is being an EMT good experience for med school?

Yes. It is very good experience.

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RE:

is being an EMT good experience for med school?

is volunteering as an EMT good experience to get accepted into med school?

It takes a lot more than being an EMT to get into med school. There are other things you could do like a quality research project that would carry more weight than a basic first aider although the volunteer part is a nice touch but optional. Shadowing a physician might have more relevance.

Don't waste too much time with being an EMT if it distracts from your studies.

Yes. It is looked upon as a good thing.

Consider going to a community college 2 nights a week for a semester to get an Emergency Medical Technician - Basic qualification. You can do this as young as 17 but most places will not let you write the exam until you are 18.

Alternately, go to your local fire hall and ask the fire fighters as many of them are also EMTs for the best place to get trained in your area.

Some universities also offer this as an undergrad course. After you get your license you can work 1-2 24 hour shifts a week. And you can study or sleep between calls. The hourly rate is not that great but you can do at least one 24 hour shift a week while going to school.

As well, nursing, PA and medical schools will look at this a lot better as it means you will have experience in life or death situations. That you have already been exposed to the messy side of medicine and if you can handle being an EMT, you are a good candidate for medical school. It has been known that EMTs who go to med school are often steered into the ER if they are not already planning to go there.

As well you can get an extra dollar an hour in most places if you get a qualification to drive the rig.

And if you do not get into PA or medical school, then you can take the full paramedic program which will give you something you can actually make a living doing.

My daughter got her EMT-B ticket while a senior in college and it made the difference in getting a fellowship while in grad school. In DC she is seen as an expert in first responder safety in her chosen field of transportation. She was also offered a priority admittance into medical school (which she declined). As well, she says the rush you get riding in (or driving) an ambulance with lights and siren going is as good as sex. She gets to drive a big GMC rig coming it at about 16,000 lbs.

As a PhD student and EMT at a major university she notes that 90% of the EMTs working for her school are going to medical school as they believe that selection committees like this.

EMT is a 110 hour cert that can be done in 3 weeks. If you are really serious about med school, go to college and don't screw around with classes at a community college for an EMS degree which consists of watered down sciences that will not help you towards the requirements for med school. Get the EMT cert and volunteer on an ambulance if you want but go with a college program that will work with your future goal of becoming a physician. If you do the Paramedic, chances are you will always be making excuses not to go back to college and get your MD and will be kicking yourself later when you no longer can work on an ambulance due to a back injury.

Yes, it certainly is. Don't forget to ask for a letter of recommendation from your boss.