# Stuck on job offers



## Jn1232th (Oct 11, 2019)

So currently I am in the decision of employment with two companies. I am a brand new medic with no medic experience so far.  One is 911 with some IFT. Other is purely ALS-IFT but they are getting a 911 contract next year. 
Question is should I go with a 911 company that offers great experience but is only paying $16/hour for 12 hour shift. Also is hour and half hour drive to the station. Calculated to be $1300-1400 biweekly 

Or ALS ift company that pays $23/hour for 12 hour shift and is 35 minute drive to station.   My career goal is critical care/flight in the long run.


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## akflightmedic (Oct 11, 2019)

Depends on how much money you have before you start the job and what your monthly expenses/budget is.

It sounds like on either job, you will be doing dialysis shuttles.

Job 1 has you on the road a minimum of 3 hours a day, presumably 9-12 hours a week (if you work a 4th shift). So 12 hours of wear and tear, 12 hours of fuel, tolls, etc. What does that 12 hours of drive time cost? Then subtract that amount from every paycheck you expect to receive. Now imagine a busy 12 hour shift at a lower cost and now you have 1.5 hour drive home...is it worth it? Only you know.

Your long term goal is great. You are 3-5 years minimum away from achieving it. Is this current 911 gig the only potential 911 job for you in the near future or within your driving radius? If it is, then you may need to consider it so you can get some 911 experience and extensive scene time/transport time. If this is not the only option, if this is the only option right now...then give thought about whether the 911 experience right now is worth the effort.

As for Option 2....calling it an ALS IFT service polishes the turd no better...LOL. Darn near every IFT service is ALS (yes there are exceptions)...being a Medic for IFT means you still gonna do the granny shuffle and occasionally catch some cool longer distance transports which are not flown. Caveat is you are in a rural area and the hospital is a band aid shop and ground pounds every thing to a higher level of facility.

Financially, the IFT job IS the better option. It gives shorter commutes, it pays more. Seems like a no brainer from the dollar side of the equation. You may find yourself bored very quickly, burnt out, or simply hating the job....or you could be one of those unique individuals who makes a career out of it once you taste the kool aid.

Career wise....are either one of these jobs your long term goal? You have already said no...which one will offer you more downtime to study in pursuit of your LTG? Which one will pay your bills OR allow you to SAVE money in order to take extra classes in pursuit of your LTG?

Is there a hybrid option? As in take the IFT job full time since it pays more...work there 3 shifts a week and then pick up 1-2 shifts (per pay period or even per month) at the 911 gig on part time or per diem status? TO me that would be best option...but if it is one or the other only, then you need to provide more info about background/money situation, or think of those things on your own and make a decision.

*Life lesson...no matter what decision you make, it is both the right and wrong decision depending on who you ask, what day of the week it is, or where you find yourself a year from now...so don't stress too much.


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## Jn1232th (Oct 11, 2019)

Financially I am definitely not in good zone haha. 911 gig sounds great but I also forget not every call is critical or requires any interventions. I will probably be more financially burdened tbh.  

I like the hybrid option! After looking some more I did find some 911 companies that are about an hour drive that require just 4 shifts a month to be part time status.


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## DrParasite (Oct 11, 2019)

hour and a half drive for $16 an hour, for a 12 hour shift?  hell no.  If I was serious about considering that job, I'd plan on moving.  My max is an hour commute one way (with a preference to 45 minutes with no traffic), unless the money was really good, or it's something that I really want to do...

If it was me (and I can't stand IFTs, I think they atrophy a clinician's brain), I'd  take the closer one for almost 50% more money.  when they get the 911 contract, bid on it (although don't get expect to get it, esp if there are more people with more experience who want those trucks), and if you don't get it, pick up any 911 shift you can for OT.  Or just work per diem a couple days a month at a 911 company for fun while the IFT job pays your bills.


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## Jn1232th (Oct 11, 2019)

I


DrParasite said:


> hour and a half drive for $16 an hour, for a 12 hour shift?  hell no.  If I was serious about considering that job, I'd plan on moving.  My max is an hour commute one way (with a preference to 45 minutes with no traffic), unless the money was really good, or it's something that I really want to do...
> 
> If it was me (and I can't stand IFTs, I think they atrophy a clinician's brain), I'd  take the closer one for almost 50% more money.  when they get the 911 contract, bid on it (although don't get expect to get it, esp if there are more people with more experience who want those trucks), and if you don't get it, pick up any 911 shift you can for OT.  Or just work per diem a couple days a month at a 911 company for fun while the IFT job pays your bills.




That’s the only reason why I’m afraid of taking the IfT position. I don’t want my skills to go to waste.  But will be financially stable. Thanks for all the input!  I’ll take the ift gig and do a part time 911 on the side.


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## GMCmedic (Oct 11, 2019)

justin1232 said:


> I
> 
> 
> 
> That’s the only reason why I’m afraid of taking the IfT position. I don’t want my skills to go to waste. But will be financially stable. Thanks for all the input! I’ll take the ift gig and do a part time 911 on the side.


Meh, there is a ton of information to learn from an IFT. 

Pick a medication and a medical diagnosis on every patient and make it a point to read up on it. Dont just load them on the cot and go, do an assessment. It isnt a time sensitive situation so learn to do assessments efficiently, itll pay off later if you end up flying. 

There is also an opportunity to get some exposure to Ventilators, Balloon pumps, Impella devices, and maybe even ECMO. 

That said, 911 experience is pretty much expected if you plan on applying for flight positions.


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## Peak (Oct 11, 2019)

I don't say this to dissuade you from flight, but also remember that once you start working in EMS your career goals could change. You may end up not wanting to do healthcare, to work the streets, do EMS education, Fire, LEO, nursing, PA, medical school, or who knows what else. 

A year or two of solid work experience and a good reputation will help you down the road more than almost anything else whether that means moving to a higher acuity department or something else entirely. 

I also know quite a few excellent IFT medics who I trust more than some 911 medics, but for many reasons IFT works better for their home lives. 

Part of it is just a matter of who you know and making a good impression. I've been asked by several HEMS programs to come interview and work with them (granted after I went from medic to nursing) because I happen to have had good interactions with their leadership and work hard to give our patients good care. 

I also learned how much I don't want to do flight when as a rookie fire medic one of the local flight crews flew out and their pilot taught us how to shut down the engines, how to extricate them, how much fuel and accelerants they carry, and so on. I never dreamed of flight but that day taught me that I dint want to fly in a helicopter (and I can still count on one hand how many times I've had to ride in on a rotor wing).


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## Jn1232th (Oct 11, 2019)

That is true. I love pre hospital medicine but I do know I will want to upgrade to different level st one point or another.


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## aquabear (Oct 11, 2019)

Just taking a shot in the dark that the IFT, soon to be 911 company, is Lynch... and I'm guessing they will be putting their most tenured medics on those shifts, so as a newer employee it probably won't be likely that you'll get onto those two trucks when they start next year.

If you goal is a flight medic gig, it would probably be best to take the 911 job. If it's an AMR division, you can always transfer to another division if you want to move (I worked for Santa Barbara and didn't have a terrible time before I moved to Texas), and if you get hired by an AMGH company down the road, you can still earn OT working for AMR on your days off.


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## Jn1232th (Oct 11, 2019)

aquabear said:


> Just taking a shot in the dark that the IFT, soon to be 911 company, is Lynch... and I'm guessing they will be putting their most tenured medics on those shifts, so as a newer employee it probably won't be likely that you'll get onto those two trucks when they start next year.
> 
> If you goal is a flight medic gig, it would probably be best to take the 911 job. If it's an AMR division, you can always transfer to another division if you want to move (I worked for Santa Barbara and didn't have a terrible time before I moved to Texas), and if you get hired by an AMGH company down the road, you can still earn OT working for AMR on your days off.



Indeed it is. And i applied to AMR for part time in riverside and they actually already called me back for an interview. I would do full time there but again pay would leave me financially unstable. But part time would at least get me the 911 experience.


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## RocketMedic (Oct 11, 2019)

As you all know, I’ve been California dreaming hard lately, but math is a thing I’m good at and it doesn’t lie.

you can’t afford the 911 gig. And you can’t really afford to do more than work and survive on a paramedic income in SoCal or even CA in general. It really pains me to admit it because I really want to move, but I can’t afford to do what I want to do with CA wages. They’re considerably lower than Texas, Oklahoma or even New Mexico in a lot of places, even before taxes are reckoned in.
Assuming you’re in a small sedan, 1.5 hours of driving is going to be about 3 gallons, which at 4.50ish is going to be $13.50...12% of your daily income literally burned per day. If you’re in a truck, more like 25%. That alone, plus the time, doesn’t work. If it’s AMR Riverside or desert divisions, you’re also looking at holdovers and delays and maybe 6ish hours at home before you have to go back. A miserable existence.
If you’re wanting to stay in CA, I would look really hard at Liberty in Ridgecrest or Hall. Failing that though, and with reservations and a decent amount of humble pie, I’d recommend moving. Paramedic wages in NM, AZ, Texas, OK, etc aren’t exactly fantastic, but 50k-ish a year in OKC, ABQ or Alamogordo or Abilene or Houston goes a lot farther than LA.

I hate to admit it because it means admitting I was mistaken and my dad, wife, brother and friends are right, but currently, TX > CA for finances and opportunities and such.

Finally, don’t settle for crappy jobs. You’re better than that. You’re better and smarter and more driven than that. Roll those dice, bro. Apply to Sonoma Life Support and REMSA and ATC and Harris County Emergency Corps and @NomadicMedic ’s Sushequenna EMS Consortium or wherever. Swing for the fences and go somewhere that gives you the personal and professional opportunities you want. Don’t just take the first jobs that open out of convenience and a perception of necessity, because then you end up on the train siding I’ve been on for a while, stuck by life’s little quibbles on the slow and poopy Road and contemplating doing really dumb things like inverting the wage/tax curve to escape it. See my lighthouse and heed its warning!!!!


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## RocketMedic (Oct 11, 2019)

AMR Riverside offered insultingly low wages for an experienced paramedic. $14.94 an hour for their $24 hour rate, $18.02 for their 12? Hard, hard no.


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## Jn1232th (Oct 11, 2019)

RocketMedic said:


> As you all know, I’ve been California dreaming hard lately, but math is a thing I’m good at and it doesn’t lie.
> 
> you can’t afford the 911 gig. And you can’t really afford to do more than work and survive on a paramedic income in SoCal or even CA in general. It really pains me to admit it because I really want to move, but I can’t afford to do what I want to do with CA wages. They’re considerably lower than Texas, Oklahoma or even New Mexico in a lot of places, even before taxes are reckoned in.
> Assuming you’re in a small sedan, 1.5 hours of driving is going to be about 3 gallons, which at 4.50ish is going to be $13.50...12% of your daily income literally burned per day. If you’re in a truck, more like 25%. That alone, plus the time, doesn’t work. If it’s AMR Riverside or desert divisions, you’re also looking at holdovers and delays and maybe 6ish hours at home before you have to go back. A miserable existence.
> ...




Actually the 911 gig is hall. Closest station is hour and a half and they offered $16/hr  If I lived closer I’ll do it but with gas prices being almost $5/gallon be financially hard


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## Jn1232th (Oct 11, 2019)

RocketMedic said:


> AMR Riverside offered insultingly low wages for an experienced paramedic. $14.94 an hour for their $24 hour rate, $18.02 for their 12? Hard, hard no.



I did apply there part time for a shift per week to just get 911 experience and then pay my bills with the IFT gig.


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## Jn1232th (Oct 11, 2019)

I would love to move out of so cal but my Gf halfway done with her classes. Hopefully once she is done she will be willing still to relocate out of the area. Cost of living just got to crazy


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## VentMonkey (Oct 11, 2019)

justin1232 said:


> Actually the 911 gig is hall. Closest station is hour and a half and they offered $16/hr  If I lived closer I’ll do it but with gas prices being almost $5/gallon be financially hard


Curious, what station did they offer up closest to you? Rosamond? Frazier Park? Both are low-bid/ high-seniority stations. So either there was some shotty intel, or a mixup?...You'd more than likely be put in metro Bakersfield on a 12-hour car (busy, busy system BTW so you _will_ get exposure) until an opening at an outlying station becomes available; could be weeks, days, months, hours...no telling.

Also, as far as the livable income I guess I'm still the outlier. My wife and I have still managed to make it work between the both of us, afford a mortgage, two cars, three kids, a mutt, basic essentials, etc. We don't live foolishly extravagant, collect a lot of silly debt. But we also don't deprive ourselves/ family of everything or anything our state, and more specifically our region, has to offer us. I also don't work nearly as much as say when I was younger and still manage to do okay while maintaining my sanity.


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## Jn1232th (Oct 11, 2019)

VentMonkey said:


> Curious, what station did they offer up closest to you? Rosamond? Frazier Park? Both are low-bid/ high-seniority stations. So either there was some shotty intel, or a mixup?...You'd more than likely be put in metro Bakersfield on a 12-hour car (busy, busy system BTW so you _will_ get exposure) until an opening at an outlying station becomes available; could be weeks, days, months, hours...no telling.
> 
> Also, as far as the livable income I guess I'm still the outlier. My wife and I have still managed to make it work between the both of us, afford a mortgage, two cars, three kids, a mutt, basic essentials, etc. We don't live foolishly extravagant, collect a lot of silly debt. But we also don't deprive ourselves/ family of everything or anything our state, and more specifically our region, has to offer us. I also don't work nearly as much as say when I was younger and still manage to do okay while maintaining my sanity.




Offered main metro and Mojave post 14 day shifts. Mojave is actually closer to me than Main is but still hour and half drive. I think about 97 miles comes out to.  If I lived in metro area the pay wouldn’t be bad at all. I feel rent up there is definitely cheaper than Pasadena haha 🙄


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## NomadicMedic (Oct 12, 2019)

We’re currently paying $22/hour to start for medics functioning as a single provider on an ALS squad intercepting with BLS units. Just saying.


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## Jn1232th (Oct 12, 2019)

NomadicMedic said:


> We’re currently paying $22/hour to start for medics functioning as a single provider on an ALS squad intercepting with BLS units. Just saying.



Where that at????


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## NomadicMedic (Oct 13, 2019)

justin1232 said:


> Where that at????



Probably too far away for you. Lancaster PA.


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## PotatoMedic (Oct 13, 2019)

NomadicMedic said:


> We’re currently paying $22/hour to start for medics functioning as a single provider on an ALS squad intercepting with BLS units. Just saying.


My wife just said no...


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## NomadicMedic (Oct 13, 2019)

PotatoMedic said:


> My wife just said no...



Not surprised. My wife said no about going back out west.


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## RocketMedic (Oct 13, 2019)

NomadicMedic said:


> We’re currently paying $22/hour to start for medics functioning as a single provider on an ALS squad intercepting with BLS units. Just saying.



Don’t tease me like that bro, you know I’m afraid of snow!
Seriously though that sounds amazing and I wish family was in that direction instead of west/north.


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## Jn1232th (Oct 13, 2019)

NomadicMedic said:


> Probably too far away for you. Lancaster PA.



Oh hahaha I wish that sounds awesome. I’ve been talking to my girlfriend about moving and have eased her more into the idea 💡


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## FoleyArtist (Oct 14, 2019)

justin1232 said:


> I did apply there part time for a shift per week to just get 911 experience and then pay my bills with the IFT gig.



don't forget Amr Riverside is union. I believe they called it "all in" your contribution isn't less because you're part time. I was part time at Amr and only took home $25 one paycheck after everything was deducted. also my commute was approx 35 miles one way hence why I left and worked my IFT gig part time through RN school. to make it worth while you'd have to work at a non union division such as hemet or Palm Springs; again there's the commute you factor in too.

just fyi with your long term goals. it will require "minimum" 911 time. as someone who advised me years ago who worked for a HEMS company its all in your interview. they can weed out who hasn't had enough 911 experience or cct experience.

I know you're in a tough pickle right now. have you ran the numbers on working for Liberty Ridgcrest, Morongo Basin Amb. somewhere that does 48s or 72s to help alleviated how often you commute while offering the best experience you can get in cali? what about Sb Co AO? also my opinion with regards to your long term goals; you wouldn't want solely OC Ems experience anyways. I think you should find a county that allows you to be a critical thinking provider with a wider scope.


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## Jn1232th (Oct 14, 2019)

FoleyArtist said:


> don't forget Amr Riverside is union. I believe they called it "all in" your contribution isn't less because you're part time. I was part time at Amr and only took home $25 one paycheck after everything was deducted. also my commute was approx 35 miles one way hence why I left and worked my IFT gig part time through RN school. to make it worth while you'd have to work at a non union division such as hemet or Palm Springs; again there's the commute you factor in too.
> 
> just fyi with your long term goals. it will require "minimum" 911 time. as someone who advised me years ago who worked for a HEMS company its all in your interview. they can weed out who hasn't had enough 911 experience or cct experience.
> 
> I know you're in a tough pickle right now. have you ran the numbers on working for Liberty Ridgcrest, Morongo Basin Amb. somewhere that does 48s or 72s to help alleviated how often you commute while offering the best experience you can get in cali? what about Sb Co AO? also my opinion with regards to your long term goals; you wouldn't want solely OC Ems experience anyways. I think you should find a county that allows you to be a critical thinking provider with a wider scope.



Oh I totally forgot about the union they got going on.   I was told to hold off on liberty ridgecrest due to them being bought by the local hospital and changes happening. I have applied to riggs, American Fresno and sequoia safety council though and looked up San Bernardino AO but didn’t see any current openings yet.


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## VentMonkey (Oct 14, 2019)

Delano Ambulance might also work for you (no firsthand experience with them). They do see a lot of acutely injured patients.

Then there’s obviously the Tulare Co. companies. One of the Imperial paramedics that used to work for us just finished nursing school. Said they’re super accommodating and plans on keeping both his RN job and medic job for now.


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## Jn1232th (Oct 14, 2019)

VentMonkey said:


> Delano Ambulance might also work for you (no firsthand experience with them). They do see a lot of acutely injured patients.
> 
> Then also there’s obviously the Tulare Co. companies. One of the Imperial paramedics that used to work for us just finished nursing school. Said they’re super accommodating and plans on keeping both his RN job and medic job for now.



They seemed great! I interviewed with imperial the other week and everything went great until I did my Fitness exam.  Consisted of just a X-ray of my spine? Turns out I have very minor scoliosis that the doctor stated wasn’t significant. But any spine abnormality is a disqualification apparently due to them having previous incidents of back injuries.


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## RocketMedic (Oct 14, 2019)

Which is silly because that’s literally all of humanity


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