The EMT course is only a 110 hours long and it involves hands on patient care. You learn very basic airway management and how to take vital signs among some other transferable skills.
You could then try to get a job on an ambulance or as an ED tech. By the time the next cycle comes around you would have 6-8 months of experience and over a years experience before the program starts.
I'm not sure what the job market for EMTs are where you are at, but where I'm from you could do a 3 day schedule as a full time employee and still have free time for yourself and take some grad classes.
So, what I would do in your shoes is to do what you are already doing as well as take an EMT course this fall and find a graduate certificate program where you can get some grad school courses. The grad certificate shows that you can handle grad level work. UMASS Lowell has a nice clinical pathophysiology grad certificate that is only 4 classes online and I think UF has some cool online certificates a well. Not too much more work and it should make you application that much stronger. You could do all this before the next application cycle begins.
This is only my opinion you should also listen to some other people on here to make up your mind on what is best for you. Good luck.