Undergraduate / Common App Essay: My experience as a Volunteer EMT [4]

Common App Prompt: 1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story. (Still have 150 words to go)

My experience as a Volunteer EMT

Stepping out of the ambulance onto the interstate, my heart tightened as I glanced at the gruesome sight in front of me: a motorcyclist clutching his twisted leg in pain as he lay in a pool of shattered glass. I stood shocked at the sight of this dreadful scene, however, there was no time to cope with the sight. My captain yelled at me to apply pressure to the bleeding would. I set aside my initial shock and snapped into focus. My fellow EMT handed me a splint which I pressed and bandaged against the leg. My captain called dispatch for a medical helicopter to transport the victim. As an EMT, I could draw on my training and experience to work efficiently and effectively in this high-pressure situation to fulfill my duty.

At 16, I became a member of my local fire and rescue squad. I was filled with a mixture of excitement and nervousness from the moment my application was accepted. Walking into the fire station for the first time, I had no idea what to expect. I entered the EMS office where I was greeted by a group of old men as I realized I was one of two people underage the age of 40. From the onset of the shift, it was evident my new crew was a close knit second family where I felt like an outsider. Over the next weeks, I stayed back and observed the actions of my crew members, feeling more like a liability than an asset. I was determined to change this. While the rest of my crew watched TV or joked among themselves, I was in the back of the ambulance familiarizing myself with equipment such as the EKG machine, electronic cot, various types of bandages, and first aid medical supplies. As I became a more useful member of the crew, I simultaneously developed a sense of camaraderie with my crew.

As a young EMT, I learned simple patient care: taking vitals, bandaging wounds, and interacting with patients. For a couple of months, the only calls we received were from nursing homes for falls and scrapes. Although these routine calls were excellent training to practice my skills without a time constraint, I was itching for more serious calls where my actions could mean the difference between life and death. When the call for a hit and run accident on the interstate came in, my prior training and commitment came together to allow me to potentially save someone's life.

Being a successful EMS provider requires me to be diligent, quick thinking, and responsible. Complete strangers trust you with their lives when 911 is dialed. It is my responsibility to provide the highest level of care and to represent the high standards of the profession. I must confidently execute procedures, such as splinting a leg without hesitation, requiring me to be a quick thinker. Earlier I was reluctant to provide care on my own but this call thrust me into action and I gained the confidence necessary to be successful.