ER EMT vs Ambulance EMT job—help

[RamblingPremed]

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Hi-

So I currently have been working for an ambulance company as an EMT since 2022. Prior to that I was an EMT at a clinic from 2020-2022. I recently applied to an ER tech position and got the offer, but the pay is way less.

I currently get paid $19.50 Monday-Thursday and $24 Friday- Saturday, with working mostly the weekend. The hospital job is offering $19 with diffirential for working night time and weekend. Coming to about $19.90 to $21.20.

Obviously I am doing the position because I need clinical hours for med school. I started looking around because I wanted more exposure in using my skills and hopefully get a letter of rec from a doc at the ER. But honestly, that pay is a little insulting for all the experience I have and for all the work I’m going to do, which is way more than in the ambulance. Should I just chill and stay where I’m at? Any thoughts?

I also have a kid, so that schedule from 7-7:30 at the ER will require to me to get help/nanny. And I don’t think $19.90 is worth it for everything I’m about to do compared to the ambulance.

Any advise?

 

[ecobio]

For the purposes of med school apps, I'd imagine EMT and ED tech are relatively equivalent. I hear you that a physician letter would be super clutch, but not sure if that outweighs pay. Especially with a kid to raise and avoiding nanny fees... Also, food for thought, a lot of my friends were ED techs and barely had any physician interaction -- it depends on the hospital you work at.

Would be curious to hear from adcom.

 

[RamblingPremed]

Touché! Didn’t even think about the fact that there may not be any doc interactions, which defeat the purpose of even switching over and hoping to get a letter of rec.

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[LizzyM]

You do not need a letter from a doc form most MD applications. DO schools like to see a letter from a DO, so there is that angle if you are planning to apply to DO schools.

As a long standing adcom member, I can say that ED or on an ambulance (as long as the role is other than driving immobile people to appointments), makes no difference. Go with the higher net pay taking into account childcare expenses.

 

[RamblingPremed]

You do not need a letter from a doc form most MD applications. DO schools like to see a letter from a DO, so there is that angle if you are planning to apply to DO schools.

As a long standing adcom member, I can say that ED or on an ambulance (as long as the role is other than driving immobile people to appointments), makes no difference. Go with the higher net pay taking into account childcare expenses.

Thank you for your thoughts! Much appreciated. Stressing over it, but this makes sense.