How difficult are EMT jobs to come by?

[I Love Cats]

I keep talking to peers at my university, and I'm getting mixed reviews. So, I'm here and hoping to get legitimate feedback from people who are likely more able to speak on this topic since I'm sure many of you are certified and experienced. While we are at it, could those of you with experience detail what a certified EMT can do for work, how difficult it is to obtain those jobs (potentially in a hierarchical fashion) and which line of work is best for enjoyment and for clinical experience. I have volunteered in emergency rooms and a trauma department and will have a couple science degrees after I complete a 1 month EMT course this June. I'm doing this for a meaningful gap year activity that I think will satisfy me and boost my admissions chances. ER tech is the only thing I know that certified EMT's often go into. Please, if there is any insight that you can offer me, go ahead!

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[Geebeejay]

I keep talking to peers at my university, and I'm getting mixed reviews. So, I'm here and hoping to get legitimate feedback from people who are likely more able to speak on this topic since I'm sure many of you are certified and experienced. While we are at it, could those of you with experience detail what a certified EMT can do for work, how difficult it is to obtain those jobs (potentially in a hierarchical fashion) and which line of work is best for enjoyment and for clinical experience. I have volunteered in emergency rooms and a trauma department and will have a couple science degrees after I complete a 1 month EMT course this June. I'm doing this for a meaningful gap year activity that I think will satisfy me and boost my admissions chances. ER tech is the only thing I know that certified EMT's often go into. Please, if there is any insight that you can offer me, go ahead!

ER tech/ED nursing asst is probably the best you can do with an EMT-cert as a premed, but don't discount simply being an EMT either. What the job market is like depends on your location, so I can't help you there. Try to look at job openings at hospitals, maybe try to chat with the nursing director in the EDs you've volunteered at. Call up some EMT companies or check out their websites. I would imagine you'll be able to find something. There is a high turn-over in these jobs, so there are very frequently job openings, so be persistent.

Again, I think ED tech is your best option....but it's not all glorious medicine and academia. ED tech (as well as EMT) is often a dirty job, down in the trenches, doing things behind the scenes that won't necessarily prepare you for medical school. You'll have to deal with some **** (literally). It's not glamorous all the time, but I think it's a solid EC, a good way to get ready for medical school and a valuable experience overall.

 

[I Love Cats]

Thank you very much for your thoughtful and encouraging input!

 

[galaxyx]

Around here EMT's are ED tech's, but it's hard to find jobs. You basically have to know somebody and/or already be a volunteer. Though, I think you'd have to be at a pretty big hospital to have techs. The hospital I used to volunteer at had techs, but the one I work at is smaller volume and only has RN's. The nurses literally do everything from EKG's to changing sheets.

EMT's on ambulance service usually only are on "transport" type ambulances. Nursing home to hospital in non emergent situations. Medics are the ones that get paid for the EMS type ambulances.

It's probably easier to find a clinical job as a CNA in either the hospital or home health setting, but it is definitely much less glamorous than even an ED Tech. Think, feeding, bathing, changing, etc.

 

[Scrubsy]

I worked both as an EMT on an ambulance crew and as an ED tech in the hospital. As far as clinical experience and enjoyment goes ED tech is the way to go. I served on an ambulance crew in a major city which allowed me to see things in the "field". It's kind of cool being able to work with the FD and extract patients from cars and whatnot. However, as far as scope of practice for EMT-B goes, you don't really get to do too much. Plus, like galaxy said, the majority of calls are transport calls with private ambulance services. Now, working in the ER is great because you get to do a bunch more procedures. In the ER I started IV's, did phlebotomy, EKG's, placed foleys, etc. The best part of working in the ER is that you get to assist the ER doc on different procedures. I would constantly ask to assist and get in there. I would tell the doc that I wanted to learn anything he could teach me and many of them were happy to teach me things while they worked up different patients. I enjoyed my experience in the ER much more than on the ambulance crew. As far as getting the jobs, it depends on where you live. I got my EMT job straight out of EMT school just by applying to a few ambulance companies. As for my ER job, I did apply for it straight up, but I think I had pretty good pull cause my father was a physician on staff there. Networking certainly makes it easier to get positions. Hope this gives you some insight.

 

[I Love Cats]

Great insight so far, y'all! Thanks! Will I have an advantage in terms of employment for having my degrees? Also, I live in a big city. I'll call it one of the top 10 largest in the U.S. There are many hospitals around. How does this influence job prospects?

 

[drscholls]

Great insight so far, y'all! Thanks! Will I have an advantage in terms of employment for having my degrees? Also, I live in a big city. I'll call it one of the top 10 largest in the U.S. There are many hospitals around. How does this influence job prospects?

If anything, I'd say my degree/career goals caused some animosity with some of my coworkers before they got to know me (private ambulance company with 911 contracts). They tell me that they get a lot of pre-meds who come through the company thinking they are Johnny Gage etc.

I think it is hard to say what the job prospects are like; especially with your cryptic description of the city. Many hospitals around could make it easier, but it is also likely that a big city with many hospitals has a ton of students looking for work. EMTs move from place to place pretty frequently, and in my experience there is a ton of competition for ER Tech jobs. Take the advice of people earlier in this thread and call some places up to see what the job market is like.


One final comment: transfers are certainly less exciting than pulling people out of cars and backboarding with FD etc, but they aren't just sitting around either. A psych patient can change their opinion of you pretty quick, and nursing homes are notorious for sending "stable" patients for evaluations that aren't. Transfers are a great opportunity for you to practice taking vitals, assessing patients, and get better at your histories/interviewing skills.

 

[I Love Cats]

Thank you very much for your responses. I really appreciate them. They have given me more insight into what to potentially expect. I'm excited to get the cert. It looks like I'll have to be persistent about finding something that the EMT cert qualifies me for, whether it be riding in an ambulance or working in a hospital as a tech.

I guess some lingering questions I have now. It seems like EMT certified individuals at the basic level are only cut-out to do a couple of things from the responses (either transprot ambulances, ER tech).

In hospitals is there more than just being a tech in the ER, or are there other areas in a hospital that one can work in by having an EMT cert? Are there any jobs that haven't been mentioned yet?

What are the pays for these various jobs? I live in a city that doesn't have a high cost of living, where minimum wage is just under $8. I believe ER tech's make ~15 here? Maybe? That's what I've heard at least.

 

[BambiJD]

I keep talking to peers at my university, and I'm getting mixed reviews. So, I'm here and hoping to get legitimate feedback from people who are likely more able to speak on this topic since I'm sure many of you are certified and experienced. While we are at it, could those of you with experience detail what a certified EMT can do for work, how difficult it is to obtain those jobs (potentially in a hierarchical fashion) and which line of work is best for enjoyment and for clinical experience. I have volunteered in emergency rooms and a trauma department and will have a couple science degrees after I complete a 1 month EMT course this June. I'm doing this for a meaningful gap year activity that I think will satisfy me and boost my admissions chances. ER tech is the only thing I know that certified EMT's often go into. Please, if there is any insight that you can offer me, go ahead!

I'm also thinking of getting my certification (EMT-B) this summer and I'll tell you the crappy answer the program director told me, "Well see if there is jobs out there, go to Monster.com". It sucks because they should know the answer.

 

[I Love Cats]

Also, I have another question. I just read something elsewhere.

I'm taking a 1 month course, finishing June 28. How long does it take to get certified so that I can start applying for jobs? When do I take the certification exam? When do I officially become listed as certified? This would be good to know so that I know when I could potentially begin applying for jobs.

 

[I Love Cats]

I'm also thinking of getting my certification (EMT-B) this summer and I'll tell you the crappy answer the program director told me, "Well see if there is jobs out there, go to Monster.com". It sucks because they should know the answer.

I can't even figure out what key words to use to make this website work.

 

[Scrubsy]

You have to complete 120 hours of classroom work. After you finish this you sign up to take your NREMT exam and your practical exam. If I remember correctly you need an 80% to pass the NREMT. You get your scores mailed to you in about three weeks along with your state licenses and national cert. Once you have your license in hand you're good to go for landing a job.


Accepted to Class of 2017 MD!!!!

 

[BambiJD]

I can't even figure out what key words to use to make this website work.

It's easy just type in emergency medical technician and your zipcode. If you want to get flexible hours make sure it says, "PRN" and for the ED tech it would say EMT-Emergency room.

 

[I Love Cats]

It's easy just type in emergency medical technician and your zipcode. If you want to get flexible hours make sure it says, "PRN" and for the ED tech it would say EMT-Emergency room.

Literally shows nothing for my entire state.

 

[BambiJD]

Literally shows nothing for my entire state.

Try other job search engines.