My name is Anthony and this is my first post on this forum. I’m looking forward to being a part of OldPreMeds as I feel that there will be many people here with similar experiences as me.
I am 33 and have been in the IT industry for 14 years. After getting laid off in 2009, I have been unable to find full-time work. I had been thinking about a career change for the past few years and my employment situation forced me to research different paths ultimately leading towards a health career.
I am still deciding exactly what direction I would like to go in, but it seems the PA route currently in the lead. PT, NP, and MD/MO are other choices. I am currently in the process of finishing my degree in Management as well as supplementing my education with the required prereqs. In addition to school, I am also volunteering at a rehab hospital.
There is an EMT class starting tonight at Pasadena Community College that I will try to get into. A few other local community colleges have EMT classes starting within the next couple of weeks just in case. UCLA also has a three week long EMT program for $925 plus various additional fees. If I am unable to get into the EMT programs at the CCs, does it make sense to pay $925+ to take the class at UCLA? How quickly can I expect to begin working once I am certified? Besides EMT, what other options do I have to begin working and gain experience in the medical field?
Because I have been out of work for so long, I want to make sure that the little money I have left is used wisely so that I can begin working and earning money again. Any suggestions that you have would be greatly appreciated.
Anthony
EMT is not usually considered a particularly great asset when applying to medical school. The reason for this that is that many younger students get the certification and never do much with it. So by itself, it doesn;t have a lot of value. It is perceived that many adcoms see it not much more than “carry and drive.” In many parts of the country, most EMTs work unpaid with local volunteer ambulance and fire companies.
However, if you are planning to get the certification and get a paid job with it, it may have more value. You also have to consider if emergency medicine is your interest. If so you would need to consider advancing in the field or looking in local ER’s as a trauma or ER Tech. Some of our members have taken this route. I started as a volunteer EMT in college and worked up to ER Tech/Paramedic working on a mobile intensive care transport unit for the university hospital.
Personally, I am not sure nearly $1,000 is worth the cost when you are counting your pennies
Don’t know how close you are to the slopes, but I am doing ski patrol. Class is almost like EMT basica and the whole thing cost me less than $200. And my patrol is volunteer, so it is community service. And I have seen some pretty cool stuff.
- shohinsai Said:
Don't know if CA works the same as NJ, but if you go the EMT route, give your local volunteer first aid squad a ring. They'll usually pay you and pay all or most the associated costs of training (you might need to buy your own uniform, etc) in return for a commitment to X hours of service.
Are you in an urban area? If so, start calling up free hospitals and clinics and ask if they need volunteers. If it's a small clinic, this is also a good way to network with a doc for some shadowing.
Having a certification can also open the door to volunteering in a clinically related position. After I got my Basic certification I started volunteering at a free clinic as a “nurse” and have been there for over 4.5 years.
You’ll want to check how EMT-Basics are used in the local systems though. An old partner of mine worked out in California and told me that most basics there are mostly just ambulance drivers since all patients had to be attended to by a paramedic. Vastly different than the system I started at in Charlotte, NC where basics were very involved in clinical care and are now starting to be delpoyed on BLS only 911 trucks.
$900 seems a bit of a steep price, mine was only a couple hunderd at a local CC. But maybe it’s a very good program.
I would concur with the other posters and do NOT just be just an EMT who rides ambulances to crises. EMTs, especially the basic EMT-Bs, are a very common route that premeds take to get medical experience. However, as gonnif and others have stated, a better way would be to get that EMT and then use it say as an ER Tech. You may also need phlebotomy for some ER Tech positions.
But, yes, having an EMT can open the door to more unique, less routine and less common volunteer experiences. And that what would help set you apart from throngs of other premeds.
Be unique! It may just make AdComms notice your application and you.
Thanks for the information. My goal is to be an ER Tech. Being that I’m in a little pressed to find work, I’d be willing to take just about anything that gives me practical experience.
I tried crashing another EMT course this morning, but still no dice. There are a few more coming up in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully I get into one of them.
- gonnif Said:
Are any of these things available on a volunteer basis? Or are these all paid positions?
About that EMT situation…I work full time but I also volunteer as an EMT on the weekends. I dont just “carry and drive” although I can understand why adcoms wont really look at it with that much value. Its too bad that EMTs (the ones that really work hard) arent given as much credit as they deserve.
The reason I’m not working as an ER tech or a phlebotomist is because I have a good paying full time job already. Being an EMT is the highest caliber of a “hobby” that I could have at this point.
I agree with previous posters though, its about being unique. Whats unique about my unit is that we are the ONLY volunteer EMS only company in the county (or state)? And I was lucky enough to be one of the founding members of the company when it started up almost a year ago. I can take that and run with it. Always take what you have and try to make it better, try to make yourself stand out.
Besides I think being a volunteer EMT has more weight than being a paid one or a paid ER tech. Aside from the volunteer aspect, I think being out on the field and dealing with very different scenarios is tons more interesting than being treated like a bed pan changing robot in the ED. … IMHO.
I was like you, I wanted to get work in an ER, so I started as a CNA. The CNA training was a faster more inexpensive way to get my foot in the door working in a hospital. While I was waiting for an ER position to open, I completed an EMT course. The hospital I work for requires a CNA OR EMT either one is fine. They are more interested that you have some sort of prior patient care experience.
It’s pretty common that the ER jobs are filled from within the hospital.
Just though I would share my path. It worked for me.
Welcom to the Journey.
M