your knowledge of medicine in the beginning you have a tremendous advantage.

 

[Robz]

I got my NREMTP in 97....I'm entering medical school this fall. Most of my interviews noted I knew the realities of some of the aspects of medicine and were very receptive to my background when I applied. I definatly felt it was a plus.

 

[12R34Y]

I couldn't disagree with febrifuge and blue128k more........being a medic is an awesome stepping stone into med school.

i've done it....many of my friends have done it and frankly i don't know of any medics that haven't been accepted into medical school if they've applied. granted that's only about 10, but still that's awesome.

I can't think of a better stepping stone actually.

it's helped me more than i could have imagined. i'm getting ready to start my third year of medschool next week and i wouldn't have done it any differently. EMT....Medic....medstudent.

later

 

[HNS]

I completely agree that being a medic is very helpful when trying to get into school. As for advice from incoming college freshmen, be careful, they have little actual knolege and no experience.

 

[medicMD]

I'm currently working on my advanced paramedic while I am going to be starting my 4th year at Nebraska Wesleyan University. It's very tough and very time consuming. I literally have no social life. So, it's totally up to you. I have to admit that the patient contact will and the decision making skills will look far more favorable on your resume than will the desire to be a doctor since you were 2. Just know that you will be very busy for at least 18 months. Another thing to consider is what you want to do with it. I'm taking my '99 curriculum EMT-P from a physician, so the college calls it the advanced paramedic b/c he has added in some things so that we are trained as physician substitutes to be able to work in out post clinics in sparsely inhabited areas where the closest hospital can be hundreds of miles away. Some of the things that have been added are suturing and x-ray interpretation among becoming unbeleivably proficient at things such as 12-lead diagnosis and diagnostic equipment. So, that's another thing you should consider if you decide to go ahead and take your paramedic. If you're curious, my motivation for continuing my paramedic through premed is because I started out wanting to be a firefighter/paramedic, but I got bored with the firefighting side and became absolutely emphatuated with medicine. If you want further advice, please PM me.

have a good one!

 

[Febrifuge]

I couldn't disagree with febrifuge and blue128k more........being a medic is an awesome stepping stone into med school.

i've done it....many of my friends have done it and frankly i don't know of any medics that haven't been accepted into medical school if they've applied. granted that's only about 10, but still that's awesome.

...But I never said medic wouldn't be helpful. I wondered about whether it was necessary. Or if it was the most efficient way to go. In fact, I think what I said was that Medic is a good destination all in its own --which is to say, spending a year or more earning Medic might not be the best strategy, if a person is just using it as a stepping-stone to med school. Me, I don't have that kind of time to work with, but more power to ya. Congrats on your acceptance!

 

[drpcb]

...But I never said medic wouldn't be helpful. I wondered about whether it was necessary. Or if it was the most efficient way to go. In fact, I think what I said was that Medic is a good destination all in its own --which is to say, spending a year or more earning Medic might not be the best strategy, if a person is just using it as a stepping-stone to med school. Me, I don't have that kind of time to work with, but more power to ya. Congrats on your acceptance!

As a former EMT-B and Paramedic and now an Emergency Medicine Resident (senior), I would tell you that very, very few members of an admissions committee have any idea what the difference is between EMT and paramedic. Even if they are EM physicians (few are) they are not likely to find you more suited to be a medical student because you "intubated, ran codes, etc, etc." and will not share the same excitement as you would when making the transition from basic to paramedic.

You won't even make it through the door without good grades and MCAT scores. I cannot emphasize this enough. Do not think that incredible experience as a paramedic will impress enough to compensate for less than stellar scores. My advice would be to spend the time and money on MCAT review courses and studying hard for your premed courses. If you have great grades and MCAT scores, then doing the paramedic training might be fun (it was for me) to give you the opportunity to work as a medic for income, but not to improve med school chances.

good luck

 

[OSUdoc08]

So.....I have a question for you guys. I recently got my EMT-B, my CPR-I, and plan to sit for the NR exam soon. Fortunantly, I've done all this and will be a Sophomore come September. I have the opportunity to take a MEDIC class (about an hour away) at nights, T Th 6-10 for about 6k. Would you guys recommend this while taking the typical BME/Pre-Med Soph. Year courses (Mechanics, Ochem, Diffeq, Circuit Theory) or not ??? I'm hoping to be able to go volunteer abroad during my Jun/Sen summer, and was also wondering if being a MEDIC would open me to more "opportunities" for that as opposed to just being a Basic.

Thanks

my grades were higher during medic class than when I wasn't. they are complementary courses, and fun. do it.

 

[drpcb]

my grades were higher during medic class than when I wasn't. they are complementary courses, and fun. do it.

That's right! that reminds me. I got something like a years worth of "A" grade for my paramedic courses, transferred from a local community college. I factored this into my math and science GPA and it went from a 3.4 overall to a 3.6.

Very good point.

 

[pseudoknot]

I thought EMS type courses were not counted as BCPM in AMCAS, but rather "Health Sciences."

That's right! that reminds me. I got something like a years worth of "A" grade for my paramedic courses, transferred from a local community college. I factored this into my math and science GPA and it went from a 3.4 overall to a 3.6.

 

[OSUdoc08]

not if you are smarter than the system (either way it helps out the overall GPA)

 

[drpcb]

I thought EMS type courses were not counted as BCPM in AMCAS, but rather "Health Sciences."

Never heard of "health sciences" (I applied to medical school in 1993)
They probably devised that modifier after my GPA boosting exploits.