Why do med students need first aid?

Many medical schools in Canada require first year students to take a standard first aid class with CPR before they are even allowed in the classroom. This is a fairly easy but exhausting two day course which must be paid for out of the student's own pocket (a common theme in medicine). At first I wondered why I should have to take a life saving course when I was shortly going to pay a lot of money to enter into a life saving profession. It seemed a bit ridiculous to take all this before I even learned anything at the school itself. Then it hit me. I realized that the reason I should take this class is so that I don't embarrass my medical school. How horrible would it be for me to be at the scene of an accident or emergency and proudly proclaim to be a medical student at (university) and not be able to do anything useful. I truly believe this is the main reason I was forced to take this class. However, I should add that it is a really useful class and I wish I had taken it a long time ago because it is a good idea for everyone to know at least a bit of first aid.