Is paramedic worth it?

[ItRainsItPours]

Hello good people. I am currently a 25 year old EMT working fulltime and I want to go to PA school. I have about 36 credits and a 2.47 GPA with 12 W's. I know my transcript sucks!  I was just a dumb kid; no death in the family or learning disability, I just had zero direction or discipline. Twice I got depressed about my grades and dropped out completely, hence all the Ws. I think I am quite intelligent, but when I was a teenager I was more concerned with partying and girls than school. But I am willing to put the work in and start from scratch. If I complete another 120 credits with good grades I can get that GPA over 3.0 and by then over 9000 hours of paid EMS experience hopefully I can get in somewhere.

So here's my next question, should I go to paramedic school before traditional undergrad? I love EMS, and it would increase my earnings significantly. I am paid 30k as a BLS supervisor, the highest paid EMT. My same company starts paramedics around 45k. My apprehension is that i would delay my plans by two years and the program I could realistically attend is quite rigorous. It has a high pass rate of the certificate exam but a high attrition rate in the class. Im afraid I wont be able to maintain the 3.5GPA or higher that I need to repair my GPA. It's a community college program that awards an AAS, not a certificate.

Do adcoms realistically weigh the difference between BLS and ALS EMS experience? Is becoming a paramedic what can make or break me due to my poor grades? Or would a 3.2 GPA, 9000 hours of experience, and a compelling story give me a shot? I will add I'm realistically only applying to maryland schools due to family constraints.

Is PA school still an option? My mom (a physician) seems to not think so. she wants me to just go to paramedic school and work for the fire dept (around 50K a year starting) and to try to promote that organization which can be lucrative. I enjoy the FD through volunteering, and I wouldnt be unhappy there, but I doubt it would give me the intellectual stimulation that I desire. I am genuinely interested in medicine; my A&P instructor was an internist and she really sparked my interest.

Any advice is welcome. 

[EMEDPA]

becoming a paramedic was the best thing I ever did for my future in emergency medicine. I couldn't do the job I do today without that experience.

[rev ronin]

I went to PA school straight from EMT Basic.  Funny thing is, when I started my PA school prerequisites, I intended them to be Paramedic school prerequisites.  My grades weren't stellar, but neither were they as bad as yours are now, but I didn't even take my initial EMT class until I was 35 years old: ten years ago, and I'd certainly grown, matured, and gotten self-discipline between my original undergrad and when I started in on what turned out to be pre-PA studies.

 

I had ACLS and IV therapy classes, but I still never really learned to function as more than an EMT basic before PA school. Funny thing is, I failed to get into paramedic school twice and PA school once before I landed in my program.  So, I don't really know how my life would have been different if I had been to paramedic school first.  I expect my physical skills would have been much, much better.

 

But at the same time, there were other parts of my background that really helped me relate to patients in a primary care role, where I cannot see paramedic training helping appreciably.

 

Bottom line, PA school can be done from a BLS only standpoint, but you're going to want to have something MORE than just those HCE hours to demonstrate to an Adcom that you can handle graduate-level work.

[ItRainsItPours]

I can definitely see how treating unstable patients in the field as a paramedic would given one a good foundation for EM. But I'm asking more if it's necessary for admissions given my situation. If I get into PA school I will gun for a residency. So I am less concerned about HCE (I already have over 2000 hours as an EMT) and more concerned about getting my foot in the door.

[ItRainsItPours]

Thank you Rev. Can you expand on what else adcoms would want to see? I'm confident I can get to atleast a 3.2, and I was planning on taking additional lab courses outside of the pre-reqs to illustrate my ability to succeed in science. Is there anything else I should be doing?

[cop to pa]

In 1996 I completed my A.A. with a 2.25 GPA. This last December, I graduated Towson with a 3.65. Along the way, I also attended the Baltimore County Police Academy after serving in the military, and working as a CNA/EMT at the adult ED at Johns Hopkins. My cGPA when i applied through CASPA was 3.02. Here's my two cents:

 

In Maryland, you must have your bachelor's degree in hand before you apply to PA school. That means an automatic gap year after graduation. I'll be starting at a program in North Carolina in two months because of this. I don't know your family situation, but I drug my wife and toddler down here instead of waiting an extra year.

 

I also helped teach the trauma modules at the paramedic program at both Anne arundel fire academy, and at aacc (when I was a PHTLS instructor). The paramedic programs include A&P and medical terminology in their pathways. Both of these are pre requisites at most PA programs.

 

If you have your AS as a paramedic, you can enroll in the allied health major at Towson University. I did. All the core courses are online, as it's designed for those working in health-care. You can then take the prerequisites you need on campus. Even though I wasn't a Chem or bio major, I got all the courses I needed there. This way, those two years of paramedic school are not a waste, but are instead a stepping stone.

 

Meanwhile, you are continuing to build quality HCE hours. Remember that 3.02 GPA I mentioned? Pretty sure that 22,000+ hours of HCE helped off set it a bit.

 

Anyway, that's my take. ..

[EMEDPA]

I can definitely see how treating unstable patients in the field as a paramedic would given one a good foundation for EM. But I'm asking more if it's necessary for admissions given my situation. If I get into PA school I will gun for a residency. So I am less concerned about HCE (I already have over 2000 hours as an EMT) and more concerned about getting my foot in the door.

you don't need paramedic per se, but given your gpa I think you meed something to make you stand out above every other person applying as an emt-basic. that could be extensive volunteer service with an at-risk population or higher level hce, such as medic, nurse, resp. therapist, etc.

really depends what you want to do after pa school. surgical tech for surgery, ortho tech for ortho, etc. match your prior hce to where you think you will be in the future. best of luck whatever you decide.

[MT2PA]

So you only have 36 credits currently and need basically the entire 120 for an undergrad degree?  It's way too soon to be ruling out any graduate school, PA or otherwise.  You have a lot of education to complete before you can really decide if PA is an option (definitely not ruled out at this point).

[ONE40pt6]

I agree with all of the above. I got accepted with a cGPA of 3.05 and sGPA 2.95 at application due to 63 lousy credits as a kid. I scored well on the GRE and had 25,000+ hours as a paramedic.

 

Good luck!

[rev ronin]

Thank you Rev. Can you expand on what else adcoms would want to see? I'm confident I can get to atleast a 3.2, and I was planning on taking additional lab courses outside of the pre-reqs to illustrate my ability to succeed in science. Is there anything else I should be doing?

Things that I think helped distinguish my application vs. others:

* International medical missions experience, 2 separate trips at time of successful application.

* ACLS and IV Therapy classes on top of the EMT-B.

* 15+ years of volunteering in multiple non-medical roles, in addition to 4 years of volunteer FF/EMT work.

* Two previous masters' degrees.

* Absolutely awesome GRE 760v, 800m, 5.5 AW.

* 3.97 on "last 45" GPA.

 

What works for you will depend on what the program which ends up accepting you is looking for.  That's what, in hindsight, I believe to have helped me.

[dmdpac]

I agree with the others.  Paramedic school was probably the best thing I ever did in terms of helping me get my life on track and preparing myself eventually for PA school.  You are in need of a lot of credits.  Your GPA needs a lot of work.  A solid, dedicated run at paramedic school before moving forward with a bachelor's degree, as Cop to PA noted for MD schools, will help you continue to build solid HCE experience.  It has a lot of potential to help your GPA.

 

Also consider the benefit of working for one of the county FDs in MD.  24/48 or 24/72 depending on your department.  Throw in a Kelly day every so often and you've got a lot of time to complete the rest of your college work and pad your application with other extracurricular activities.

 

When I applied to PA school my GPA wasn't stellar, either.  The 20K+ hours of HCE as a paramedic were probably the biggest thing that helped me distinguish myself from other applicants.

 

There are multiple paths to get to where you want to go.  You have many options available to you.  I don't think you've excluded any possibility based on where you are now in life.  It may take you longer than others to reach your goals but those goals are still achievable.  All the best for picking the means to reach your goals and succeeding.

[ItRainsItPours]

Thank you all for such thoughtful answers. 

[MyNameWasUsed]

Hello good people. I am currently a 25 year old EMT working fulltime and I want to go to PA school. I have about 36 credits and a 2.47 GPA with 12 W's. I know my transcript sucks!  I was just a dumb kid; no death in the family or learning disability, I just had zero direction or discipline. Twice I got depressed about my grades and dropped out completely, hence all the Ws. I think I am quite intelligent, but when I was a teenager I was more concerned with partying and girls than school. But I am willing to put the work in and start from scratch. If I complete another 120 credits with good grades I can get that GPA over 3.0 and by then over 9000 hours of paid EMS experience hopefully I can get in somewhere.

 

So here's my next question, should I go to paramedic school before traditional undergrad? I love EMS, and it would increase my earnings significantly. I am paid 30k as a BLS supervisor, the highest paid EMT. My same company starts paramedics around 45k. My apprehension is that i would delay my plans by two years and the program I could realistically attend is quite rigorous. It has a high pass rate of the certificate exam but a high attrition rate in the class. Im afraid I wont be able to maintain the 3.5GPA or higher that I need to repair my GPA. It's a community college program that awards an AAS, not a certificate.

 

Do adcoms realistically weigh the difference between BLS and ALS EMS experience? Is becoming a paramedic what can make or break me due to my poor grades? Or would a 3.2 GPA, 9000 hours of experience, and a compelling story give me a shot? I will add I'm realistically only applying to maryland schools due to family constraints.

 

Is PA school still an option? My mom (a physician) seems to not think so. she wants me to just go to paramedic school and work for the fire dept (around 50K a year starting) and to try to promote that organization which can be lucrative. I enjoy the FD through volunteering, and I wouldnt be unhappy there, but I doubt it would give me the intellectual stimulation that I desire. I am genuinely interested in medicine; my A&P instructor was an internist and she really sparked my interest.

 

Any advice is welcome. 

 

I don't think EMT Basics vs paramedic experience is gonna make or break your application so I wouldn't go to paramedic school as an application booster. You have more than enough experience. You just need a way higher GPA. Schools won't even look at your application if your GPA isn't high enough. Just finish your undergraduate degree with the highest GPA possible. The higher your GPA, the more likely you'll receive an interview. GPA is just so damn important during the application screening process. 

 

Also, the paramedic program is a GPA risk. Not worth it. 

[fakingpatience]

I am a paramedic, and definitely see my background helping me in some aspects of PA school.  I am a first year student, and was speaking with a recently graduated PA today, and he mentioned his fear of his ability to remember/ follow the algorithm if a patient were to code, and I couldn't help but laugh because right now that is one of the only things right now I'm absolutely confident in.   Does your agency run all ALS units, and are EMTs allowed to tech 911 calls?  Being "it" on scene, knowing you're the highest medically trained person there, and the buck stops with you was definitely a change for me from working as an EMT.  It builds your confidence, and your ability to remain calm and direct everyone else (while panicking internally) like nothing else will.  

 

Why do you think paramedic school will delay your application a full 2 years?  The credits you earn should transfer to a bachelors program.   Another consideration is that medic school credits count for your science GPA when applying to schools.  It greatly increased the number of science credits I had (the only other science classes I took were the most basic prerecs), which certainly helped my application.  Also, having completed an entire paramedic program could help show adcoms when you commit to a program you will follow through and succeed, which is important given the number of Ws on your transcript.

 

You have a lot of things going for you right now.  Whether you go to paramedic school or not, you have substantial experience, way better than the kids who gain the bare minimum simply to meet the requirements.   You only have 36 credit hours.  That means your GPA is easily recoverable.  No decision you choose will be a wrong one

 

Edited to add:  One of my friends is a paramedic instructor/ curriculum designer in Maryland, if you have specific questions about a program send me a PM, who knows it might be the same one

[UGoLong]

You have a ways to go and lots of options. I too was a medic before going to PA school, but more recent; I had been in volunteer and part-time paid EMS for almost 20 years when I went. 

 

If it were me (and it isn't), I would focus on getting a BS in something relevant and completing your prereqs. You might be able to do that while you work; many of my EMS friends are in nursing school and the like and they work 24/48 without Kelly days.

 

I did my medic class is a bit over a year at night, generally one or two days per week (it was taught on 3 unit evenings).

 

If you can do medic school too, I would do it, but what you really NEED is a BS and the prereqs to go to PA school.

 

Blowing a year with substandard grades (as you did) is not fatal by any means, and the fact that you are older now also puts some separation between the past and the present.

 

Good luck.

[GetMeOuttaThisMess]

Back in the 70's I went to EMT school that Dallas Fire/Rescue and other municipalities used/use.  I'm not sure why they took me looking back since I wasn't with a local FD, but then again the City of Dallas had just recently taken over EMS from local funeral homes and maybe they let me in since I was with a private service.  Back then, paramedic certification w/o being with a municipality FD was a pipe dream since they were busy trying to get their own folks certified as paramedics and programs were somewhat rare (original medical director for Dallas EMS was a cardiologist).  My experience was emergent transfers between the local VA and a nearby medical center who had of all things a CT scanner, stand-by events, and a lot of experience with medical examiner cases in Dallas County.  I guess my program decided that if I had already demonstrated that I could handle all that gore then I would probably be a safe bet.  Back then, for PA applicants, you weren't going to find someone with more pre-existing healthcare experience, except for those who were the original role players, those being medics returning from SE Asia.  Today, EMS training w/o associated experience I think would maybe get you a yawn from the application reviewer, but I don't know that for a fact since I have no interaction whatsoever with the local programs.

[EMEDPA]

Back in the 70's I went to EMT school that Dallas Fire/Rescue and other municipalities used/use.  I'm not sure why they took me looking back since I wasn't with a local FD, but then again the City of Dallas had just recently taken over EMS from local funeral homes and maybe they let me in since I was with a private service.  Back then, paramedic certification w/o being with a municipality FD was a pipe dream since they were busy trying to get their own folks certified as paramedics and programs were somewhat rare (original medical director for Dallas EMS was a cardiologist).  My experience was emergent transfers between the local VA and a nearby medical center who had of all things a CT scanner, stand-by events, and a lot of experience with medical examiner cases in Dallas County.  I guess my program decided that if I had already demonstrated that I could handle all that gore then I would probably be a safe bet.  Back then, for PA applicants, you weren't going to find someone with more pre-existing healthcare experience, except for those who were the original role players, those being medics returning from SE Asia.  Today, EMS training w/o associated experience I think would maybe get you a yawn from the application reviewer, but I don't know that for a fact since I have no interaction whatsoever with the local programs.

it was the personal letter of recommendation from Moses..."Get me outta this mess spent all that time with me in the desert and I think he would make a great EMT..." (that's an old joke in case you missed it....:) )