Flight Medic

[cointosser13]

I'm about to complete my Paramedic in December. I've started looking into getting a job as a Flight medic. Just interested in taking care of critical patients in a helicopter. Anyway, my question is, what is the process like? I know you need different types of certs (especially your CC-P) in order for you to qualify. But as you get into the hiring process what do they do to see if you're truly qaulified for the job? Do they give you case scenerios and you have to present to people what you would do in a particular situation?

Last question, I know I need years of practice before I can even consider becoming a flight medic but what do you guys (those who are already flight medics) recommend that I do to prepare myself? I know a guy that all he did was read medical scenerios and doctors absolutely loved him because he knew exactly what to do for each patient he was given. I was considering starting with that. But really, what do you guys recommend?

 

[Carlos Danger]

The best and only thing that you can do now to become an attractive candidate for a position as a flight paramedic is......drum roll, please......become the best ground paramedic you can be.

Work for a progressive 911 system. Learn to be calm, respectful of everyone around, and methodical, even on the most hectic scenes and with the sickest patients. Read journals, blogs, and websites. Look things up online and in textbooks. Don't be afraid to say "I don't know". Don't be cocky or a know-it-all. Take classes that you think will help you understand and do your job better. Precept. Teach, both informally and maybe formally. Earn a 4-year degree. In a couple of years, go to work for a ground CCT service and then start this whole process over. Become the type of paramedic that other EMT's and medics love to have as a partner, that docs and nurses and firefighters and cops like to see walk through the door, and that people say about "if my wife or kid ever gets badly hurt, I hope cointosser13 gets the dispatch".....not because you know everything but because you just always do a really_good_job. That should keep you busy for 5-6 years......after you've done all that, start seriously looking into flying. But don't do these things because you think they will help you get into flying, do them so that you can get really good at what you are doing now.

HEMS programs typically look for paramedics with quality experience, who are mature as both an individual and as a clinician, who are easy to get along with, who are confident but not cocky, and who have really good customer service skills and crisis-management skills. They'll figure this out through interviews, scenarios, testing, and talking to people who know you. Some people naturally possess these "soft skills", some don't - but they are critically important - you will NOT get hired by a good program if they don't get the right impression of your personality, no matter how bad*** of a paramedic you are or how many critical care courses you've taken or how much physiology you can rattle off. Reputation is important. Many programs only hire people they know, or at least people that they know have a good reputation in their area.

Don't spend the next few years of your life focusing on becoming a flight paramedic and just checking off the boxes that you think will help you reach that end. Nothing wrong with having a goal and a plan to get there, but enjoy what you are doing now and work hard to be really good at it.

 

[CANMAN]

This question has also been answered a few times on the board, so search around for those previous threads. With that being said, Remi really just gave you all the information you will need.... You can also checkout www.flightweb.com for this same question answered again ad nauseam...

 

[akflightmedic]

Remi's reply should be a permanent stickie....

 

[COmedic17]

It's going to take a lot more then some certs and "a couple years of experience" to become a flight medic. I have a handful of flight medic friends and they all have nearly 10+ years of experience as a 911 ground medic, have critical care experience, and every single one has a bachelors. A lot of them are both paramedics and RNs. It's a competitive field. Having certs and minimal experience isn't going to get you a flight medic spot. It's going to take years and years of being one hell of a ground medic.

 

[Chewy20]

Look into what company you want to fly for and do that.

It's going to take a lot more then some certs and "a couple years of experience" to become a flight medic. I have a handful of flight medic friends and they all have nearly 10+ years of experience as a 911 ground medic, have critical care experience, and every single one has a bachelors. A lot of them are both paramedics and RNs. It's a competitive field. Having certs and minimal experience isn't going to get you a flight medic spot. It's going to take years and years of being one hell of a ground medic.

Oh you can get a flight job with minimal experience. Just not one you would feel safe working for.

 

[COmedic17]

Look into what company you want to fly for and do that.


Oh you can get a flight job with minimal experience. Just not one you would feel safe working for.

Oh of course. I've seen some sub-par private companies that have flight teams just for long distance IFT, but it's not someplace that would be pleasant or safe to work for.

 

[Tori]

I know a few flight medics who worked really hard for many years on the ground, in the hospital, teaching, and ended up earning a slot as a flight medic, but after a few years went back to being a ground medic. Sometimes the goal you strive for seems perfect until you get there, then you realize maybe that job wasn't so right for you. Not saying that's going to happen to you, but if you were to take Remi's advice, you'd have one hell of a resume and the confidence to go find another great job you want.

 

[TransportJockey]

I know a few flight medics who worked really hard for many years on the ground, in the hospital, teaching, and ended up earning a slot as a flight medic, but after a few years went back to being a ground medic. Sometimes the goal you strive for seems perfect until you get there, then you realize maybe that job wasn't so right for you. Not saying that's going to happen to you, but if you were to take Remi's advice, you'd have one hell of a resume and the confidence to go find another great job you want.

This. Its why im looking hard at going back to ground 911.

 

[truetiger]

I know quite a few medics that have come back to the ground. Why do you want to fly? Being a flight or ground medic isn't above the other. If I were you I would concern myself with becoming the best paramedic I could be, regardless of the mode of transportation.

 

[Gurby]

The best and only thing that you can do now to become an attractive candidate for a position as a flight paramedic is......drum roll, please......become the best ground paramedic you can be.

Work for a progressive 911 system. Learn to be calm, respectful of everyone around, and methodical, even on the most hectic scenes and with the sickest patients. Read journals, blogs, and websites. Look things up online and in textbooks. Don't be afraid to say "I don't know". Don't be cocky or a know-it-all. Take classes that you think will help you understand and do your job better. Precept. Teach, both informally and maybe formally. Earn a 4-year degree. In a couple of years, go to work for a ground CCT service and then start this whole process over. Become the type of paramedic that other EMT's and medics love to have as a partner, that docs and nurses and firefighters and cops like to see walk through the door, and that people say about "if my wife or kid ever gets badly hurt, I hope cointosser13 gets the dispatch".....not because you know everything but because you just always do a really_good_job. That should keep you busy for 5-6 years......after you've done all that, start seriously looking into flying. But don't do these things because you think they will help you get into flying, do them so that you can get really good at what you are doing now.

HEMS programs typically look for paramedics with quality experience, who are mature as both an individual and as a clinician, who are easy to get along with, who are confident but not cocky, and who have really good customer service skills and crisis-management skills. They'll figure this out through interviews, scenarios, testing, and talking to people who know you. Some people naturally possess these "soft skills", some don't - but they are critically important - you will NOT get hired by a good program if they don't get the right impression of your personality, no matter how bad*** of a paramedic you are or how many critical care courses you've taken or how much physiology you can rattle off. Reputation is important. Many programs only hire people they know, or at least people that they know have a good reputation in their area.

Don't spend the next few years of your life focusing on becoming a flight paramedic and just checking off the boxes that you think will help you reach that end. Nothing wrong with having a goal and a plan to get there, but enjoy what you are doing now and work hard to be really good at it.

I nominate this for the EMTLife Post of the Year contest.

 

[TransportJockey]

I know quite a few medics that have come back to the ground. Why do you want to fly? Being a flight or ground medic isn't above the other. If I were you I would concern myself with becoming the best paramedic I could be, regardless of the mode of transportation.

For me, it was the realization that 90% of my calls were at an ils, at most, level. My clinical skills weren't getting any better, and I felt I could do more on the ground. I will be the best medic possible, that much I hold myself to.

 

[Carlos Danger]

For me, it was the realization that 90% of my calls were at an ils, at most, level. My clinical skills weren't getting any better, and I felt I could do more on the ground. I will be the best medic possible, that much I hold myself to.

It depends a lot on where you work.

I do think average acuity has probably gone way down over the past 10 to 20 years. Think about it - there are only so many really sick people who need interfacility transport. There are only so many bad MVC's (and serious injuries and deaths are less common than they used to be, thanks to modern vehicle construction) and GSW's and serious burns and such, as well.

So over the past decade or two, while the number of sick folks has probably roughly stayed the same, the number of ground ALS services, HEMS programs, ground CCT programs, even FW programs has E-X-P-L-O-D-E-D. Many areas that had no reliable CCT coverage 10 years ago now have several ground ALS services, several HEMS programs and a ground CCT unit or two fighting for calls. The result is that there just aren't nearly as many sick people per transport vehicle.

 

[Chewy20]

Look into Star Flight TJ. They do everything under the sun that a helicopter could be used for, as well as help out LEOs.

 

[TransportJockey]

It depends a lot on where you work.

I do think average acuity has probably gone way down over the past 10 to 20 years. Think about it - there are only so many really sick people who need interfacility transport. There are only so many bad MVC's (and serious injuries and deaths are less common than they used to be, thanks to modern vehicle construction) and GSW's and serious burns and such, as well.

So over the past decade or two, while the number of sick folks has probably roughly stayed the same, the number of ground ALS services, HEMS programs, ground CCT programs, even FW programs has E-X-P-L-O-D-E-D. Many areas that had no reliable CCT coverage 10 years ago now have several ground ALS services, several HEMS programs and a ground CCT unit or two fighting for calls. The result is that there just aren't nearly as many sick people per transport vehicle.

I think you're right on with your post. Since I work near our regional centers, a lot of what we do is transporting patients home or to specialized rehab. I wouldn't mind frontier fixed wing, but that has it's own inherent problems

 

[CANMAN]

I think you're right on with your post. Since I work near our regional centers, a lot of what we do is transporting patients home or to specialized rehab. I wouldn't mind frontier fixed wing, but that has it's own inherent problems

In my experience the acuity of fixed wing is also lower then rotor wing. My program has been tracking volume, referral patterns, acuity, etc for a while now, and we actually saw an increase in our volume and acuity last year. We did pickup a new tertiary cardiac center, which has also been requesting ECMO flights, which I am sure plays into those numbers a bit, but overall our entire system was up surprisingly. But I do agree, mom and pop programs are popping up all over the place.