A little nervous now. Any advice? Seattle and other.

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danisonline

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I was so excited for a career in the EMT/Paramedic Field. I read every word of North Seattle's EMT program religiously and bought the book that they use as a study guide for their enterance exam. I've been reading it nonstop and felt so motivated based of my love for the career. It became a dream.

My idea was to pass the exam, get into the class, pass it, then get a job as an EMT. Then after working as an EMT for 3 years or so, take that experience to get a degree as a paramedic. I was going to take it all the way, make a career out of it.

So I came to this website for more motivation and because I wanted to read all things EMT, and instead of helping me, it's terrifying me.

I made the mistake of searching for Seattle, and it sound so grim I'm questioning everything i've been studying for for the past 6 months. Everybody is saying that there are NO jobs in Seattle, that North Seattle is a waste of money, and that this isn't all it's cracked up to be.

So I guess my question is, is my freaking out warranted? Will determination push me further, or will I be just another EMT trained subway employee roaming the streets of Seattle?

What is wrong with Seattle Community? Am I making a mistake going there?
Is the employment problem strictly Seattle or all of Washington?
Is choosing a career in the EMT field a waste of time or a bad idea?
If so, or even if not, what are other careers in the medical field that aren't a bad idea?

I'm in love with the medical field, there's no turning back now. But I don't want a degree in anthropology or literature figuratively speaking.

Please help me out.
 
danisonline said:
I was so excited for a career in the EMT/Paramedic Field. I read every word of North Seattle's EMT program religiously and bought the book that they use as a study guide for their enterance exam. I've been reading it nonstop and felt so motivated based of my love for the career. It became a dream.

My idea was to pass the exam, get into the class, pass it, then get a job as an EMT. Then after working as an EMT for 3 years or so, take that experience to get a degree as a paramedic. I was going to take it all the way, make a career out of it.

So I came to this website for more motivation and because I wanted to read all things EMT, and instead of helping me, it's terrifying me.

I made the mistake of searching for Seattle, and it sound so grim I'm questioning everything i've been studying for for the past 6 months. Everybody is saying that there are NO jobs in Seattle, that North Seattle is a waste of money, and that this isn't all it's cracked up to be.

So I guess my question is, is my freaking out warranted? Will determination push me further, or will I be just another EMT trained subway employee roaming the streets of Seattle?

What is wrong with Seattle Community? Am I making a mistake going there?
Is the employment problem strictly Seattle or all of Washington?
Is choosing a career in the EMT field a waste of time or a bad idea?
If so, or even if not, what are other careers in the medical field that aren't a bad idea?

I'm in love with the medical field, there's no turning back now. But I don't want a degree in anthropology or literature figuratively speaking.

Please help me out.
Click to expand...

Deep breath! Slow down, I don't know much about Seattle or any programs out there. I do know it is hard finding a job anywhere, EMS/RN etc. As for becoming a paramedic and working 911 in Seattle, I am almost positive you have to go through their Medic 1 program(great program) but you have to be apart of the FD? Someone correct me if I am wrong.

Make friends with people in your class or on ride alongs, they might be helpful later on for references for your employment. Have you looked into ER tech positions?

Good luck
 
Don't worry so much! You'll get out what you put into it. Dont jump ahead of your self.
 
What is wrong with Seattle Community? Am I making a mistake going there?
Nothing is wrong with North Seattle's EMT program. It's as good as any other program. Karen, Megan and the rest do a good job with it. It's certainly not as expensive as RMI.

Is the employment problem strictly Seattle or all of Washington?
It's mostly Seattle and the surrounding area. There are far more EMT's than there are available jobs. If you stop to realize that North Seattle and Lake Washington produce about 150 new EMTs per year and King County runs two classes a year, with another 50 new EMTs looking for that elusive job, it's easy to see that the market is over saturated. Will you get a job? Maybe. It may take a while. Most persistent people will eventually land a job at one of the big three (AMR, TriMed or Rural/Metro) and then realize that the low pay and long hours suck. Burnout results and many EMTs quit. Also, the very worst time to find a job is right at the end of EMT school. There's going to be 40 or so people all competing for those 4 or 5 jobs.

Is choosing a career in the EMT field a waste of time or a bad idea?
Nobody can answer that but you. I suggest talking to people who are working in Seattle as EMTs and ask them. Ask about the working conditions, what the job is REALLY like, how long it took them to get hired and what to expect.

Where are you planning on going to Paramedic school? Have you thought about where you'll work once you're a medic? Planning on becoming a fire/medic? Do you know how Medic One works? Are you familiar with the testing and selection process? How do you know you'll even like EMS?
Ask yourself some serious questions and do some research before jumping in... Especially in Seattle.
 
I don't know where I was planning on going to paramedic school, Or where i'll work as a medic, or anything like that. There isn't a whole lot of immediate information on the internet that makes sense to me so I was under the impression that some of those gaps would be filled in when I got into the school.

I love the medical field. I have my whole life, but none of the medical professions that are most common seemed to fit me too much. So when I discovered the emergency field, it was like something clicked, a puzzle piece fell into place. It made sense to me, and I felt like it was what I was looking for since the beginning.

I agree with you completely when you say that if you feel strongly enough about something to go for it. The only thing that scare me, is I will someday in the near future have a family to support and take care of. I love this field, but if aspiring to be an emt/paramedic is as hard to do as being an actor or director, or if it pays as little as I get paid already at my crappy job (I heard somebody mention 11 dollars an hour, which is what I get paid now). Then I don't know if its' worth dedicating so much time.

I'm not trying to sound stupid, but we live in a material world, and dreams are one thing, but when you have children and a family it's necessary that you can provide for them. That's the dream.

So you said I should talk to some EMTs in the area. Well, that's why I came here. I want to talk to you guys because you're EMTs, and I guess I now have some small but very apparent reservations about a career in the field.
 
I take it back. I almost deleted my previous post but I decided to leave it up so you all could see the natural progression of my thought process.

This is what I want to do. I'm sure of that. So if it results in a lengthy period of time before I find a job, or bad hours or a bad paycheck, it's worth it to me.

So forget everything I said. I know how it is. The job market is bad, and there are no shortcuts past that. You can't take a 12 week EMT class that anybody can take and expect to get a job right away.

So here are my questions, and if anybody knows, a response would be much appreciated.

-What kind of places can you volunteer at? Can volunteering work side by side with a job elsewhere so I can get a paycheck also?
-At what point does volunteering count as the affiliation aspect that is required to become certified as an EMT in Washington?
-What are other things I can do, if any, to give me a better chance at getting a career in Seattle or the surrounding area?
-Regardless of difficulty, what is the chain of events that would lead to training as a paramedic and employment with Medic 1?


I'm sorry if i'm a little all over the place. I guess it's just kind of confusing at the beginning. But I really appreciate all of the help and input.
 
I don't think there is a city in this country that does not have an over-saturation of basics for the available jobs. Don't despair, there are still openings, mainly it seems because of how transient the EMS community is. You'll have to work hard, but it is doable. Often times the bigger question is; do you have the time and finances to look very hard for a job for a potentially long time?

In regards to other questions, I'm not from WA so I can't provide specific responses. What I will say is be very wary of any volunteer organization that requires so much time that you cannot work full time. Take care of yourself and make money. Then see how volunteering fits in.
 
You can volunteer with search and rescue or several of the fire departments in the area. They will affiliate you. The only way to work as an EMT in Washington state is to be affiliated. That means you must work, or volunteer, with one of the EMS agencies that's recognized by the state. Passing the EMT class and the National Registry does not make you a Washington EMT. You can't get that card until you're affiliated.

As far as working for medic one, you must be an EMT for three years. You will need to have a significant amount of patient contacts, you will not get those as a volunteer EMT. You will need to work for a private EM S agency, TriMed, AMR or rural metro. After your three years, you can take the test at public safety testing. They do it once, sometimes twice a year. It's a difficult test. Then there's a physical, oral interviews… You get the picture? There are usually dozens of applicants for only a few jobs. Of course, you could also get a firefighter job at a king county agency. Then, if you were selected, you could go to medic one paramedic school. You could also get your experience at a private ambulance company, then go to Central Washington or Tacoma community college and take the paramedic program there. Becoming a paramedic in Washington is difficult, there are not a lot of jobs, it's hard to get hired. I certainly will not sugarcoat this for you. Becoming a paramedic in Washington is difficult.

I think I have answered your specific questions, if you have others feel free to ask. I went through the same thing you did… Then saw several of my friends fail in their attempts to get hired as an EMT, gain experience to go to paramedic school then fail to be granted admission to paramedic school… It's not easy.

You keep talking about how this is a "dream job". I think having zero experience working on an ambulance, and basing your future on this job is awfully naïve.
 
n7lxi said:
You can volunteer with search and rescue or several of the fire departments in the area. They will affiliate you.
Click to expand...

King County SAR's on hold for affiliating new EMTs until further notice, btw. (n7lxi, you were in 4x4, right? I think we have a lot of friends in common.) Also, affiliation only through SAR is not going to give somebody enough patient contact to keep up the skills... I'm very active on missions and only get hands on patient care 2 or 3 times a year. Compared to even a small, low-call volume fire department, we're just not very busy.

On North Seattle Community College: I went through their EMT class years ago, when Bruce McKim was in charge, and it wasn't a waste then. Talking to recent graduates, it's still a good program.

It took me almost a year to get my first EMT job. It might actually be a little better now. I know one guy who got called in for an interview and offered a job within a week of applying to AMR, but that was perfect timing and he has experience; not fresh out of EMT class.

Personally, I will never work for a private ambulance company in the greater Seattle area again except as an utter last resort. If it's a choice between a job that I hate and becoming homeless, for example. Instead, I do SAR, various paid and volunteer event first aid gigs, and have a job that has a bit of an EMS component, and help teach CBTs as ways to keep my hand in.
 
Yeah, I was a 4x4 guy. I never affiliated with King County SAR EMS as an EMT, as I was already working for a private, and I know that I'd never get any patient contact there. ;)

Bruce is a great guy, although firmly old school. He can teach you how to do crazy things with a cravat. :) I don't think North Seattle's class is a waste. As I said before, it's the same as every other 120 hour EMT class, and a LOT cheaper than RMI.
 
Others here have some really good advice. Unfortunately for someone wanting to jump in get into the business it's just not that easy. I wish there was a way to filter out the people who truly want to do this from the people who do it because they can. Perhaps that would improve salary and working conditions but as it is EMTs are a dime a dozen. If you manage to stick it out long enough (where I work 3-5 years) the money starts to be worth it. I started out brand new making $11/hr and after 5 years I make almost $20/hr but it certainly wasn't easy. Not to mention times are tough everywhere right now. There are waiting lists at all three of the private companies mentioned above some of them several months long.

Honestly getting a volunteer position isn't so easy either and your better off trying to get a paid job because volunteering won't provide the experience you need if you decide this is something you seriously want to pursue long term. If you really want it, great, but expect to work for it.

Bruce McKim is a legend, it was a sad day when he retired from the NSCC program. I was fortunate enough to go through the King County program but I work with people from NSCC, LWTC, and Everett CC and all are comparable in skill proficiency out of school if you ask me.
 
Getting your EMT cert should be fairly easy. Finding a job will be a bit more difficult. There are 3 private ambulance companies here: AMR, Tri Med, and Rural Metro. You can also work as an EMT in many local hospitals as an ER Tech. Seattle/King County Medic One is covered by several providers. They are all Fire Department based with the exception of South King County Medic One. Paramedic Training for Medic One is done at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Many EMT-ER Techs from Harborview have gone on to careers as Medic One Paramedics. I would almost suggest trying to get a job there over the ambulance companies. There are also several local fire departments that use volunteers and residents. King County Fire District 44 has a good resident program where you sleep nights at the fire house and run calls, they pay for your training. (Also helps on job applications) I started my life in EMS as a resident firefighter back in the 80's. There is also King County Fire Dist #20, East Side Fire & Rescue, and many departments in neighboring Pierce, Snohomish, and Thurston Counties.

Once you start as an EMT in King County then you can start networking. Get to know the Medics, ask questions, help out wherever you can but don't be a brown noser :) You can get hooked up on ride alongs with Medic Units at any of the departments that are planning on hiring usually. If you are in King County and you see a Medic Unit getting coffee or out in public just walk up and say hi and ask your questions. (unless they look really old and it's early in the morning!) :rofl:

It's probably one of the hardest places on earth to become a Paramedic but also one of the most rewarding. I've been doing this for over 25 years, most of it outside of Seattle King County in both the private sector and the fire service and there is no place I'd rather work as a Medic.
 
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