Hello Team!
I’d like advice about possibly quitting my EMT job when I start my postbac in one month. For sure I’m stepping down from full time, but I’m conflicted about outright quitting or moving to Per diem (min three 12 hour shifts per month).
Reasons for Per Diem:
I like the patient contact
Bunch of things left on my EMT bucket list
EMT experience looks good in application
Reasons to Quit:
I don’t want anything to risk not getting As in my classes (poor undergrad GPA)
My shifts won’t be on a set schedule, I will have to pick them up randomly sometimes at the expense of sleeping that night.
I don’t have any shadowing yet and could use this time to shadow physicians
My family is supporting me, I don’t need the paycheck
Questions:
Is the extra patient exposure in my application worth the risk of Bs instead of As in my postbac?
If I quit, will my 1.5 years as an EMT still count as good patient contact in 2-3 years when I apply to med school?
For any other job I would quit instantly in favor of my studies. I’m hesitant because it’s a job that looks good on the application.
Thanks!
EMT looks good, but I think it’s prevalent enough to not carry as much weight as you think. If you enjoy it, then by all means, keep doing it while you’re doing your postbacc. You definitely don’t want to sacrifice academics too much; however, carrying a job while going to school may show some life balance. That being said, don’t do what you think “they” want, do what is best for you.
The skills and experiences you gained while working as an EMT won’t go to “waste” and can definitely be used in your personal statement and experiences sections of your application. You may want to write out some thoughts now for later use so you don’t forget anything over the next few years. They may ask you why you quit, but the question would be more to just see how you set yourself up for med school prep and not to judge you for quitting.
As far as your reasons to quit go: You definitely want to shadow. EMT does not equal physician, and schools want to know that you have a true understanding of what you’re trying to get yourself into. Supporting yourself shows some maturity, but it’s also a nice benefit to have a family that is able to support you. In this game there really are no true right/wrong answers, there’s just rationale for choosing the decisions you made.