Students often wonder what opportunities are available at events and what certification requirements are required to volunteer at events. If you are interested in learning more, read on!
I had my Occupational First Aid Level 3 (OFA3) and Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) certifications before med school and had the opportunity to attend several multi-day events (Squamish Music Festival, Tough Mudder, etc) as a first aider on one day, and a medical student on another day. As the experience is slightly different for each scope of practice, I was able to get a much more robust experience from each event I attended. I enjoyed both roles and appreciated the variety (volunteering as a med student with a doc one day, as a first aider the next day).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does being a medical student “count” as a professional certification?
Maybe. But legally, not (https://mgm.med.ubc.ca/faqs-medical-students-at-community-events/).
Ask specific questions regarding certification requirements of the volunteer coordinator of the healthcare services provider at each event. Some organizations do count being a medical student as a “certification”, while others require a first aid certification. Many students think that having completed a health care provider CPR course counts as a “first aid certification;” however, most event medical teams require a broader level of certification such as Standard First Aid (or higher).
It is very important to specify the specific certification you have (ie: HCP CPR, Standard First Aid, Occupational First Aid Level 1/2/3, First Responder, Emergency Medical Responder, etc) instead of simply saying you have “first aid” to avoid a potential miscommunication and putting you in a situation you are not comfortable with.
- If I am on the medical team for an event, am I considered to be a learner OR a first aider, or both?
If you are going out under the “medical student” hat for the day, it is important to understand the level of supervision that will be at the event and what your role as a “medical student” will entail. Medical teams that specifically incorporate roles for health professions learners (including medical students), will likely be supervised by a Resident or Staff physician and you will likely be assigned to the main medical tent (where the majority of the patients are seen).
You will still perform first aid in this role, but are often able to practice as a med student, depending on your and your supervisors’ level of comfort (e.g., in depth histories and physical exams, giving injections, starting IV’s, suturing, may be negotiated on a case by case basis, depending on your skill and experience level).
The upside to working under the “med student” hat is that you have ample opportunity to practice what you are learning in school, and learn about how to modify your medical skill set for the pre-hospital setting from the pros. The downside to main med is that there isn’t as much opportunity to see the event while you are on shift. You typically will still have the opportunity to go out and see the event for a short time accompanied by a physician, or shadowing the patrolling medical teams, but much of your time as a student will be spent at one location, in the domain of your physician/clinician supervisor.
Other Professional Certification
The other option is to volunteer under another certification or scope of practice. For example, paramedics, nurses, physiotherapists, kinesiologists, etc are often incorporated into the healthcare team at these events and if you have an allied healthcare provider license, you can often be part of the team under that scope of practice. If you have a first aid certification (Standard First Aid would be an appropriate level, usually 9am – 5pm over 2 days, typically on a weekend), you would be working under your First Aid scope of practice. The upside to this is you will often be partnered with another healthcare provider, which is a great opportunity to learn a bit about what they do. Because many of them come out to volunteer their time, they are often keen to teach med students about what they do in their other job. I’ve learned how to tape and ankle, tape a wrist, and start an IV from the experts who do it everyday!
Also, in this role you are often able to go out and see the event as a “rover.” “Rovers” walk around the event with a basic first aid kit and serve as the “eyes and ears,” looking for patients who need assistance, treating what they can (within their first aid scope of practice), and calling for backup if they think the patient needs more assistance. Rovers are the first responders who will be dispatched to the scene of a medical call, usually in coordination with security and other event staff. This role is also tons of fun, as you get to interact with the participants, watch the race in the case of a sporting event, or see part of the performance at a concert.
Another benefit to having a separate certification or license is, the med student spots often fill quickly, but there may be spots as a first-aider that remain open. If you have the flexibility to work both as a med student and a first aider, you will have more flexibility to come out to more events, and get to experience a broader range of roles on the event medical team. Also, if you are able to get a first aid certification, you will be more comfortable seeing much of what comes into the med tent on your med student shifts (wound care, MSK complaints, etc). The downside is, in these roles, since you won’t have a physician supervising you, you would not be able to put on your “med student hat” for that day which can limit your scope of practice, particularly if you are attending as a first aider.
————————————-
I hope this is helpful to students and will answer many of the common questions the MGM Club gets. The role of our MGM Club team is to pass along opportunities to interested students through our email list (club.exec@ubcmgm.ca). We are always happy to answer any questions you have, or hear about your experiences at events. If there is an event in your community you would like to learn more about, please feel free to shoot us an email and we can try to facilitate a new opportunity for students.
Cheers,
Jess McCallum
MD Undergraduate, Class of 2016
Faculty of Medicine, UBC