Med Tech and Paramedic to PA school

[ishmaej]

Any Medical technologists or paramedics that have went on to PA school? How prepared did you feel? I have degrees and experience in both fields.

[EMEDPA]

I was a medic before and during pa school. I actually thought pa school was easier than medic school because I also had several years as an er tech and knew a lot of pharm, etc already. I also had a strong background from college in a+p, physiology, etc and grew up in a medical family so already knew most of the medical termniology, etc.

I never felt like I would fail a class in pa school.

my medic school was brutal. the didactic wasn't bad but my field preceptor was a major !@#$% so I felt like he would fail me out after every shift..he didn't and I graduated first in the class but it was much harder, at least emotionally...

[balsam88]

I'm a med tech and I've worked in the lab for 3 years. I will start PA school is a couple months. I feel confident with my lab knowledge. In my program we had cases upon cases where we interpret lab results and physician exam findings to make a diagnosis (even though it's beyond the scope of practice for MT's). I've also learned an enormous amount of pathophysiology and microbiology. I know my education and lab experience is valuable because I've came accross many physicians at work that really don't know how to order/interpret the right tests..

[UGoLong]

I was a paramedic before I went to PA school. I thought it was a big help, especially because the material was taught so clearly.

 

I wrote a book about the experience, including the role of paramedic school specifically, and EMS in general: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1479372099/ref=tsm_1_fb_lk

[kayakr]

I was a medical laboratory technician (AAS in med lab technology) with a bachelor's in chemistry on top and felt that the MLT portion prepared me very well for PA school.