Best path for me so far

[13PappalR]

Hey everyone,

First post here.

I am currently wrapping up training as an emt-basic at the age of 19 before my freshman year of college. I intend to become a doctor and would like a stable medical-oriented job for med school. I want to end up as a paramedic, but I don't want to dive headfirst in if that will hurt me and my university (Rice in Houston) offers only basic to advanced emt classes. Otherwise, no local business offers AEMT to EMT-P class in Houston.

So my plan is: emt-b to aemt at Rice, then aemt to EMP-p via percom online to be completed in two years.

Any recommendations, advice from yall?

 

[JPINFV]

1. Your "stable medical-oriented job for med school" is being a medical student. The last thing you want as a medical student is to go to work. You definitely won't be working during 3rd and 4th year.

2. Being an EMT alone is worth nothing in the application game. Working as an EMT is OK, but hardly the best. Additionally, you'll need to get something outside of war stories from working as an EMT to impress admission committees.

3. From the adcom's perspective, EMT and paramedic are equal. There's literally no reason in terms of medical school admissions to become a paramedic over an EMT.

 

[Akulahawk]

If you want to be a Doc, knock out your educational requirements to get into Med School. Stay an EMT or AEMT and that way you won't spend too much time sitting in a year-long class or taking online coursework that may not be accepted as good education/training for the Paramedic cert. Later, once you're a Doc, you can challenge the EMT-P and get the Paramedic's License.

And heed what JP says about the whole working thing...

 

[Rialaigh]

What JPINFV said,

Also -

Take your EMT-B certification, get a job in the busiest ER you can working as a tech. The experience you pick up working in the ER setting will be much more invaluable than working on an ambulance.