Expert: Gustavo E. Flores - 4/19/2009

Question
Hi! I am about to head off to college from high school but I am unsure what I should do. I want to be a nurse and as well and EMTP to gain experience and hands on but most of all because I love helping people and it'll be easier for me to get acceptted into a nursing school after doing EMTp. My high school is offering EMT classes & by the end of this year I should have my certification, but I don't know if I should stick around my town and do EMT for a while & then do the college nursing or if I should go straight to college? And if I stick around how long would it be to be more considerable for a nursing school?

Answer
Hi Mariela,

Congratulations on finishing high school. The choice of becoming a nurse, a paramedic, or both, will certainly be rewarding in the long run. Yet, each is a distinct "beast". You can certainly do both and complement each other with the added perspective. But certainly you don't need one to do the other. You can go straight into nursing school without doing paramedic school or viceversa.

I would certainly take advantage of the opportunity of becoming an EMT while in high school. Some states require potential paramedic students to finish an accredited EMT training first and then apply for the paramedic program. In that case, finishing EMT while in high school makes perfect sense as it will give you a head start. Even if it's not required in your state, becoming an EMT will still be a title on its own even if you decide to go into nursing school.

Nursing requires more training, most likely 4 years if you are pursuing a BSN RN title, so my best advice is to do not stop studying until you are settled in whatever level is that you wanted to achieve. Otherwise it could really become a hassle to go back into an academic program once you've started earning some money and becoming indebted. Yet, doing EMS first and then entering a nursing program can still be done.

Doing the EMT program will help you get a feel of what EMS is like and give you the opportunity to find out if EMS is what you really like.

Sincerely,

Gustavo E. Flores