It is four days into IAP and I have yet to sleep in my own bed. In fact, today was the first time I've been back in my dorm for more than half an hour since returning to MIT on Sunday, and I was only home for about an hour before leaving once again. It has been so long since I've really been home that I'm on the verge of emailing housing and telling them to cancel my room at Burton 1, since I'm not home day or night, and my room has started to smell faintly of mildew, and old people. And all of this because I'm committed to this long-term, very serious relationship - with MIT-EMS.
MIT-EMS (Emergency Medical Service) is a student-run volunteer ambulance service that provides basic life support to the MIT campus in Cambridge, as well as part of Boston, and runs 24/7 - which means a large number of greatly desired overnight shifts, many of which I have been taking lately because it's IAP and THAT means FREE TIME (what IS that?? is that even REAL??). All of our student EMTs are certified in the state of Massachusetts, many via the class which is offered every IAP, from 9 AM to 5:30 PM four days a week (which I took last year). This means any free hours we have during shift are spent helping the new class get CPR certified, or learn to take blood pressures, or not pass out from eight grueling hours of training.
We're required to work at least 49 hours a semester, but if you want to be really good at your job you can't just take one shift (which are either four, seven, or nine hours long) every so often - you need to work consistently, and many people on the service work 100-200+ hours a semester (which may seem like a lot, but it's over the span of three months). IAP is optional, but I'm trying to gain experience by working as much as possible, especially before the new class starts working too.
(I have to just say that that's probably one of the worst pictures of me taken, ever. It wasn't even like I'd had my wisdom teeth out or anything, I just NATURALLY look like a chipmunk preparing for a very grueling natural disaster. Anyway.) Our service is funded and supported by MIT Medical, which provides complete health services for the MIT community from the gynecology ward to the pharmacy to 24/7 urgent care, though we take most emergent patients to the surrounding hospitals in Boston or Cambridge. We also work as standbys at sporting events or concerts - last spring I got in free at the Angels and Airwaves concert (which actually turned out to be a very bad mistake, because Tom Delonge should really just have given up at music by now).
Angela (not The Angela Monster)(I think) asked: it's cool that you ride with the ambulance. I'm interested in joining too (provided that I'll actually get it). What is it like?
It's awesome. Come and try it for yourself.
The service itself is a really cool thing - not only is it entirely run by unpaid students, but we're probably the only service that runs its own ambulance itself in the New England area. And (here comes the cheesy - are you ready? I don't think you are!) we do legitimately make a difference - our response times are significantly shorter than that of outside ambulances, since we're students here and we know our way around the buildings; we're also located right on campus rather than much farther away up on Mass Ave. We have a bunkroom where we can sleep, watch TV, check email on the Athena machine, use the restroom, and pretty much exist right in the basement of Stata. It's a pretty sweet setup.
Just because you're saving lives, though, doesn't mean you have to give up your own. Here are the other things I have done three days into IAP:
1. On a whim, added French 1 (comment allez-vous?)
2. Bought enough groceries for a small vegetarian family
3. Snowboarding class (for credit!)
4. Breakdancing class (alright, not for credit)
5. Helped teach CPR at the IAP EMT class (which I took last year)
6. Finished rereading The Subtle Knife
7. Got a UROP (more on this later... dun dun dun)
8. Lost (by ONE CARD) at a highly competitive game of Cranium, freshmen vs. upperclassmen
In three days! Not bad, hm? So I haven't been home for the past couple of days for a few reasons, but at least I'm still blogging. And according to Gawker and the New York Times, that's a more noble feat than riding an ambulance anyways.
Comments (Closed after 30 days to reduce spam)
Posted by: Samuel R. '12 on January 10, 2008
Hey, great post....
I have a problem..I sent in my all documents..Everything has been processsed except my Secondary School Reprt. Can someone tell me the problem? It has my transcripts. I am really worried now. What is wrong?? The Mid year report is also blank, but that doesn't matter as I am an international Applicant.
Posted by: Libin Daniel on January 10, 2008
Posted by: Samuel R. '12 on January 10, 2008
Posted by: Harnur on January 10, 2008
Posted by: Kayla on January 10, 2008
I really wish,Oh, I really do.
4 Indians are gonna get selected for this year's fredhman class ( basing on last year's intake=16/4) and I am trying to see myself as one of them.
Posted by: Libin Daniel on January 10, 2008
Posted by: phreaker on January 10, 2008
guess what? i don't know if i want to be course 10 anymore, ha.
Posted by: Omar '10 on January 10, 2008
teeny question
are you superhuman?
no SERIOUSLY!
Posted by: Aditi on January 10, 2008
Posted by: 0 on January 10, 2008
So comment évolue ton français ?
Posted by: Isshak on January 10, 2008
only one person from hong kong gets in, what do you think of our chances?
i know this year there's at least 4 applicants too..
Posted by: Reg on January 10, 2008
me too.. hope to c ya this year.. nd r u sure 4 indians get in?
Posted by: Yash on January 10, 2008
Posted by: 0 on January 10, 2008
4 indians? says who?
crap.
and if its true then well...that is one scary statistic. I already know way too many people who've applied o.O
@yash and libin: did you guys do the interview?
Posted by: Aditi on January 10, 2008
How long did your Interview went on?
Posted by: Libin Daniel on January 10, 2008
Posted by: Libin Daniel on January 10, 2008
Posted by: c on January 10, 2008
it's a very nice entry
congratualtions for the UROP and do tell about it later
@Libin
if you feel that there are only 4 indians to be admitted then let it be, that's the greatest part. Won't you be happy that you passed one of the toughest competition in your admission process.
I have also applied for this fall and I'm excited about my admission, not worried. Just taste the flavor of this excitement and have the fears on the decision day!!!
Posted by: Akshay on January 10, 2008
Posted by: Harnur on January 10, 2008
Posted by: Anonymouse '11 on January 10, 2008
Posted by: Akshay on January 10, 2008
Posted by: Libin Daniel on January 10, 2008
I totally agree with you Libin. Hope you and I both get admitted :D
Posted by: Akshay on January 10, 2008
Posted by: Libin Daniel on January 10, 2008
Posted by: Angela on January 10, 2008
Posted by: Harnur on January 10, 2008
Posted by: Hyun Jin on January 10, 2008
Posted by: carmen on January 10, 2008
Short: How do you have time?
Long: Thank you for this blog. I was debating doing EMT this year or next year but decided to just do a bunch of stuff to experience IAP this year and then (hopefully) do it next year. I'm really intimidated, but I really want to work on the ambulence. It makes me really happy that you CAN do things OTHER than training during IAP, because I was worried that it was too intense, so this blog = awesome. (Though I wonder how much sleep you get?)
Posted by: Piper on January 11, 2008
Posted by: Akshay on January 11, 2008
@ Libin : Hi, I am facing the same problem.. my teacher evaluations have been processed but not my secondary school report ( although the were in the same envelope)...
Do you know whether they will contact us regarding missing documents or are we supposed to email them about it?
Thx,
Apoorva
Posted by: Apoorva on January 11, 2008
Posted by: 0 on January 11, 2008
Posted by: Harnur on January 11, 2008
Let's just wait for them to be processed
Posted by: Akshay on January 11, 2008
Posted by: Apoorva on January 11, 2008
Posted by: Hawkins on January 12, 2008
Posted by: Cathy on January 13, 2008
Posted by: 0 on January 14, 2008
Posted by: The original biodiesel man on January 14, 2008
Posted by: Mr. Mugulie on January 15, 2008
Add a comment
Comments have been closed.