EMT jobs in Boston?

[immaxf]

Hey folks,
I'm going to start the pre-health program at Harvard Extension School this summer and would like to get crackin' on finding a full- or part-time job. Ideally, I'll a) actually find a job and b) it'll be something related to medicine. Anything that requires an EMT certification would be ideal. If prospects seem good, I'll get an EMT certification this before I move to Boston from LA.

So the question is: how difficult is it to get hired as an EMT in the Boston area? Are private ambulance companies typically hiring? Or are things frozen at this point?

Looking forward to advice. Thanks.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[docB]

I don't know anything about the EMS job market in Boston but there are some other things to consider.

If your real goal is to go to medical school you can do other things besides EMS that will give you a better shot at that. For info on that subject see the FAQ and then you can link to a lengthy discussion about the pros and cons of going the EMS to medicine route.

EMS credentials can be difficult to transfer from state to state. If you decide to pursue an EMT cert you would probably do well to wait and get it in Massachusetts so you don't have to deal with any reciprocity issues. If you decide to get an EMT in CA you should at least check out what reciprocity agreements there are between CA and MA before you do it.

 

[AegriSomnia]

There are jobs everywhere around Boston. Since you are going to Harvard Extension I'm assuming you live around that area. Best bet for emergency work at the BLS level (outside of Boston EMS) in MA is at Cataldo Ambulance Service in Somerville. They may have moved their office to Malden. Its been a while since I worked there.

 

[Altruist]

It's been almost 9 years since I last worked as an EMT for a private in Boston, so take this for what it's worth.

First, look up the Massachusetts Department of EMS. I moved to the state with my NREMT-Basic already in hand, and had to take the Commonwealth's special-sauce EMT-Basic exam (written and practical) before I could work as an EMT out there. I'd like to think that things have changed since then, but I somehow doubt it.

Cataldo has a decent 911 coverage area, so they'd be an ok place to start. My old roommate worked for them, and enjoyed it. I worked somewhere else and made more money, but the price I paid for it was doing more dialysis taxi runs and inter-facility transfers (at least half of each shift). Make sure you know what you're getting into when you sign on somewhere. Pro-EMS is the 911 provider in Cambridge itself, but I'm not sure how they hire. EMS in the city of Boston itself is a 3rd service, Boston EMS, which is pretty elite and not a realistic proposition for someone who just wants a resume booster.

The most important advice is to focus on your studies. EMS experience might possibly be a positive thing for your application, but it definitely won't make up for bad grades or other big black marks on your application.

Also... Harvard Extension school? I'm sure it's fine, but I could almost guarantee there are cheaper pre-med options around Boston (unless you've got family on the faculty). I'm also pretty sure they stamp your transcript with "EXTENSION STUDENT" about a million times, so it's not as though you could pass this off as being the same as Harvard College undergraduate classes...

 

[Maddie19]

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has lots of open Jobs.
It is a teaching hospital and one of the best in the country.
Massachusetts Healthcare Jobs