EMT vs CMA

[ravenclawcalbear]

I've been thinking of which HCE would be more desirable when it comes to applying for PA school. I hear that although EMT is stressful, it's a good thing to have in healthcare experience because it shows that I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty, and is one of the more recommended experiences to take before applying to PA school. But what about CMA (Certified Medical Assistant)? Is it also a desirable way to gain HCE? I haven't heard about people talking about CMA as much as EMT.

 

Thanks in advance for your answers! :)

[EMEDPA]

I generally tell folks to do MA if they are interested in primary care down the line and emt if they see themselves in a hospital environment.

[ravenclawcalbear]

I generally tell folks to do MA if they are interested in primary care down the line and emt if they see themselves in a hospital environment.

 

Thank you! This may be a silly question, but what do you see is the main difference between primary care and a hospital environment? Because couldn't primary care take place in a hospital?

[EMEDPA]

by primary care I mean the outpatient practice of family medicine, pediatrics, obgyn, and internal medicine. by hospital based I meant surgery, emergency medicine, critical care, etc

sure FP providers sometimes work in a hospital and surgeons sometimes work in clinic, but I was referring to their primary site of typical practice.

[davidccs]

Thank you! This may be a silly question, but what do you see is the main difference between primary care and a hospital environment? Because couldn't primary care take place in a hospital?

 

Oh and it does.... ALL. THE. TIME!

 

Sorry my post isn't more helpful, but that was pretty much all I wanted to say! EMEDPA nailed it anyways.

[ravenclawcalbear]

Thank you so much for both of your replies! They were very helpful.

[nds1111]

I've been thinking of which HCE would be more desirable when it comes to applying for PA school. I hear that although EMT is stressful, it's a good thing to have in healthcare experience because it shows that I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty, and is one of the more recommended experiences to take before applying to PA school. But what about CMA (Certified Medical Assistant)? Is it also a desirable way to gain HCE? I haven't heard about people talking about CMA as much as EMT.

 

Thanks in advance for your answers! :)

 

Medical Assistant programs cost about $10-14K, keep in mind.

 

 

However, EMT is rough (in my city at least) because jobs are sparse unless you join fire dept.