having a hard time getting work as an emt, should i just start the medic process?

[freebyrd]

i graduated at the beginning of may and passed nremt a couple of weeks later got my state cert and all that,
i eventually wanted to go on to be a paramedic anyway, but i was hoping to get on with the ambulance company who will pay for it
but i am not sure its going to work out,
so i was thinking of looking into my community college locally and see if they offered a paramedic course.
i would qualify for student grants and such since i am married with a small family and currently unemployed.
has anybody else just skipped working as an emt and just went on to medic?
i am sure academically i could do it.
i finished my emt course with honors and passed registry with no problems the first time around. i am a pretty quick study and catch on to things relatively easily.

but do you think it would make it any easier to get a job?
its hard enough in this economy right now to find work as an inexperience emt, would an ambulance company be any quicker to hire an inexperienced paramedic?
i am not sure what to do.
any opinions would be appreciated

 

[NomadicMedic]

Are there any paramedic jobs where you are? Does the paramedic program accept "no experience" EMTs? Are you sure you really want to be a medic?

Do some research before jumping in.

 

[freebyrd]

Are there any paramedic jobs where you are? Does the paramedic program accept "no experience" EMTs? Are you sure you really want to be a medic?

Do some research before jumping in.

yes i am sure i want to go the paramedic route,
as far as excepting no experience emt's i will have to find out if the comminuty college even has a program, and what the requirements are to enter the class.

i was just wondering if anybody here had done something similar as to what i am suggesting or if its even possible

 

[freebyrd]

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 20 minutes after i posted this thread the local ambulance company where i did my emt classes called me for an interview on august 1st!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!!!

Wish me luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Hunter]

Good luck!!!

 

[daveathlon]

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 20 minutes after i posted this thread the local ambulance company where i did my emt classes called me for an interview on august 1st!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!!!

Wish me luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What state are you in? If you're in CA I am pretty sure there aren't any paramedic courses that allow in students without 6 months experience.

 

[freebyrd]

What state are you in? If you're in CA I am pretty sure there aren't any paramedic courses that allow in students without 6 months experience.

yup i'm in cali' and your probably right, the ambo co. that called me in doesn't train there medic prospects for six months, so i doubt the college here will either

 

[DesertMedic66]

What state are you in? If you're in CA I am pretty sure there aren't any paramedic courses that allow in students without 6 months experience.

There are a couple of paramedic programs in Cali that will take in no experience EMT's. It seems like the majority of them want at least 6 months of experience as an EMT. I've even seen a college where the minimum requirement for the medic interview is 2 years of EMT experience on an ALS 911 unit :unsure:

 

[freebyrd]

There are a couple of paramedic programs in Cali that will take in no experience EMT's. It seems like the majority of them want at least 6 months of experience as an EMT. I've even seen a college where the minimum requirement for the medic interview is 2 years of EMT experience on an ALS 911 unit :unsure:

yikes! they don't ask for much do they?

 

[DesertMedic66]

yikes! they don't ask for much do they?

That what I was thinking when I read it.

 

[AJ Hidell]

Are there any paramedic jobs where you are? ...
Do some research before jumping in.

Exactly. You've already discovered that there are no jobs for EMS there. Why on earth would you spend more time and money just to drive the point home?

 

[lifesavingsob]

B-p

I'd strongly recommend getting at least a year of good solid experience as a BLS provider. Going straight from B-P will make you a very weak paramedic. There are those who will say otherwise... but theyre wrong. Good BLS is the foundation of good ALS

 

[ffemt8978]

I'd strongly recommend getting at least a year of good solid experience as a BLS provider. Going straight from B-P will make you a very weak paramedic. There are those who will say otherwise... but theyre wrong. Good BLS is the foundation of good ALS

 

[lifesavingsob]

? You like popcorn

 

[Sasha]

Shouldnt you be nipping this in the butt before it gets interesting enough for popcorn?

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[HotelCo]

I'd strongly recommend getting at least a year of good solid experience as a BLS provider. Going straight from B-P will make you a very weak paramedic. There are those who will say otherwise... but theyre wrong. Good BLS is the foundation of good ALS

This is a bunch of rubbish.

If you can't get work as an EMT, goto medic school. There is absolutely nothing wrong with going from B to P with no road time. While you're in school, you can continue to look for a job.

Don't listen to people who say you have to work as an EMT in order to be a good paramedic.

Lifesavingsob (your screenname makes me laugh). Are you unable to use BLS skills in the field without first working as an EMT? I sure remembered BLS, even though I went straight into paramedic school, before I even had my EMT license in my hand. Am I a weak paramedic?


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[ffemt8978]

Shouldnt you be nipping this in the butt before it gets interesting enough for popcorn?

Sent from LuLu using Tapatalk

Yeah, but until it gets to that point I'm going to continue to eat my popcorn.

 

[Sasha]

This is a bunch of rubbish.

If you can't get work as an EMT, goto medic school. There is absolutely nothing wrong with going from B to P with no road time. While you're in school, you can continue to look for a job.

Don't listen to people who say you have to work as an EMT in order to be a good paramedic.

Lifesavingsob (your screenname makes me laugh). Are you unable to use BLS skills in the field without first working as an EMT? I sure remembered BLS, even though I went straight into paramedic school, before I even had my EMT license in my hand. Am I a weak paramedic?


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I believe those who preach road time only do it because they are too embarrassed the made the wrong choice.

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[Sasha]

I'd strongly recommend getting at least a year of good solid experience as a BLS provider. Going straight from B-P will make you a very weak paramedic. There are those who will say otherwise... but theyre wrong. Good BLS is the foundation of good ALS

Youre wrong.

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[Iceman26]

yes i am sure i want to go the paramedic route,
as far as excepting no experience emt's i will have to find out if the comminuty college even has a program, and what the requirements are to enter the class.

i was just wondering if anybody here had done something similar as to what i am suggesting or if its even possible

It is possible, just depends on the medic program and how long it is, how much it includes in the way of A&P and pharmacology and such. It would be ideal to find an EMT gig while in medic school, or even a tech job in an ER, anything to get some patient experience. That would be ideal during medic school, however, it isn't the end of the world without. One can become a good medic without extensive EMT experience, or any at all, just depends how thorough the paramedic program is with teaching and practicing skills, how many clinical and vehicular/ride hours you do, etc, and the individual's ability to learn. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, but the quality and length of the medic program makes a difference and getting experience as an EMT while in school is definitely the best of both worlds.

If your program is a year and a half long let's say, and the first four or five or so months are A&P and pharmacology and you're working as an EMT most of that time, that's already four or five months experience as an EMT you have under your belt before you even crack open the paramedic textbook, plus the additional time you're gonna get that working experience for the duration of the program AND then your clinical and ride hours on top of it. So again, all depends what your medic program is like but if you jump on a job as an EMT right now, best of both worlds. Work as one while going through medic school.