Does first aid squad (non-EMT) count as PCE?

[knealon99]

I'm currently pre-pa and have a few questions on PCE. I have been a volunteer at my town's first aid squad for three years (~500 hours), although I am not an EMT (I haven't had time to take the class because I am a college-athlete and unfortunately do not have the time). Would this still count as at patient care hours, or only if I become a certified EMT? My role includes assisting the EMTs, transporting patients, taking vitals, and writing down patient information. Thanks in advance!

[ohiovolffemtp]

Your best answers will come from admissions personnel at PA schools.  Schools have very different priorities about prior healthcare experience vs grades vs interview in deciding who to admit.  My guess is that it will be considered fairly low level experience.

[thinkertdm]

8 hours ago, knealon99 said:

...I haven't had time to take the class because I am a college-athlete and unfortunately do not have the time...

I don’t know.  But here’s a bit of advice.  The bits I highlighted up there tell people you don’t really want to be whatever you are discussing at the time.  You make time for what’s important to you.  Period.

writing down vitals and carrying patients is nice.  But showing that you can assess and then act on that assessment-ie, paramedic, or even an emt, goes a long way.  
 

You do not have the time to give it your best?   An athlete should understand this, more than anyone else.  Do you do half of your training, and expect a one hundred percent result?

Lets look at it another way.  At some point, you are going to enter the medical system as a patient.  Could be tomorrow, could be in eighty years, but count on it.   Do you want the pa taking your history to say “welp, didn’t have time for it!”?  The radiologist just looking at one lung?

If you choose to do one thing, then do it.  
 

[JD2012]

You can, but volunteer PCE hours aren't regarded as highly as paid PCE hours. Also 500 hours is not much at all when the avg applicant will have at least 2000 hours of paid PCE hours.