EMT....to be or not to be?

Alright, we finally heard from UCSD. I'm on hold for an interview, which is neither bad nor good, but I'll take it. Realistically speaking, I think that it means I'm not one of their top choice candidates, but I'll probably get interviewed somewhere down the line. It is far from the worst case scenario. Statistics are a scary thing if you stop and think about it. First of all, only 40% of the 5000+ applicants receive a secondary. Then, only 25% of those receiving secondaries are eventually interviewed. I'm a little rusty at math, but I believe thats a one in ten chance of getting an interview at UCSD. Furthermore, about half of those interviewed are eventually offered an acceptance, and that gives us a five percent acceptance rate. So for me......I'm still wading around in that 40% somewhere, hoping and praying! And for those of you struggling in similar or worse (please don't take that the wrong way) situations, I feel for you. It all really sucks, doesn't it?

Anyways, I'm glad that several people have brought up the topic of becoming an EMT. You wouldn't believe how many e-mails I get from individuals on the subject! Apparently, it's a hot topic right now. So listen up, cause I don't want to answer anymore e-mails (no I'm just kidding, I don't mind). So the best place in San Diego County to receive EMT training is Miramar College, which offers the semester long class twice a year that I know of. It requires eight classroom hours a week, plus eight hours ambulance experience and eight hours E.R. experience total. At the end, you must pass a final written test plus a practical skills examination. I'll tell you right now, the class is not for wussies especially if you are taking UCSD classes concurrently. Unless you are superhuman like me ( I did it while taking twenty-one units at UCSD along with all the other crap I did), it will probably be pretty painful. By the way, I'm kidding about the superhuman thing (kinda).

However, here is the good news. I absolutley loved the course. It was so fascinating and intellectually stimulating, and in my opinion, gave pre-meds like us a great, practical foundation for beginning a course of study in medicine. It covered basic anatomy and systems, common diseases and injuries, and appropriate treatment for those injuries in the field. There is a difference between the theory and the practice of medicine. More simply, you can understand diabetes or COPD on a molecular level, but can you recognize the signs and symptoms and know exactly what to do if you encounter diabetic ketoacidosis in the field? While I was taking the course, volunteering in the E.R. was suddenly raised to a whole new level. I actually understood what they were talking about, and that made the experience all the more meaningful to me. I was suddenly that much more connected to my co-workers and patients. So seriously, I think it was the best course I ever took, and I learned ten times as much practical knowledge as I ever have in a lecture hall at UCSD.

Yet here is some bad news. If you actually want to work as an EMT, that can be tough around here. Sure you can get a job on some BLS rig, and drive around all day taking grandmas and grandpas back to the nursing home (no offense to grandma and grandpa). But if you're like me, and you want the action (i.e. sucking chest wounds, subdural hematomas, abdominal aortic aneurysms) then its not gonna happen, not as a job anyways. Most EMTs who work hard enough to eventually get on ALS rigs are doing so because they want to become paramedics and firefighters. So I'm talking career stuff here. However, there are EMT positions in emergency rooms (E.R. techs), and although its very competitive, it is possible. Bottom line: The class comes highly recommended by me, whether it's for personal or professional reasons. I chose not to pursue a job as an EMT, and most of the time I don't regret that.

Oh here's something funny: when I went to South Africa to volunteer, I was one of the only pre-meds in my group. Most were 1st and 2nd year med students. Yet when we actually got into the clinic or ambulance, I put them all to shame. From just the practical skills I had gained during the EMT course, I made them all feel like idiots and I found myself teaching them rather than the other way. How cool is that?

On that note, I will bid you good night :)