getting job after EMT course?

[IluvMCAT]

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I'm thinking about taking an EMT course. Part of the reason is that I think it would be very interesting. However, I'm concerned about using the information once I've learned it. Can you share with me what you've done after taking the course and passing the certification test? I know that becoming a paramedic takes a lot longer. Any thoughts?

 

[PreMedAdAG]

All my luck in finding a job afterwards. I took the course, almost a year ago and I still can't find work. It was fun, but whatever, I spend like over two hundred dollars for the course, my cert. and my amb. driver's licencse, not to mention my DMV background check and time spend filling out resumes. Yuck.. it's soo hard to find a job.

 

[IluvMCAT]

Yeah, that's sort of my impression of the situation. But I'm sure that some people have had luck in finding a job.

 

[Tbonez]

Ok, nobody jump my a** for these numbers. These are approximations and are state dependent. Some areas of the country still have "volunteer rescue squads". This is meant for areas that have licensed paramedics and EMT's working full/part time for private/hospital based/FD services, etc.

APX Training time & reqs.

1st responder - Shotgun EMT-B class.

EMT Basic - Prereq's: None. 1 semester / 4-6 months class apx. 8 hrs week didactic, apx. 50 hrs. clinical time. Written/practical state/national certification.

EMT Intermediate - Prereq's: EMT-Basic, 1 semsester class apx 8 hrs week didactic, apx 150 hrs. clinical. Written/practical state/national certification.

EMT Paramedic - Prereq's: EMT Intermediate. 2 semesters class apx 12 hrs week didactic, apx. 1000 hrs clinical. Written/practical state/national certification, ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support), PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support), AMLS (Advanced Medical Life Support).

EMT Paramedic (Critical Care) - Prereqs: EMT Paramedic. Note: This is an apx. 2 week addendum class that more specifically addresses some issues in critical care transport (incubators, LVAD, Intraaortic balloon pumps, etc.), and if I'm not mistaken is not considered a separate licensing level, though many CC-Pmeds do wear a rocker bar on top of their Paramedic patch.

Some states such as Texas are a little different in that they have their own licensing procedures aside from the National Registry (Think of the medical school application service there).

 

[donnyfire]

It really all depends on where you live/go to school.
In many areas of the country, volunteer ambulance services are crying out for EMT's to take calls during the day. This would give you both volunteer experience and patient care experience.
BUT, no pay, so you are forced to do it on the side.
Other metropolitan areas have several private ambulance services to apply to.
In my experience (in wisconsin) these are both true.
I was fortunate to get a job as a full-time firefighter (i'm a paramedic) with a mid-sized department. It gave me the patient care experience, and paid for my B.S. education.

 

[freesolo]

do you have to take all 3 Emt courses? to get certification.

 

[DoctorWannaBe]

My EMT-Basic class only requires 10 hours of clinicals. Do most programs require 50?

As for jobs, I am worried about that too. After signing up for the class, I learned that in order to get a job at a fire department (which does all the 911 calls), you have to go through their firefighter training program (another several months). So the only option for employment is either for an ambulance company that pays $6/hr and you get to do non-911 stuff (i.e. nursing homes), or you can work in an ER as a patient care technician. All this, and I've paid over $800 for it.

My main advice is research your employment options before taking the course, unless you just want to take the class for personal enrichment.

 

[Jonathanamine]

at the place I took my EMT-B course in Indianapolis, we did our clinicals at a fire station and at a level 1 trauma center.

i understand it's hard getting a meaningful job as an EMT...(a lot of fresh EMT's work for private ambulance services=nursing home transfers=minimal 911 calls) heck i wiped butts for 2 years as a CNA, so i appreciate what it takes to "work up the latter"

my advice is to make yourself known in your clincials. impress them with your skills, but more importantly your love for knowledge. that's the key.

i've been with a level 1 trauma center (300 daily patients), flown with our airflight service, assisted/observed many procedures that residents are learning....all because i showed initiative.

so do that, be true to yourself, and you'll be successful no matter where you practice as an EMT

 

[brats800]

before you take the class, look around at the local ambulance companies...i wouldn't be able to get a job in my area at the city-run ones, but private ambulance companies will hire you right out of EMT-B. i found a company that said they'd hire me right away. they even said they'd help pay for the class if i promised to work for a certain amount of time (i think it was 1/3 of the tuition for each year i promised to work.) anyway, i'll be taking the class this coming summer, and its nice to already have a job lined up. 🙂 best of luck to you, but i'd say look around and do the research before you shell out the $....

 

[jayski2030]

Yeha it depends where you are. In NYC, there are some volunteer places that pay for your entire certification if you agree to volunteer a certain number of hours (10 hours a week or something for a year). Even if you're trying to get paid, I think you can find some work other than doing nursing home transport stuff. In NY, MetroCare is a big company, and last time I checked FDNY website they were accepting applications.

 

[Smitty75]

Originally posted by jayski2030
and last time I checked FDNY website they were accepting applications.

This is true, but I think FDNY only takes full-time permanent positions. I don't think they would hire anyone that is planing on going to medical school or college anytime soon.

 

[donnyfire]

Originally posted by jayski2030
and last time I checked FDNY website they were accepting applications.

They ONLY want full-timers. Also, don't plan on getting any time on an ambulance if you are applying as a firefighter to FDNY. EMT/Paramedic, you would. But these are VERY separate functions on that department.

 

[CliffC911]

i got my emt-b cert in pa b/n my junior and senior years of high school. i lived in a rural area, so volunteering was easy. the key is to volunteer and make contacts. i was lucky enough to get a job for $9/hr for the second half of my senior year and all through the summer. the job was at a paid bls ambulance and since i didn't have my evdt, i got to do patient care on every call. i logged well over 1000 hours before i even went to college taking care of my own patients. it is a great job, but very very difficult to find one like it. almost all paying ambulances are als now, so you will only get patient care on bls calls which consist basically of using band-aids. oh well, i'm VERY glad i did it, and i recommend it to anyone with the time to put in. it can be stressful, and if you don't know your stuff you can cause some serious problems, but if you concentrate and ask for help there is no experience like it. as an 18 yr old i was treating my own patients although sometimes with the aid of als (but once you know the medics they let you do everything if they know you want to learn). post a reply if you have any more questions and i'll get back in touch.

 

[UCIPMED]

For those of you in California, spec. orange county, don't worry about finding jobs as an EMT after your course. There are a ton of private ambulance companies (Doctor's, Medix, AMR, Care...) who will hire you quick. I turned in my resume and app to Doctor's Ambulance in Laguna Niguel and was hired the same day. They train you quick and try to get you working on your own asap. Also, you'll get a lot of good experience. Of course your gonna have to do the interfacility transports, MRI, dialysis, etc..., but you'll get plenty of 911 calls with Fire. I recommend working as an EMT highly. The kind of stories you'll have to tell during your interview are great, but much better than that, you get a real idea of pre-hospital patient care and life as a medical provider. It will either make you want to be a doctor a lot more, or you'll just quite and decide to get mba.