New EMT-B (pre-med) + No experience= No Job

[BenUstudent]

Hey everyone,
I became a IL cert. EMT-B in September, and I have applied to a few private ambulances and area hospitals. What I found out after 4 months of searching is that they want experienced EMT-B (for E.R. PCT's and Ambulance). Which I believe my 120+ hours of E.R. volunteering didn't help.
So I am faced with this conumdrum, should I go back this summer and get CNA- certification and hope I can get a job working on the floors, of wait it out. Also if there are any of you who are or were in my situation I would like to hear from our experience and what you did.

Thanks everyone and take care

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[bucks2010]

I wouldn't spend the hundreds of dollars on a CNA cert unless you're guaranteed to get something for it. Depending on your place of employment, a CNA cert may not even be required in order for you to do all the things CNA's do (from what I hear, most CNA positions are in nursing homes in my state - yours may differ). If you want to work in a hospital, try and find a position commensurate with your current level of certification. You don't need a CNA to be a nursing aide, ER tech, transport, etc.

 

[Astarael]

My guess is that you'll have to get a volunteer position with EMS. Not that hard to do if you live in a rural area, but more difficult if you live in a city. I just started volunteering for my undergrad's EMS, so that might be a place to look if you go to a large school. The CNA idea probably won't work-they're looking for experience, not more education. Potentially if you did that you could work in a nursing home for a while and then move to a hospital, but that's a lot of work when you could just try volunteering first.

Also, you probably shouldn't even be looking for a job as an ERT right out of school. If there would be any job you could get without experience, it would be on an inter-facility transport service.

 

[BenUstudent]

In my state (IL) you need a CNA to work the other units (ICU, Renal, Ortho,ect) instead of only E.R. (which I like too). Just that here is the kicker, experience Trumps all. But I was hoping having a dual (EMT-B/CNA) would kind of make up for it.

@AStarael: I go to a small private university (no EMS), I thought that Departments wanted Fire Science(Fireman)/EMT not only EMT?

 

[Barcu]

What year are you and when will you apply?

That is the danger of getting an EMT license. It can be very difficult to find a job. In general, getting a CNA license gives you a much better shot at a job. The biggest problem with these licenses is that they take time and money. And as you found out, there is no guarantee.

Clinical experience is required, but a clinical job is not. Unless you are currently a freshman or maybe a sophomore, I would just stick to volunteering. If you really need a job for money, you could look beyond the medical field. It is easier to find a job, and it is still looked on positively by adcoms.

 

[BenUstudent]

I am a Junior, but I will be taking a Gap year (apply 2013 cycle) since I feel I will not be ready (ie. GPA will be higher, better MCAT).
As for money I work as a server and the pay is Good (~$14 an hour), thus why I really don't want a Transport job (since they start @ $10).
Just my whole thing is that I worked my summer for the EMT-B and I want to put it to work, also I became fed up with volunteering in the E.R. since I felt so helpless. I wanted to Do more, but I couldn't.

 

[Barcu]

I am a Junior, but I will be taking a Gap year (apply 2013 cycle) since I feel I will not be ready (ie. GPA will be higher, better MCAT).
As for money I work as a server and the pay is Good (~$14 an hour), thus why I really don't want a Transport job (since they start @ $10).
Just my whole thing is that I worked my summer for the EMT-B and I want to put it to work, also I became fed up with volunteering in the E.R. since I felt so helpless. I wanted to Do more, but I couldn't.

Find alternate ways that are less common than going for an EMT license, such as a low-income clinic. These places that need volunteers more tend to let you do more. Look around.

 

[StudyShy]

I would be persistent. The EMTs coming straight out of school are finding jobs in my area (Michigan and Toledo). It might take a while, but eventually there will be an opening if you desire some extra cash and clinical experience. Also, if you're interested in getting into the ER as a tech, sometimes you have to work around things to get in. Start in transportation or in dietary in the hospital ,and after your 6 months you can transfer.

Some places will pay for your CNA if you plan to work for the hospital. These programs can cost upward to 1,000. Some places don't even require certification. It never hurts to ask around!

Also, some hospitals have monitor techs (while others make the nurses put all the orders and watch the monitor). This would be a great experience and also get you that "in" for the hospital setting. Monitor techs with EKG experience (EMT-P specifically) are great for this kind of job.

I wish you luck. I went through EMT-B and EMP-P during my late teens. I absolutely loved it, however I never ended up getting a job in the area because the pay was so poor; I made more by working as a nursing student/mental health technician. Money won out when I had to pay for books and food.

Good luck!

 

[Astarael]

In my state (IL) you need a CNA to work the other units (ICU, Renal, Ortho,ect) instead of only E.R. (which I like too). Just that here is the kicker, experience Trumps all. But I was hoping having a dual (EMT-B/CNA) would kind of make up for it.

@AStarael: I go to a small private university (no EMS), I thought that Departments wanted Fire Science(Fireman)/EMT not only EMT?

The way that EMS is handled is very much city specific. You can see anything from volunteer EMS on its own, volunteer EMS handled by the fire department, all the way up to private (for profit) EMS in big cities. I have to give you general advice since I don't know what the market is like where you live, but there should be somewhere near you that takes volunteer EMTs. If that isn't the case, you might just have to suck it up and take the pay cut for the transfer job, if you really want to use your certification. In the end, it should be worth it given the experience you'll get.

 

[Doctor246853]

Hey everyone,
I became a IL cert. EMT-B in September, and I have applied to a few private ambulances and area hospitals. What I found out after 4 months of searching is that they want experienced EMT-B (for E.R. PCT's and Ambulance). Which I believe my 120+ hours of E.R. volunteering didn't help.
So I am faced with this conumdrum, should I go back this summer and get CNA- certification and hope I can get a job working on the floors, of wait it out. Also if there are any of you who are or were in my situation I would like to hear from our experience and what you did.

Thanks everyone and take care

It really depends on the person.(unless you have horrible luck) I started off in a nursing home wiping butts and feeding ppl. I hated that job, it was very degrading. But I did what I had to do and a year later I went from nursing home, rehab center, small hospital, big trauma hospital on floor to trauma hospial in the O.R. All the while the cna's that trained me are still at that POS nursing home. I would say go for the cna(if its not expensive) combined with your emt will open doors, windows and a few fences for you😉 But you are gona have to put in work and make some things happen or you will be on here posting how cna certs. are useless. Get'er done.

 

[FIREitUP]

After taking a cursory glance you sound entitled and whiny. I see the phrase "I thought this" or "I don't want to do this" being thrown around by you. If you don't want to start doing transport or explore your volunteer options then stop whining, because it's your own fault you're unemployed.

 

[FirefighterDoc]

To be honest, fire science degrees are a waste of time for the majority of people taking them. You dont need a fire science degree to become a firefighter. You just need to go through a fire academy and get your state fire II certifications. Fire science degrees and the like are more for officers. I would suggest a local volunteer fire dept if you have one. They would be likely to pay to send you through a fire academy and let you work with them on the ambulance until you get it.

 

[EMTgirl10]

definitely try volunteering somewhere first, get 6 mos - 1 year exp and apply for jobs, either on an ambo or as a tech in an ICU or ER, whichever you prefer.

Volunteering for the fire dept (or even applying to become non-paid reserve, which is what i did) got me a lot of experience on the trucks AND the medic unit (everyone went to every call, small town).

 

[Silverman780]

Volunteer so then you can volunteer and work at the same time, or actually scout out job prospects before obtaining certifications. A EMT cert does diddily for med school apps if you don't do anything with it.

 

[EMTDoc]

Volunteer, get some experience, then reapply. There are a bunch of opportunities out there where you can volunteer such as marathons, public events, search and rescue, etc.. Build up some healthcare experience and then try again because just going through 1 class does not really prepare you as much as you would think. Even do some ride alongs maybe.

I wouldn't do CNA unless your content with wiping up people's **** all day... Most CNA's have a very limited scope of practice and the CNAs that I know do just that. I'd pass on it, but whatever floats your boat. If you really want to just have the experience the go for it.

 

[raltima07]

Can you volunteer with ems then get upped?

 

[Didntdoit]

Hey everyone,
I became a IL cert. EMT-B in September, and I have applied to a few private ambulances and area hospitals. What I found out after 4 months of searching is that they want experienced EMT-B (for E.R. PCT's and Ambulance). Which I believe my 120+ hours of E.R. volunteering didn't help.
So I am faced with this conumdrum, should I go back this summer and get CNA- certification and hope I can get a job working on the floors, of wait it out. Also if there are any of you who are or were in my situation I would like to hear from our experience and what you did.

Thanks everyone and take care

You may have to go country.

 

[tommy pickles]

Volunteer!!! The fire and rescue service thrives on volunteerism.👍

 

[MRSAful Fate]

If you can volunteer, do that for sure. I you want to get a job you are going to need to be persistent. From my EMT class of ~80 probably 10 or less got EMT jobs in the few months after the program. I got hired quickly because I applied to every company around in person dressed up in my med school interview suit, I had a nice resume highlighting my volunteer experience and education, and I followed up with phone calls, asked to schedule ride alongs, etc. If you are still volunteering at a hospital, see if they will let you take ACLS and PALS at their employee discount. That would look great on your resume.

Someone suggested becoming a monitor tech, which is my current job. It is significantly less exciting than being an EMT, but you do get to know a ton of doctors and learn how to read their abysmal handwriting. Plus being able to interpret ECGs is always handy, and the pay is better. You would need to take an arrhythmia course though, and you will find some of the same catch-22 where you can't get hired anywhere to get some experience since everywhere requires that you already have experience.