Premed Overload - EMT hours and Orgo

General Premed Discussion
#1

I am a sophomore at a really big state school and am currently taking 16 credit hours, including organic chem. Due to COVID, our university’s EMT squad lost a handful of senior EMTs and didn’t have the training program to recruit new ones. I’m drowning in hours. I can’t NOT work because they need one paid EMT to manage each volunteer crew. (I got certified in high school so I’m actually one of the few paid crew members even though I’m a sophomore.) For the last several weeks, I’ve worked 30 to 40 hours a week while balancing my premed course load. I’ve easily done 1200 hours since freshmen year. I love being an EMT, and find it tremendously fulfilling, but I’m lucky if I have time to do laundry and eat. I still have a 3.7 GPA but I think it might slip a bit this semester. And I have no time to volunteer or even look for research. Am I being taken advantage of? Will med school ADCOMS understand why I couldn’t volunteer or do research during this time? Help. I don’t want to turn down the shifts cause they need us, but I’m definitely not becoming a “well rounded” applicant. How bad is this?

On the plus side, I get to help train a new class of about 40 volunteers. Downside: my grades aren’t as good as they could be. Exactly when is this “upward trend” expected to kick in? After Orgo?

#2

I know how you feel as I went through the same thing. You probably have to make a choice: work less or take fewer classes. If you cannot work less then take fewer classes. There is nothing that says that you have to graduate in 4 years, you can take longer. Grades are more imporrtant than class load becuase once you get a bad grade, it’s hard to change it. I know, because i’ve been there.

#3

Thanks. Yeah my schedule just came out. I’m booked for another 75 hours over the next two weeks. I guess I’ll look at dropping back to 4 classes next semester. I love what I do but I don’t want to screw up my chances of med school with a low GPA.

#4

Don’t be fooled. Your grades will count for more than your job in this case. Please, cut back on hours and focus on GRADES.