Looking into the Medical field + questions about education path.

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JMC

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I'm a junior in high school and currently looking into the medical field for pursuing a career. Being an EMT always stood out to me, and I've realized I would love to be one. What would be ideal to me is if I started out as an EMT and then later in my career I branched out to a new medical profession (sort of like upgrading).

Now my question is what should I choose for my college path (for example: what should I major in college? , should I go to medical school?)

As you probably found out I don't have much knowledge in this topic, so any important info you may think I need, feel free to let me know.

Thank you
 
I actually have thought the same for awhile. I had a talk with Veneficus on the forum and it gave me awesome insight and a good view of what I should do and don't do in the medical field.

First off, if you want to be on an ambulance, then get your EMT-B. I'm 20 and due to 2 years of hockey over seas and I'm out this season, I decided to finally start my EMT-B class.
I loved it and now 6 months after I'm a Nationally Registered and a Colorado Registered EMT-B. Am I looking for a job in the EMS field right now? No. I want to pursue my career being an ER Physician. So I am trying to volunteer for the local EMS agency. Just so that I don't have too "much" commitment to doing four 12 hour shifts in the weeks and so that I can focus on my studies.
Like Veneficus said, get your major in whatever you want and then apply for med school.
I decided to go for the Health and Exercise major due to my experience in youth, teen, junior, and pro hockey. I also love going to the gym and this is going to give me a great job as a Personal Trainer when I'm in med school or if I can some how balance out EMS and med school, I'll gladly do that too.

Your life is just beginning. What you are doing now is drawing the blue print for your future. You can do what ever you want for a couple years or jump on school right away. Most people I know that have jumped on school right away hate themselves for it since they have been in school since they were 7 and now they have 8+ more years of school. "You're only young once".
As for the blue print what you are doing is sculpting rocks for the pyramid to reach the top.
- EMT-B will get you AWESOME experience with the EMS field and in the ER. It will also give you experience with patient career and such.
- Major will give you a chance at a good job in med school if you don't get a job in EMS.
- And when you're done with med school and residency you'll be a doctor.

My father decided to pursue his dream to be a rock star until he was 30. Then he decided to go to college and now he's doing great! It's all about following your dreams man.


/R.
 
It really does depend what sort of medicine or part of the medical field you are looking for. As I am finding out, as an Ambulance Officer you gain a broad overview of many facets of medicine without specalising, almost being like a GP. Such a broad cross section is however honestly quite shallow in that you see a "bit of everything" without really gaining a thorough grounding in any one area, or really, what really is thought of as "medicine".

If you want to become a physician will your bit of time in the Ambulance Service be of assistance to you five years later as a medical student or a Registrar? No. Certianly with the American education standards being much lower, I immagine it will be even less of a help, and more of a hinderance, than here.

A medical student spends more time merely learning basic bioscience and anatomy & physiology than is required for the most extensive Paramedic (ALS) program in the United States; the little bit of glossing over of chemistry, A&P etc that you do at the Paramedic (ALS) level might make your pre-req classes a bit easier buti n the long run won't account for jack.

I am finding my knowledge and experience of gross science and medicine is about equal in some ways to that of a pre-medical student, a Consultant Intensivest or an Anaes Reg depending on what we are talking about. A first year medical student can probably conduct about-as, if not the same or better, patient assessment than I can.

If you want to be a physician, go to medical school, don't become an Ambo.
 
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JMC said:
I'm a junior in high school and currently looking into the medical field for pursuing a career. Being an EMT always stood out to me, and I've realized I would love to be one. What would be ideal to me is if I started out as an EMT and then later in my career I branched out to a new medical profession (sort of like upgrading).
Click to expand...

If you want to be a ____, become a ____. If you have time while in school for ____ (or while doing pre-reqs for ______) to become an EMT, then become an EMT. If you aren't absolutely lost in making a career decision past 'health care', then why delay? If you are lost, then shadowing various health care providers is far more valuable at making a career choice than becoming an EMT.

Now my question is what should I choose for my college path (for example: what should I major in college? , should I go to medical school?)
Click to expand...
Depends on what you want to do. If the career path is one where there's a professional undergraduate degree (BSN, ADN, associates degree paramedic), then major in that. If your goal is medical school (or pretty much any other graduate level professional degree like OD, DMD, DVM, MSN, etc) (Flow chart for deciding to go to medical school. Do you want to become a doctor? Yes: Go to med school. No: Don't go to med school. Unsure: Shadow a physician), then major in what ever the hell you want and make sure you take a year of general chem, year of organic chem, year of biology, year of physics, year of calculus (can substitute statistics for one term). Take labs as available. Throw in a biochem course and year of psych is you have time and you'll be covered for 90%+ of US medical schools (estimate 80% without those last two). I definitely advise against a "pre-medical" major that some schools have and I advise against considering a biology major "just because you're premed" (if bio interests you, then by all means major in it. Don't do it because you're doing the 'premed thing').
 
I'd say you're in good shape for a HS junior: You're not looking to postpone college so you can be an EMT, and you're asking good questions about your future.

You can become an EMT while you're in school, or after you're done, no matter what you major in. A four-year degree in almost anything will give you many more career options than any level of EMS certification alone.
 
Go see the counselors and take the batteries of free tests of apptitude & preferences

I knew a lot of med students, and pre-med students, who worked part-time ambulance as a basic EMT for pocket money. I was a moonlighting (during broad daylight) full time USAF firefighter/rescuemen working nearly full time on a private ambulance on my off days, and a "pre-nursing" student and new father when I worked another service of the same sort.

That said, know three things:
1. EMT is a skill set not necessarily a lifestyle. As a career it is truncated and offers less pay than you could expect elsewhere. You will eventually be physically unable to do the lifting, and the opportunities for administrative work with just an EMT certif are very very small. Having said that, being an active EMT can tell you about your reactions to patients and their personalities and problems, as well as an intro to anatomy etc.
2. The "medical field" does not have a central career ladder you start at in one field then cross to another; othe than some "bridging" programs, every time you change (say, from EMT to Nursing) you start over. If you want to be a RN, go for it, don't expect LVN or EMT to be "stepping stones". (Although, nursing students with some experience in the real world seeing patients and managing their time can have a better chance at good clinical grades).
3. The majority of baccalaureate graduates do not wind up in their chosen field. Of those who do get jobs in their chosen field, some are disillusioned (that is a high percentage in nursing, especially male grads) and of them some will quit, or just sit there and be miserable.

Suggestion:
1. Get Sr Lifesaver from ARC, and first aid training, this summer. Might get a nice summer job out of the deal too! Will also get you around people in a certain role. Maybe make some saves?!
2. See your counselors. Look into seeing college counselors if they will see HS students (some will).
3. In high school, do what you need generically to get into a good school and maybe earn some scholarships, and get into good shape physically (good for EMT, good if you go military, and generally makes you more ready).

Enjoy your summer!!!
 
Thank you guys for all the replies. A lot of shady subjects seem much more clear to me. I appreciate it...
 
Oh, you wanted shady subjects!

We have specialists in that. Should have put it into the title.
 
JMC said:
Thank you guys for all the replies. A lot of shady subjects seem much more clear to me. I appreciate it...
Click to expand...

This forum was recommended by my teachers in my EMT class. So, yeah it's full of people with expertise in many different area of medical branches.
 
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