# How to start working as an EMT-B



## brocoli (Jul 31, 2012)

Hey guys, this is my first post on this site. I'm gonna finish my EMT course in 2 weeks and hopefully pass the NREMT right after that. I'll also be getting my ambulance driver license within the next couple weeks. From what I've seen so far on this site, it is pretty difficult to get a job as an EMT. I'm a full time student at UC Davis, so I want to work as an EMT around the Sacramento area. I know that EMT's can work for 911(probably not for me, since I need flexible scheduling around school) and IFT, is there any other options for EMT? What I hope to get the most out of being an EMT is experience in the medical field for medical school. Any input will be much appreciated, since I really don't know much about working in the field. Thanks


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## EMT91 (Jul 31, 2012)

As a basic, it seems hard to get a job, so perhaps you could volunteer at a hospital to gain some experience?


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## stemi (Jul 31, 2012)

Other than IFT and 911, there's really not that much. You can volunteer with Rockmed, but their orientation up in Marysville occurs only once per year, and the last one was in April. 911 in Sacramento area is mostly fire if I remember correctly, so that's near impossible. There are only a few companies that run IFT BLS up there as well (Norcal and First Responder are the only ones that come to mind), but they aren't always hiring.

Make sure you pass your skills test and NREMT first. After that, you still have to deal with the ADL, state and county licenses, so there's still a few more steps to go. Keep a clean driving record also, so companies will be more inclined to hire (no more than 1 point on record).

Go Aggies! I just graduated last fall. I'm assuming you're taking the OA class? Good luck. Stu was a great instructor.


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## brocoli (Aug 4, 2012)

thanks for the responses, just what i thought. is there anything that i can do on top of my emt certificate to make myself more attractive to employers?

Go Aggies, im actually taking the emt course at home in LA this summer.


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## stemi (Aug 4, 2012)

There's really not much you can do that most other applicants have not done already; namely the FEMA ICS courses, which are typically required for employment regardless. The next step up is paramedic, and that is a massive step compared to EMT-B. Unfortunately for us, at UCD there are a TON of EMTs walking around because there are 2 EMT programs in Davis and 1 in Woodland that are attended mostly by UCD students, so thats over 100 new EMTs every quarter. I've even met a surprising amount of paramedics that are also students. It's tough to get started too, if you don't have money lying around, because the costs for your drivers license, state and county certs along with the livescan fingerprints really add up fast. It was about $500 total on top of the cost of the class.

As you will hear on the forum, these days EMT's are a dime a dozen, so it becomes very difficult to find a job. If you're just looking for something to improve your med school app, you're better off putting effort into volunteering at one of the student run clinics (Shifa, Paul Hom, Willow), or trying to apply to EMRAP at UCDMC, your EMT might give you a slight edge there, although it still is quite competitive. Just having an EMT license or even working as an EMT isnt that great of an app booster. Check out the EMT threads SDN if you wanna know more about that.

I'm looking to apply for PA school, so paid patient care experience is a must for me, so I dont have much of a choice. I graduated with an EXB degree, so I had a far easier time finding a job as a cardiology tech than as an EMT. Its a tough job market, but if you have enough time, you'll eventually get a job. That being said, you could do a lot of other great things for your app with that time.

Good luck! If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. Its refreshing to see another Aggie on this forum.


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## brocoli (Aug 7, 2012)

Thanks for your thorough response.
I was actually thinking about applying to a clinic or EMRAP. Have you done either of those before? If so, do you get a lot of patient contacts? I was looking at the description for EMRAP and it seemed more reserach oriented.


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## stemi (Aug 7, 2012)

I've done neither. Typically EMRAP is more research oriented, so patient contact is pretty limited and usually involves finding patients to participate in studies. After all, there arent any hands-on skills you learn to participate. I had some friends that did it, but didn't think too much of it. During my rotation, I just saw them walking around the blocks of the ER over and over, looking for potential patients. As for clinics, again I've had friends who've worked in the clinics. I suppose since you're an EMT (or will be soon), you have some basic things down, so they might be more inclined to offer you a position. However, at most clinics, the most common job for students is to act as translators, so it really helps if you speak one of the languages of the underserved.


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