How Does Being A EMT Help in Geting into Med School?

Question

i'm in college right now, i'm geting my certification as a EMT-B soon. idk if i want to continue though, can't decide if i want to go all the way to paramedic. or even start emt-intermediate

but anyways, i know i'll atleast be completeling my emt-b training.;

So, i'm planing on going to med shcool, how will that look on my transcript? i know the competition is stiff...one of the stats of a med school i list shows....

something around....

6000 students apply
400 are interviewed
only 100 accepted.

so yea....obviously being a emt will help me get in. but compared to the other competition. how will i stand out????

Answer 1

These days, you never know which major will lead you to Medical school. My sister's major was genetics and Microbiology in UCLA. Her GPA was 3.9. She was the volunteer lead in neurology department of UCLA for 2 years and had 2 years of volunteer experience in UCLA oncology department. She still didn't get in to any medical schools in USA. She applied to 15 schools and she got rejected. Her friend who did 3 years of laboratory work at quest and had bachelors in psychology, got in to UCLA medical school. Her GPA was 3.6.
They don't have a clear cut rule for admission. It's luck. My friend who was a Registered nurse for 5 years got in to medical school in UCSD.
Sometimes i think, it depends who is reading your application.

My sister ended up going to Ross University as a foreign graduate and she is currently working in Kaiser in Pasadena.

Answer 2

People who have had health careers do have a slight advantage over people who only have volunteer work or no experience at all. But the real weight in deciding on who is accepted is based on the objective factors: scores and grades. If the last seat came down between you and an identically qualified applicant who had no health care experience, you would have an advantage. But it is equally possible/probable that a more qualified applicant (better grades and scores) was selected before you who had no experience.

You might be interested in viewing the actual statistics, as reported by the medical schools: http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2006/2006slrmat3.htm

Answer 3

You have to have great grades and recommendations in college, some extra-curricular activities, a great interview, good test scores, etc. Having EMT training may be an advantage because you should already know some anatomy and some common ER practices. But really, to succeed in medicine means lots of dedication, a good memory, and concentration. And a strong stomach, haha.

Lately I have met some doctors that made me wonder how on earth they ever got accepted into med school... You will likely have an advantage getting accepted into schools in your state, as they give residents priority.