# Internships in Boston area.



## buccaneer717 (May 23, 2012)

Hey everybody, I'm currently enrolled in college and my degree program offers its students to get their EMT-B cert. And I have recently been looking into emergency medical services as a career and a requirement ro graduate with my degree is that I have to complete a Co-Op/ Internship, so my question is do ambulance services in Boston offer them? Thank you


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## rwik123 (May 24, 2012)

buccaneer717 said:


> Hey everybody, I'm currently enrolled in college and my degree program offers its students to get their EMT-B cert. And I have recently been looking into emergency medical services as a career and a requirement ro graduate with my degree is that I have to complete a Co-Op/ Internship, so my question is do ambulance services in Boston offer them? Thank you



They don't offer them openly and prob aren't willing to. If you thinking boston ems, definitely not. You may be able to get some ride time at other services but I don't think they'd do an internship. Patient contact and treatment is usually only extended to paid employees and i don't think they'd want to deal with that extra liability and hassle.

Look to smaller hospitals and they might be willing to work with you.


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## Steam Engine (May 24, 2012)

buccaneer717 said:


> Hey everybody, I'm currently enrolled in college and my degree program offers its students to get their EMT-B cert. And I have recently been looking into emergency medical services as a career and a requirement ro graduate with my degree is that I have to complete a Co-Op/ Internship, so my question is do ambulance services in Boston offer them? Thank you



Sounds like you might be at Northeastern? They used to run a pretty decent-sized EMT and Medic program, so tracking down some of the folks previously involved may yield something, although I wouldn't be overly optimistic.

I think rwik is pretty much correct. Unless you're looking to intern on the business / management side of things, I think your options are very limited. Hospitals are likely your best bet. Perhaps somehow becoming involved with a volunteer agency would qualify, but most are few and far between (none in Suffolk County to the best of my knowledge), most have residency requirements, and most would likely be looking for a commitment beyond the length of an internship. It's certainly a possibility though, so I wouldn't immediately discount it...just don't get your hopes up too soon.


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## Medic Tim (May 24, 2012)

I did a short internship with pro ambulance in Cambridge and Boston med ER. It was set up through my school which was in rural Maine.


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## Tigger (May 24, 2012)

buccaneer717 said:


> Hey everybody, I'm currently enrolled in college and my degree program offers its students to get their EMT-B cert. And I have recently been looking into emergency medical services as a career and a requirement ro graduate with my degree is that I have to complete a Co-Op/ Internship, so my question is do ambulance services in Boston offer them? Thank you



Most private companies are not going to go for this. However as a senior in high school I did find fire departments receptive to taking me on as an intern and allowing me on their ambulance. I was not in an EMT class at this time but rather was doing a job-shadow program.


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## Steam Engine (May 24, 2012)

Medic Tim said:


> I did a short internship with pro ambulance in Cambridge and Boston med ER. It was set up through my school which was in rural Maine.



What are your thoughts on Pro as a service? Are you familiar with their Medic program at all?


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## firecoins (May 24, 2012)

buccaneer717 said:


> Hey everybody, I'm currently enrolled in college and my degree program offers its students to get their EMT-B cert. And I have recently been looking into emergency medical services as a career and a requirement ro graduate with my degree is that I have to complete a Co-Op/ Internship, so my question is do ambulance services in Boston offer them? Thank you



Your at Northeastern. 

It isn't openly offered but you should contact Boston EMS and other agencies and ask. Once you mention Northeastern, you should be ale to set up a management internship.


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## Tigger (May 24, 2012)

Steam Engine said:


> What are your thoughts on Pro as a service? Are you familiar with their Medic program at all?



I know you didn't ask me, but here's my two cents if you'd like. Pro is probably the best of the privates in the Boston metro area. Top of the line equipment, pretty good pay and benefits (don't have many details but it's certainly talked about frequently), and they focus on Cambridge fairly exclusively meaning you're not driving all over the state. Obviously they do the 911 there with double medic trucks but I gather that the BLS units service a lot of facilities in Cambridge as well. I took a con-ed class there and their base is pretty nice too. 

I used to work with a guy that was a medic student there, he didn't have a bad thing to say about it and I think they've dumped quite a bit of resources into trying to be the best medic program in the state and it shows.


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## Steam Engine (May 24, 2012)

Tigger said:


> I know you didn't ask me, but here's my two cents if you'd like. Pro is probably the best of the privates in the Boston metro area. Top of the line equipment, pretty good pay and benefits (don't have many details but it's certainly talked about frequently), and they focus on Cambridge fairly exclusively meaning you're not driving all over the state. Obviously they do the 911 there with double medic trucks but I gather that the BLS units service a lot of facilities in Cambridge as well. I took a con-ed class there and their base is pretty nice too.
> 
> I used to work with a guy that was a medic student there, he didn't have a bad thing to say about it and I think they've dumped quite a bit of resources into trying to be the best medic program in the state and it shows.



Thanks Tigger, good to know. I've seen them around Mount Auburn before as well as a few other spots in Cambridge, but I don't know anyone who works there, or much at all about the company.

I wouldn't doubt that their medic program is exceptional...I stumbled across a few training videos they posted on YouTube not too long ago, and it's obvious that they know their stuff. Lately medic school has been creeping into the back of mind, and I'm trying to get a feel for what's out there. We shall see...


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## Tigger (May 24, 2012)

Steam Engine said:


> Thanks Tigger, good to know. I've seen them around Mount Auburn before as well as a few other spots in Cambridge, but I don't know anyone who works there, or much at all about the company.
> 
> I wouldn't doubt that their medic program is exceptional...I stumbled across a few training videos they posted on YouTube not too long ago, and it's obvious that they know their stuff. Lately medic school has been creeping into the back of mind, and I'm trying to get a feel for what's out there. We shall see...



I know plenty of medic students, of whom many say that they wished that they went to Pro. Not because they felt their program was necessarily lacking but because Pro so clearly goes above and beyond. Unfortunately my partner that went there left and got on with Pro so I no longer have better info.


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## Medic Tim (May 24, 2012)

My preceptors were excellent. Equipment was top notch. They have a very good working relationship with Cambridge Fire who shows up to all calls with them. They have the same medical director so protocols and equipment are the same. I had a chance to talk to some students and interns and the only complaint....if you can call it that....was the amount of work they had to do. Most trucks are medic/medic, some medic/basic and a couple b/b type 2 vans for bls transfers and peak time 911 coverage. They also have a few contracts for ALS backup in suv’s. A lot of the medics work these for OT or a break. They would get 4-5 calls in a 24 there as opposed to 15-20 in the city.  They have a pretty cool training center with sim lab as well. I would definitely recommend them from my experience.


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## buccaneer717 (May 25, 2012)

Steam Engine said:


> Sounds like you might be at Northeastern? They used to run a pretty decent-sized EMT and Medic program, so tracking down some of the folks previously involved may yield something, although I wouldn't be overly optimistic.
> 
> I think rwik is pretty much correct. Unless you're looking to intern on the business / management side of things, I think your options are very limited. Hospitals are likely your best bet. Perhaps somehow becoming involved with a volunteer agency would qualify, but most are few and far between (none in Suffolk County to the best of my knowledge), most have residency requirements, and most would likely be looking for a commitment beyond the length of an internship. It's certainly a possibility though, so I wouldn't immediately discount it...just don't get your hopes up too soon.


 

Im actually going to Mass Maritime Academy. Im majoring in Emergency Management and I feel the best thing I can do before im 20 is get my EMT certification.


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## ScoopandSwoop (May 27, 2012)

I'm not sure that there's much good to learn at Pro. It was a morbidly obese fellow from there who occupied the most space in the State House chambers lobbying in support of the change in paramedic ambulance staffing in Massachusetts from P/P to P/B on behalf of the Massachusetts Ambulance Association (the trade association of private ambulance companies in Massachusetts). 

The only bit of good news is that what comes around goes around. When the guy has the big one, I hope the crew that's sent to resuscitate him is a P/B crew. His airway alone would require a P/P/B/B/Veterinarian crew, and maybe AAA with a tow truck for extrication.

Oh, but if he has the big one in Cambridge, they'll be enough First Responders at one scene, taking care of one patient, to fill a Union Hall beyond its capacity. The number of redundant EMS resources at the scene of a medical emergency in Cambridge is utterly ridiculous (all in the shadow of Harvard and MIT). No sound public planner or policy maker could ever condone the City of Cambridge' EMS response model. And if you haven't seen it, keep an eye on the fat cats from the Fire Department bouncing around town in their van, thinking that they are the Johnny Gage and Roy DeSoto's of the 21st century.  

All in the Bay State of Massachusetts, where how many public officials have been sent to federal prison over the past two years for corruption?


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## ScoopandSwoop (May 27, 2012)

buccaneer717 said:


> Im actually going to Mass Maritime Academy. Im majoring in Emergency Management and I feel the best thing I can do before im 20 is get my EMT certification.



You're at a great school and in a great program. 

Do yourself a favor, and get out of Masachusetts to get experience. Go to a state like Maryland or Virginia, which have a real statewide EMS infrastructure, not the smoke and mirrors that exists in Massachusetts.


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## Tigger (May 27, 2012)

ScoopandSwoop said:


> I'm not sure that there's much good to learn at Pro. It was a morbidly obese fellow from there who occupied the most space in the State House chambers lobbying in support of the change in paramedic ambulance staffing in Massachusetts from P/P to P/B on behalf of the Massachusetts Ambulance Association (the trade association of private ambulance companies in Massachusetts).
> 
> The only bit of good news is that what comes around goes around. When the guy has the big one, I hope the crew that's sent to resuscitate him is a P/B crew. His airway alone would require a P/P/B/B/Veterinarian crew, and maybe AAA with a tow truck for extrication.
> 
> ...



Nothing like some unsubstantiated attacks on a city and its providers to make your argument.

Say what you will about P/B trucks, but they're present in a lot of the country and *gasp* there are no significant studies backing their clinical efficacy.


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## ScoopandSwoop (May 28, 2012)

Tigger said:


> Nothing like some unsubstantiated attacks on a city and its providers to make your argument.
> 
> Say what you will about P/B trucks, but they're present in a lot of the country and *gasp* there are no significant studies backing their clinical efficacy.



Let me see, 1 or 2 (or more) police officers, 3-6 firefighters, and maybe an additional fire officer, and 2 PRO personnel (one with clinical training and one with technical skills (like a refrigeration technician)) at the scene of a single patient encounter in Cambridge, and that's an "unsubstantiated attack?" That's not an unsubstantiated attack, that's a dysfunctional use of public and private resources, that evolves around public servants lining their pockets with inefficiently used public dollars.

As to the redeeming qualities of a P/B staffing configuration, that must be the reason why when an in-patient in a hospital becomes acutely ill, or EMS shows up in an Emergency Department with an acutely ill patient, that the (hospital) Rapid Response Team or the Emergency Department Treatment/Resuscitation Team is comprised of a Paramedic and a Basic EMT. The science and timing parameters for interventions are clear, and measurable, and in the hospital setting (without the additional complicating factors of the field), a hospital's performance is now tied to their reimbursement. Despite the paucity of data, I know of no one of average or above average intelligence who will argue that a P/B staffing configuration will bring optimal care to a critical patient's side in less time then a P/P configuration.

But, EMS is an industry where the cost of admission is a 120 hour training program, and after 120 hours, the "technicians" become experts at just about everything (so some think).


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## Meursault (May 28, 2012)

ScoopandSwoop said:


> Let me see, 1 or 2 (or more) police officers, 3-6 firefighters, and maybe an additional fire officer, and 2 PRO personnel (one with clinical training and one with technical skills (like a refrigeration technician)) at the scene of a single patient encounter in Cambridge, and that's an "unsubstantiated attack?"


It's an unsubstantiated attack because you're not giving us any evidence other than your Craigslist-quality rant. Does Cambridge send all these resources to every call? Where are you getting all this from?



ScoopandSwoop said:


> As to the redeeming qualities of a P/B staffing configuration,



The primary redeeming quality of P/B staffing is that _it's cheaper._ That's not a minor benefit; 911 service is expensive, and with transport times from Cambridge, ALS interventions aren't crucial. Less expensive ambulance staffing that provides appropriate care benefits patients, taxpayers, and Pro employees.



ScoopandSwoop said:


> Despite the paucity of data, I know of no one of average or above average intelligence who will argue that a P/B staffing configuration will bring optimal care to a critical patient's side in less time then a P/P configuration.


What a strange argument. You start with an ad hominem (No True Scotsman flavor), move on into judging the worth of an EMS system setup by response times, admit you have little to no evidence, use terms like "optimal" and "critical" that allow you to move the goalposts, and ignore the whole concept of cost-effectiveness. Your hospital analogy is also ludicrous, unless you plan to argue that dual-paramedic ambulances provide care equal to that of a hospital rapid response team (in some hospitals, you might have a point).

This all leaves me wondering why you're so filled with vitriol when discussing Pro, especially when it's tangential to the thread.


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## Tigger (May 28, 2012)

MrConspiracy said:


> It's an unsubstantiated attack because you're not giving us any evidence other than your Craigslist-quality rant. Does Cambridge send all these resources to every call? Where are you getting all this from?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I was going to come up with a reply, but you pretty much summed up everything that I wanted to say.

If I might just add that it is becoming increasingly more favored to take the "pit crew" approach to cardiac arrests in which it is generally considered optimal to have 1-2 medics and 3-4 basics to work a code, something Cambridge is doing. If it's not serious the engine can clear. If it is, Cambridge has a few companies with medics so there are now two medics on scene (which SandS seems to be calling for). 

Another *potential* benefit of a P/B is that there is less chance of skill degradation for the medic. There are studies out of Miami showing very poor intubation rates amongst all ALS fire departments and while I'm not sure that the root cause of this is that medics there are getting comparatively fewer tubes because they have fewer opportunities, it seems like it might play a role.

Also the reason we are bringing patients to the hospital for the very reason that they can offer a high level of care that we can in the field, so your argument regarding the hospital's rapid response team makes little sense to me.

The personal attack comment was more directed towards this:



> I'm not sure that there's much good to learn at Pro. It was a morbidly obese fellow from there who occupied the most space in the State House chambers lobbying in support of the change in paramedic ambulance staffing in Massachusetts from P/P to P/B on behalf of the Massachusetts Ambulance Association (the trade association of private ambulance companies in Massachusetts).
> 
> The only bit of good news is that what comes around goes around. When the guy has the big one, I hope the crew that's sent to resuscitate him is a P/B crew. His airway alone would require a P/P/B/B/Veterinarian crew, and maybe AAA with a tow truck for extrication.



That's about the definition of an unsubstantiated attack right there. At no point do you even address the guy's argument, you just hope that he suffers a heart attack and receives poor care to teach him a lesson...did I get that right?


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