# Im ready to work!



## slloth (Sep 16, 2010)

The process is too slow for me!  
I,m just being a baby.  I cant wait to get out of my current job and start my EMS career.  Just waiting on my national certification so I can take it to the county office and pay my $110 to be certified.  Jesus the money never ends! Im almost afraid to add it all up.  We must really be crazy.


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## JPINFV (Sep 16, 2010)

Could be worse... Step 1 and Step 2 of my licensing exam is over $500... each.


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## SanDiegoEmt7 (Sep 16, 2010)

This is one of those Train A vs Train B problems.

Train A initially costs $110 (maybe 400-1200 with schooling) but only has a revenue of 20,000 annually

Train B initially costs $1000 (maybe 200K-300K with schooling) but generates a revenue of 180,000+ annually


Train A only requires a few weeks to start up, while Train B must be built for 11-13 years upon purchase.


How many years does it take for Train B to become more valuable than Train A if they were both purchased today?


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## MrBrown (Sep 16, 2010)

5 years of med school is like NZD$65,000

Oh and the train sucks, take a helicopter

Ambulance, Medivac airborne ....


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## gicts (Sep 16, 2010)

MrBrown said:


> 5 years of med school is like NZD$65,000
> 
> Oh and the train sucks, take a helicopter
> 
> Ambulance, Medivac airborne ....



lol clever.

Yea, the fees sure will kill you here ^_^

I had to pay the state $200 to print a card for me. I had proof of a recent background check that had been run and all of my cards and papers in order. It might have been the easiest 15 minutes for them to grant me reciprocity and make $200 :blush:

Don't get me started on the NREMT- grumble grumble grumble


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## slloth (Sep 16, 2010)

I guess you get what you pay for.


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## EMS49393 (Sep 16, 2010)

SanDiegoEmt7 said:


> This is one of those Train A vs Train B problems.
> 
> Train A initially costs $110 (maybe 400-1200 with schooling) but only has a revenue of 20,000 annually
> 
> ...



I got on the wrong train, can I get a refund and use it for a ride on train B? B)


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## slloth (Sep 21, 2010)

Just waiting for my County Card (Alameda) so I can start applying for jobs.  The person who took my paperwork said two weeks.


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## cletus (Sep 22, 2010)

Whatever company you end up at, I hear working the east bay is quite a bit more interesting than other places in the Bay. Good luck to you!


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## slloth (Sep 22, 2010)

cletus said:


> Whatever company you end up at, I hear working the east bay is quite a bit more interesting than other places in the Bay. Good luck to you!


I'm going for East Bay will probably take a job just about anywhere.  Would love to get on a Paramedic/EMT service.  Of course 911 would be great but I'm open to just about anything.


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## TransportJockey (Sep 22, 2010)

OP, I know the feeling about being more than ready to start working. I wanna get back on a bus as soon as possible.


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## slloth (Sep 22, 2010)

Yeah I need to learn patience.  I really didn't realize how many steps where involved though.  I guess its a good thing though.  Weeds out some the lazy folks!  But not all of them.


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## TransportJockey (Sep 22, 2010)

slloth said:


> Yeah I need to learn patience.  I really didn't realize how many steps where involved though.  I guess its a good thing though.  Weeds out some the lazy folks!  But not all of them.


Trust me, even when you get the cert in hand it's still a lesson in patience to get hired


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## jjesusfreak01 (Sep 22, 2010)

JPINFV said:


> Could be worse... Step 1 and Step 2 of my licensing exam is over $500... each.



Do you have to do the CS portion of Step 2, or just CK? I have to imagine working in EMS before medical school helps out a bit for patient assessment.


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## JPINFV (Sep 22, 2010)

I have to do both CS and CK, (technically PE for me) for COMLEX and I'll probably end up doing CK for USMLE. The especially fun part about COMLEX-II PE is that it's only offered in Philadelphia, so I also get to pay for travel and lodging.

As far as helping out with the assessment, only in the sense that it helps with the more intangible rhythm part. Of course the two catches with that is my school uses standardized patients (SP) with 6 SP encounters first semester of first year to cover histories (3 patients) and full histories and physicals (second 3), so that advantage shrinks quickly. The second catch is that even a basic physical exam is a lot more than an EMS physical. For example, it isn't just lung sounds. It's lung sounds (at least 4 spots, front and back) and percussion. Similarly, abdominal is 4 quadrants of inspect, listen, percuss, and palpate instead of just look and palpate. 

Now once you get into the focus exams, it's worth even less. Orthopedics includes numerous ortho tests (e.g. "drop test" for Deltoid, "empty can test" for Supraspinatus). Neuro includes clinically testing different parts of the brain (rapid alternating movement, memory tests, comprehension test, etc). So the only real benefit is knowing OPQRST before hand, especially since we're given vital signs for the focus exams.


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## slloth (Sep 30, 2010)

Interviewed this morning with a transport company.  Now I wait for a call...

:unsure:


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## joncfinney (Sep 30, 2010)

Who did you interview with?
What kind of questions did they ask?

Good Luck!


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## slloth (Oct 1, 2010)

Well I passed the interview which mainly consisted of stock type questions.  What is your best attribute?  What is your worst?  What would you do in this situation?  

But I failed the written test!  But I guess I get a re take Monday so I get to stress all weekend about it.

I passed all my tests at school.  Passed the NREMT.  Passed the state  ambulance test.  Never failed any and then fail my first real job test!  Im a little humiliated.  :sad:


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## joncfinney (Oct 1, 2010)

What company are you applying for?


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## slloth (Oct 1, 2010)

Pro Transport  :blush:


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## Indy (Oct 2, 2010)

JPINFV said:


> Could be worse... Step 1 and Step 2 of my licensing exam is over $500... each.



For EMT-B or EMT-P certs?


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## JPINFV (Oct 2, 2010)

Indy said:


> For EMT-B or EMT-P certs?



No. Medical licensing exams (COMLEX and USMLE).


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## Indy (Oct 2, 2010)

JPINFV said:


> No. Medical licensing exams (COMLEX and USMLE).



I was going to say..EMT-B training here costs $750. If the test was $500..screw it.


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## slloth (Oct 4, 2010)

Taking an employment test in a few hours!  Sh*t I better go to bed.


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## Indy (Oct 4, 2010)

slloth said:


> Taking an employment test in a few hours!  Sh*t I better go to bed.



LOL! How'd it go slloth?


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## slloth (Oct 5, 2010)

Well I passed, so now I haz a job!  Basic transport or not I will finally be able to do what I was trained to do.  And I can put in my time and then go to medic school.  At least I am moving forward.


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## joncfinney (Oct 12, 2010)

congrats buddy. 

Where are you based out of?


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## Charmeck (Oct 15, 2010)

Lets not get started with NREMT, does your  state recognize it?  Some states dont recognize it, and you dont benefit from having it.  Just $110 down the drain.


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