At Michigan Tech, you have the opportunity to gain valuable direct patient care experience by becoming a volunteer EMT with our Michigan Technological University Emergency Medical Service. Tech EMS services our campus and local area. To join, you must apply first by attending one of their annual information sessions. If selected for the program, your training will be free of charge in return for at least one year of volunteer service. You can then continue on to serve after this required year, most do!
Experiences like this are highly valued by graduate health program admissions. Additionally, some programs, for example Physician Assistant Schools, even require direct patient care hours in order to apply. In addition to having valuable patient interactions, the EMT program also provides opportunities for you to step into leadership roles - such as squad leader, lieutenant, or even captain of EMT. Many healthcare providers are leaders of their care team or in their community, building and strengthening these skills can further help you reach your career goals.
"Being an EMT was the greatest part of my time at Michigan Tech. It challenged me to see beyond the standardized measures of success and find my passion for connecting with others. It showed me that going into healthcare was more than a dream, it is a deep-rooted desire to care that drives me through the good and the bad. I credit EMS for the person I've grown to be today, and the doctor I aspire to be in the tomorrow."
"Michigan Tech EMS provided me with unique medical experiences and allowed me to immerse myself in the community of rural medicine prior to medical school. EMS teaches you how to assess a patient quickly, determine how sick they are, and treat accordingly--these are skills that have proven invaluable to me as I begin my medical school journey; not only has it allowed me to speak with authority on patient care and assessment in medical school interviews, it has been the foundation with which I can build on for all different specialties of medicine as I become a physician."
