Veteran seeking resume and interview advice

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blackcanyon

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I'm an active duty Army medic who will be leaving service in a few months, and am in the process of putting together several applications to be admitted into paramedic schools in my area. Although I am aware that I am a competitive applicant, I do have some concerns regarding my resume and potential interview questions. The only work experience I have in the medical field is my 4 year term in the Army; for nearly a decade leading up to my enlistment, I made a living playing poker. Obviously this is something I will not be including in my resume or be forthright about during the interview. I will undoubtedly be asked about this gap in my employment, and although I don't want to lie, I don't want to ruin my chances either. What would be the best way for me to approach this?

My second question is how I should write the resume. Keep in mind I am not applying for a paramedic position, but trying to gain acceptance into prestigious paramedic schools that are run at Level 1 Trauma Centers. It seems most medical resumes have the following- credentials, work/professional experience, and training/education. I have a surfeit of experience from my time in the Army, but I am having a hard time translating that into civilian terms. If there are any former 68Ws on this site that are now practicing medicine on the outside, I would appreciate their insight.
 
Do the applications for the paramedic schools you're applying to actually require a full resume? Some do, some don't so just curious; you may be worried over nothing.

As far as the poker part, easiest way would be to list it as "self-employed" and be ready to answer if they ask. I'm not sure how much you really need to worry about that. If it was me I'd look at it as a mark in your favor; you know enough math to easily calculate odds, you have a good enough memory to remember what has/hasn't been played and how people react, you are able to remain calm in stressful situations, you are able to interact with people while under stress (unless you just didn't talk while playing), you are able to read people and pick up on underlying things, and apparently are good enough at all those things to make a living at it for almost a decade. All beneficial to a career in medicine.

Other people can answer the question about your military background better, but I'd suggest listing any official courses you've taken with a brief description of what it was, and if you were taught specific things beyond the standard military medic scope to include those.
 
I got out as a 68WF3 last year so I feel for what you are going through.

You have a vast array of skills that you have aquired as a field medic especially if you were a line medic.

Sick Call - Triage and Clinical experience.

Line Time- Emergancy Calls.

Cleaning and Organizing Conex's and Med Lockers - Inventory Control

Good Luck and let me know if I can help at all.

Not sure where you are looking to ETS to but there is a school up here in MI that specializes in Military Medic to Paramedic in 6 months. I went through it and the Director is awesome at helping people get settled in.
 
I ETS'd in August of this year as a 68W (senior line company medic NCO) and was in the same boat as you as far as not having any prior medical experience before the Army, but so far it hasn't been a problem. I currently work as an EMT on a transfer truck and am starting paramedic school next month in MA. It was a very competitive admission process for the school but my military medic experience definitely helped. The only disadvantage for folks like us is that we haven't worked in a regular EMS environment and for the most part have limited experience with some of the demographics you'll end up seeing on the civilian side. I highly recommend you work as an EMT on a truck or in an ED, simply to familiarize yourself with how civilian EMS operations work and the protocols/equipment/tactics that are used.

PM me if you have anything else you want to know, I basically am on the same career/school track as you so if you have any questions or anything feel free to get in touch!
 
Fellow 68w "ETSing" in a year. Just curious are you guys using or are using your G.I bills for paramedic schools? Average cost in my neck of the woods is 18k. Somewhat "Ify" on tapping into that resource and not using it all up in the alloted time.
 
I used mine for medic school, that and I got the Federal Pell Grant so it helped a lot.
 
A resume for Paramedic school? That's a new one to me. Thought all you needed was an EMT license, maybe a couple pre reqs like A&P and Biology, and the ability to score at a certain math and English level and you were in. I know Cali requires something like one year EMT experience but I don't think most states do that, my state doesn't.

I guess it varies greatly depending on the area. Where I live it seems like anybody with a pulse and an EMT license can get into Paramedic school. The trouble comes in passing it(we lost like half the class the first semester).
 
I appreciate all the responses, especially from the current and former 68W. I'm look at two programs in Denver for now, hopefully I get accepted into at least one of them. I'll respond more in length once I hear back from the program directors about my questions. Merry Xmas
 
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