What can I do? Really need $$$

[pharm1234]

I really need money and need a part time job. What can I do that will give me the best exposure to patients and will be the most suitable job as a soon to be medical school applicant? I do not have any certifications currently. I am planning on taking an EMT class and working as an EMT eventually but it will be the end of this year when I finish the class. Until then I need a part time job to hold me over. I would like to do something where I interact with patients and staff. Can someone please give me some ideas?

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[MD2b20004]

I really need money and need a part time job. What can I do that will give me the best exposure to patients and will be the most suitable job as a soon to be medical school applicant? I do not have any certifications currently. I am planning on taking an EMT class and working as an EMT eventually but it will be the end of this year when I finish the class. Until then I need a part time job to hold me over. I would like to do something where I interact with patients and staff. Can someone please give me some ideas?

Clinical Research at a University Hospital.

 

[2badr]

I really need money and need a part time job. What can I do that will give me the best exposure to patients and will be the most suitable job as a soon to be medical school applicant? I do not have any certifications currently. I am planning on taking an EMT class and working as an EMT eventually but it will be the end of this year when I finish the class. Until then I need a part time job to hold me over. I would like to do something where I interact with patients and staff. Can someone please give me some ideas?

Nurse Aide (certification depends on your state) is one but you probably won't make more than 10-11 bucks an hour. Student Interns...check ALL the hospitals in your area. Scour the employment career section. Make it your full time job. You'll find something. That is what I am doing now and really wish I done that a year ago.

 

[relentless11]

I am planning on taking an EMT class and working as an EMT eventually but it will be the end of this year when I finish the class. Until then I need a part time job to hold me over. I would like to do something where I interact with patients and staff. Can someone please give me some ideas?

Depending on where you live, it may actually be nearly if not impossible to find a job as an EMT. You can be an ER tech or work for an ambulance company...but the problem is there are so many EMTs here that you can barely find a decent paying job with these credentials. So I suggest checking that out before diving into an EMT program. There are many other ways to interact with patients and staff.

As MD2b20004 said, clinical research may be a good alternative....especially if you are a graduate student. My tuition is paid for, and I also earn a salary (~$21k/yr), as I talk to patients, make diagnoses, consent them for my research, and be taught by attending physicians on the finer points of internal medicine.

The caveat though is research isn't for everyone.

 

[PineappleGirl]

Sorry to say but you will not make very much money as an EMT. I live in the Boston area and most places, starting rates for EMTs with no experience are between $11 and $13 an hour. EMT is good if you are just doing it part-time while in school to gain experience, but do not get a job as an EMT is you are looking to make a decent living.

 

[kitsy]

I really need money and need a part time job. What can I do that will give me the best exposure to patients and will be the most suitable job as a soon to be medical school applicant? I do not have any certifications currently. I am planning on taking an EMT class and working as an EMT eventually but it will be the end of this year when I finish the class. Until then I need a part time job to hold me over. I would like to do something where I interact with patients and staff. Can someone please give me some ideas?

My full time job was a lab tech in a basic science research lab, but I decided to take an EMT class at night to beef up my med school application with the idea I would work as an EMT. I really enjoyed the class, and the information is empowering; however, I don't think it really helped my application too much. After I was certified, I was told I would get much more clinical exposure volunteering in a trauma I ER than working as an EMT-B. Unless you do extra training to be and EMT-I or EMT-P (many times paramedics have to go through the fire department) you really won't see a lot of interesting cases. It will be more transporting older patients and minor things. Paramedics handle the major trauma. I ended up volunteering in the ER and saw a lot of really interesting cases.

If I could do it again, I would try to get a job or volunteer in a clinic or hospital. Sometimes volunteer work can turn into paying gigs. Also, research is a really good idea. I didn't have lab experience, so I had to volunteer in a lab. However, that turned into a paying gig after about a month.

Good luck and you will find something. Just keep looking and be creative. I'm not trying to knock the EMT idea, I just thought that the work and time involved didn't really pay off as far as my application. However, I'm still really glad I know how to handle an emergency and it is really good information. Plus, it gives you and introduction to history taking and medical assessment.

I'll be an MSI in a few weeks!