# Aspiring EMT, few questions



## JohnDavid-student (May 18, 2008)

Hello, I'm an aspiring EMT and have a few questions for you all if you would be so kind to answer them. A bit of background, I am a junior in high school, looking into to maybe taking an EMT-basic course at my local Technical Institute, Lake Tech. I have yet to talk to people about how good the program is, so it's still sort of up in the air. Some things I am wondering about are..

-Is it a good idea to take the EMT course at a tech school, while still in high school? I was planning on maybe having first period AP anatomy, some other class, and then finishing my day at Lake Tech. I think the anatomy course would help with immersion in my EMT course. 

-What kind of advancement opportunities are there for EMT's besides EMT1, 2, 3 , and paramedic? Does the career allow much breathing room for taking college classes, while still making enough money to get by?

-Do I need to get some other certification, like FF, to be competitive in the job market?(Florida)

-What would you suggest for preliminary EMT reading? 

Thanks for all the feedback, and here is the Lake Tech EMT program(.PDF) for anyone curious.  -http://laketech.org/pdfs/EMT_2007-2008.pdf


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## Epi-do (May 18, 2008)

First of all, good for you for doing some research into EMS, and asking questions now.  So many jump into this feet first, and have no realistic idea what they are getting into.

Now, to answer you questions.

1 - I don't know what type of student you are, so I can't really say if this would be a good idea for you or not.  In most, if not all, states you have to be at least 18 to get your certification.  If you are wanting to work, most places want you to be 21 before they will hire you for insurance reasons related to driving, and possibly other reasons, depending upon where you are and who you are trying to get hired on with.

As for A&P - GOOD FOR YOU!!!!  Most basic EMTs get little to no A&P of any real quality.  The more health sciences, especially A&P, that you have the better you will be.  Understanding the how's and why's of the body's workings is so important, not to mention it helps make your job easier when you understand what is/could be going on with a patient.

2 - Basic EMTs make squat.  If you are serious about making EMS your profesion, get your paramedic.  Also, go somewhere that you can get an associates degree in paramedicine, not just a certification.  I believe there may be a handful of bachelors programs around the country, but they are very few and far between.  Another thing you could consider is a bachelors degree that would work well with a paramedic degree - something along the lines of human resources, emergency management, business management, etc.

3 - This ultimately depends upon where you are wanting to work - type of job, and area of the country.  What would be helpful to someone living in the mountains of Montana, may not be what employers are looking for in the midwest or on the eastern seaboard.  Talk to people doing the job in the area you hope to eventually work.  They would be the best ones to answer this question for you.

4 - I will let some of the others make reading recommendations.  I just popped on here while taking a short study break and need to get back to what I was working on for class tomorrow.

The big question I have for you is what, ulitmately, do you want to do eventually?  So many people run out and take the nearest EMT-basic class for more reasons than you could ever imagine.  Unfortuantely, it isn't always for the right reasons.  If you decide to hang around and spend some time here, you will soon learn that those that have been in the business for a while can give you some great advice.  It may not always be what you want to hear, but listen to them.  They do know what they are talking about.

You will also find that one of the biggest things those same people advocate is more/better education, not just for basics, but for everyone involved in EMS, regardless of there certification level.  Compared to other systems around the globe, US EMS is seriously behind the times when it comes to education.  So many other places require so much more than our 1-2 year paramedic course to operate at a "lower" skill level.  It's just really sad that the person cutting your hair has more education than whoever shows up on the ambulance when you call 911.

While EMS is a great way to help out others, if ultimately, you want to do something else, think long and hard about why you want to get involved in EMS to begin with.  Many of us are hard at work to make this a health care profession, and not just something to do while working on learning XYZ and then moving on.  

I don't want to deter you from pursing EMS, if that is what you truly want to do, so please don't take any of my comments in that light.  This can be a wonderful career if you want it to be.  The hours are long, the work can be physically and emotionally draining, and alot of us work two or three jobs to make ends meet.  However, I wouldn't trade this job for any other one out there.


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## Ridryder911 (May 18, 2008)

JohnDavid-student said:


> Hello, I'm an aspiring EMT and have a few questions for you all if you would be so kind to answer them. A bit of background, I am a junior in high school, looking into to maybe taking an EMT-basic course at my local Technical Institute, Lake Tech. I have yet to talk to people about how good the program is, so it's still sort of up in the air. Some things I am wondering about are..
> 
> -Is it a good idea to take the EMT course at a tech school, while still in high school? I was planning on maybe having first period AP anatomy, some other class, and then finishing my day at Lake Tech. I think the anatomy course would help with immersion in my EMT course.
> 
> ...



My advices maybe a little different from most, but I am the one that deals with EMT students that want to become Paramedics, and one of the those that hires new medics. 

My suggestion is to talk to a guidance counselor. It all depends upon you local and geography. In my area, if you are under the age of 21 the are very few to no possibility of employment opportunities. Emergency EMS services sometimes has age restrictions, and I suggest you check in your area (if you plan on staying in that region). 

Take as much sciences as possible, this will never harm you. Plan on taking more in-depth collegiate level science courses if you plan on being a good Paramedic. Basic EMT is just little more in-depth than advanced first aid. You may take an EMT course, but it might expire before being hired, and if you don't use you may loose, so be cautious. Again, check in your region of chances of being employed. If not great, I suggest advanced placement science and math classes. 

Don't know what a EMT 1, 2, 3, that is all again on regional level. On the national level there is only three levels. EMT, EMT-Advanced, EMT- Paramedic. How much breathing room for college, don't sell yourself short. Why not go to college for your Paramedic? Making the best of two worlds. Obtain at least an Associate Degree, and be able to transfer your basics to a undergrad level. 

If you are in Florida, my understanding is most EMS is based upon Fire Services, which is a shame.  I would look at the requirements, but from most and what I have read from those in that area, is that you will obtain all F/F requirements in local academy.

Books to read. I suggest any higher level science, especially A & P, medical terminology (if you master this, you master medicine). Get a newer but used EMT & Firefighter Essentials book. You will be amazed how simplistic each is, but will give you an understanding of what is required, and some basic knowledge for both. 

I wish you the best of luck! 

R/r 911


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## JohnDavid-student (May 19, 2008)

> 1 - I don't know what type of student you are, so I can't really say if this would be a good idea for you or not. In most, if not all, states you have to be at least 18 to get your certification. If you are wanting to work, most places want you to be 21 before they will hire you for insurance reasons related to driving, and possibly other reasons, depending upon where you are and who you are trying to get hired on with.



I have confidence that I am a capable student, and spend most of my time in school either very bored or very engaged. I realize that finding a job may be nigh-impossible, at my age anyway. The chance to experience some first hand EMS situations seems like a very good opportunity, especially if I can do it while finishing high school. 



> How much breathing room for college, don't sell yourself short. Why not go to college for your Paramedic? Making the best of two worlds. Obtain at least an Associate Degree, and be able to transfer your basics to a undergrad level.



If I were to take this or a similar route towards Paramedic, would the basic training at a local tech school be wasted or unnecessary? You get to do some ride alongs and other on the job training at my local program, but with the perspective of eventually being in college, I'm unsure if the time spent training for EMT-basic would be well spent.


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## LucidResq (May 19, 2008)

Hello! I barely have any experience in EMS, but I do have loads of experience in the whole high school/college dual enrollment gig. I'm about to graduate HS this week with enough college credit under my belt to be classified as a sophomore in college, and I'm almost done with my EMT-B. 

I don't think it's a bad idea at all to take the EMT class while in high school, because it's extremely basic and for most people, pretty easy. It can be slightly time-consuming however. For example, my class meets on Sat. from 8-5 for 6 months in addition to clinical rotations (six 8-12 hour shifts in the ED and on ambulances). 

If you haven't already, talk to your high school counselor to see if there are any programs in place that will help you with tuition. I've had my school district pay for tuition for all of my college courses, saving my family thousands of dollars. The only catch is that we have to pay up front and were reimbursed only after I earned a C or better, and we had to cover books, fees, etc. 

Some things that are very important to realize: the EMT-B course is woefully inadequate and does a poor job of preparing people to enter EMS, EMT-Bs provide an extremely basic level of care, many (if not most) places will not hire you if you are under 21, the pay is total crap (I believe the starting rate out here is about $8), in most areas the demand for EMTs is pretty low, and that if you want to make a living and have the ability to do more than essentially first aid, you should plan on earning a college degree or paramedic. 

This is not to discourage you from taking the course at all. Taking my EMT-B has been a great introduction to EMS for me, mainly because it has introduced me to the very basics, given me a glimpse of the politics, problems and atmosphere of the field, made me more comfortable with providing patient care, introduced me to countless EMTs/paramedics/nurses who have given me valuable insight and advice, and placed me into the ambulance and hospital environments. 

If you're not pretty damn sure that you want to pursue a career in EMS or at least in healthcare or public safety, this course will probably be a huge waste of time/money. 

I'm glad that you mentioned taking anatomy. I would HIGHLY recommend doing so, in addition to taking physiology ASAP. The anatomy and physiology portion of the EMT class is woefully inadequate and you will much better understand: a. your patient's body b. what's wrong with them and c. your interventions. Also, most paramedic programs require that you have college anatomy and physiology prior to enrollment. 

If possible I would consider taking anatomy and phys through a college rather than at your high school, because the course is likely to be more rigorous, the lab facilities will probably be better, and your credits will be more likely to be accepted. 

I hope that you're willing to study extensively, really into science and good in the lab, because anatomy and phys is a difficult course. I took it last semester and it is definitely the most difficult course I've ever taken, and I'm a pretty science-y person. I took AP biology junior year, got As both semesters and had a 5 on the exam, but college anatomy and phys kicked my ***. 

As far as working as an EMT while in college, I think it's possible but keep in mind the pay is crap and many places will not hire you since you're under 21. You may want to consider other jobs that having an EMT can snag you, like as an Emergency Dept. Technician (pays better than ambulance), or dispatch. I have a good friend who is a full-time college student and works 911 dispatch. He gets paid very well (around $20/hr) and has plenty of time to do homework on the job. 

The good things about working in the field while going to school are that if you plan to continue in this field, you'll gain real life experience early, get your foot in the door, become familiar with things, and have the opportunity to make good impressions on paramedics/nurses/doctors/etc. The bad things are that EMS is an exceptionally stressful field to work in (not good for school performance), and you have the opportunity to make bad impressions on paramedics/nurses/doctors/etc. 

There are other opportunities for advancement in EMS. Many people who start as EMTs go on to become nurses or doctors. Nursing/medicine positions in emergency, intensive care, flights, trauma, and trauma surgery are all closely related to EMS. There are also a handful of programs out there offering a Bachelor's Degree in Emergency Medical Care, which is essentially a 4-year paramedic course with much more material than the standard, shorter paramedic courses. 

Having a Bachelor's Degree in EMS can lead to more opportunities in education, management, and administration. Some people plan to enter med school with this degree. 

Anyways, I know this was long-winded but I hope it answered some of your questions! Good luck with whatever you choose to do.


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## LucidResq (May 19, 2008)

Ridryder911 said:


> Books to read. I suggest any higher level science, especially A & P, medical terminology (if you master this, you master medicine). Get a newer but used EMT & Firefighter Essentials book. You will be amazed how simplistic each is, but will give you an understanding of what is required, and some basic knowledge for both.



I strongly suggest doing this. I visit my local thrift store all the time and pick up tons of textbooks. My independent studies have helped me get ahead of the game. 

Rid also makes a VERY good point about medical terminology. This is another college course I took. Having a good knowledge of terminology will give you a strong foundation for your science and EMS courses. You'll easily recall vocabulary because you'll be able to understand what each part of the word means rather than memorizing the entire thing. 

It will also help you while working. Even if you've never heard of the condition before, a patient can tell you that they have "hypertrophic cardiomyopathy" and you'll have an idea of what the condition is, which would be extremely relevant to your assessment/treatment of them. 



JohnDavid-student said:


> If I were to take this or a similar route towards Paramedic, would the basic training at a local tech school be wasted or unnecessary? You get to do some ride alongs and other on the job training at my local program, but with the perspective of eventually being in college, I'm unsure if the time spent training for EMT-basic would be well spent.



To my understanding most paramedic courses require that you have your EMT-B. Check into your local paramedic programs to see if they do.


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## JPINFV (May 19, 2008)

LucidResq said:


> Even if you've never heard of the condition before, a patient can tell you that they have "hypertrophic cardiomyopathy" and you'll have an idea of what the condition is, which would be extremely relevant to your assessment/treatment of them.



Mmm, banana heart.


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## MedCoast Ambulance (May 19, 2008)

There are many different paths for an EMT....Mine was EMT - to Paramedic - to sales and PR for private ambulance ( someone needs to go talk to the kids at schools and healthfairs, teach CPR to the public and obtain business in the metro markets) then contracts manager------left and worked for hospitals ---then came back to make a difference  in EMS and now  I am the General Manger (run the company)

A friend put himself through college working as an EMT for campus safety and ended up with a degree in healthcare management, with EMS ...he is now going on interviews to run EMS agencies

EMT gets your foot in the door to lots of things not just fire and law enforcement (it almost seems as if it is a must for those careers)


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## JohnDavid-student (May 19, 2008)

So I talked to my guidance counselor today, and I'm not completely sure why, but at some point in the conversation she became very disenchanted with the fact that she didn't know what she was talking about and just told me to do "whatever floats my boat". I promptly left, as she had a few students waiting on her and I suppose her primary function as a counselor is to ensure the graduation of all the faceless nobodies with 2.0's, as opposed to actually helping the people trying to do something with their life. Oh well. I'm ranting anyway.

I've got a feeling the Lake Tech guidance will be a little more helpful

well I hope so anyways.


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## CFRBryan347768 (May 19, 2008)

JohnDavid-student said:


> So I talked to my guidance counselor today, and I'm not completely sure why, but at some point in the conversation she became very disenchanted with the fact that she didn't know what she was talking about and just told me to do "whatever floats my boat". I promptly left, as she had a few students waiting on her and I suppose her primary function as a counselor is to ensure the graduation of all the faceless nobodies with 2.0's, as opposed to actually helping the people trying to do something with their life. Oh well. I'm ranting anyway.
> 
> I've got a feeling the Lake Tech guidance will be a little more helpful
> 
> well I hope so anyways.



You can also try calling your Local FD and pulling info from them, make sure you talk to some one with an actuall position tho. ;-)


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## Jon (May 20, 2008)

Watch out for the tech school guidance counselor. They might not be totally honest about job opportunities and salaries, so that you spend money on their program... I've heard of it being done locally.

Best bet is to try to talk with some local folks who know how and what the EMT job market looks like... Check with the local FD's and EMS companies... also see if they have a "junior member"/Explorer program or a ride-a-long program... it might be a good introduction to EMS for you.

Jon


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## Outbac1 (May 20, 2008)

There is a lot of very good advice given by the above posters which I hope you will heed. You sound like you are on the right track researching a potential career. Be careful in choosing your high school courses. You may not want to be too narrowly focused in case you change your mind. A variety of math and science subjects are almost always good. From what you have written you may want to look for a new unbiased counselor.
  I wish you success in your endeavors.


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## laina66 (May 24, 2008)

-I took anatomy while taking my basic course as well. It was definately a help--the more you know, the better of course! Especially if you plan on persuing a further learning in emergency medicine, learning while you can is awesome!
-What kind of advancement opportunities are there for EMT's besides EMT1, 2, 3 , and paramedic? Does the career allow much breathing room for taking college classes, while still making enough money to get by?
Once you get your basic card you can go onto acls (which is what I'm doing now), and so on...if you go through with your paramedic certification, nursing is a close gig as well...(my plans. ))

-Having FF1 is usually required (within 2 years) of joining a volunteer fire department, and most paid fire departments require you take the course straight off the bat---unless you get into a strictly EMS squad. 

-I love baron's study guide for the basic test...and the nys website has a wide range of study materials for the test---so I'm sure FLA does as well.

good luck!


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## BossyCow (May 25, 2008)

I would suggest that you talk to someone who is in the field. Different locations vary in pay, job availability, and opportunities. If you live somewhere where there is a ton of EMTs willing to do the job for free or next to free with no benefits, your time would probably be better spent pursuing other options. But, if you plan on a long term career, knowing what that entails can only be learned from someone who is actually doing it.

Make an appointment to speak with the local HR department for your local EMS agencies. Talk to them about the starting wage and average wages. Find out how long the average EMT/Medic stays on the job. If they have a high turnover, it can be a sign of understaffing or high call volume, low pay or any combination of the above.

When my husband graduated from medic school, there was a recruiter from Oakland CA who was there to offer a job to any medic willing to take it. My husbands roomate took the job for the experience. He worked there for 2 years which is about the average for that system. He now sells real estate in Vermont. 

If you are going to invest time in learning a career, take some time to research it first. Most people who do the hiring in any career path are willing to give you honest advice and information regarding what they look for, what the company requires and what they are willing to pay for it.


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