Flight Paramedic ?

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Srt4ever

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Hello everyone, Im looking into becoming a flight paramedic. Have my NREMT-P and Florida state license would love to find a good critical care course to attend here in Florida, and eventually sit for the Board of Critical Care exam. Was looking into Boston Medflight and a local Air Ambulance company here in south Florida as 2 major Fire Department run the local Air Rescue for major Trauma to local hospitals. What can i do to help me achieve my goal, between classes and other certifications because right now i lack the 3-5 years experience in a busy ALS 911 system.
 
I think this topic was recently covered fairly comprehensively in another thread. Basically, put the 3-5 years in a quality ALS system rather than depending on call volume numbers alone. After that, go get critical care experience wherever you can. Go find work on a true CCT unit. Look for jobs in an ED/ICU if that's possible, and enhance your experience taking care of truly sick patients.

The merit badge courses are one thing, but seeking out the actual experience and gaining true proficiency is something else.
 
Its kind of hard to get a job in a ALS system here unless you're apart of the fire dept here which is really hard to get on to so much competition. There is only 2 local Ambulance companies who even run ALS or Critical Care Transport and they don't hire much an if they do they want you to be certified. And most Flight Companies don't care much for ED experience since we have to work under an MD they prefer the out of field experience since we have to make our own judgment calls.
 
Most flight companies? Most I'm familiar with appreciate some of each. Field experience is one thing, but critical care is something else entirely. You can't get it from 911 experience alone.

Go get the certifications if you wish, but they're not a golden ticket to a reputable flight job. Anyone can go take and pass the FP-C test whenever they want, but that doesn't make one a truly qualified critical care practitioner.

Hopefully I'm not reading too much into this, but it sounds like you're hoping to walk straight out of paramedic school into a flight job. That's just unrealistic.

There's no shortcuts in life, medicine, or getting to the perfect flight medic job. If you want to be a flight paramedic, you'll need ALS 911 and critical care experience from something. If you can't get it where you live, commute for a job or move. If you don't want to do that, look for a new career path.
 
Its kind of hard to get a job in a ALS system here unless you're apart of the fire dept here which is really hard to get on to so much competition.
Get the training and be prepared to compete. Build up your resume.

There is only 2 local Ambulance companies who even run ALS or Critical Care Transport and they don't hire much an if they do they want you to be certified.
Become certified in what they want, move to a different area, or commute to a different area.
And most Flight Companies don't care much for ED experience since we have to work under an MD they prefer the out of field experience since we have to make our own judgment calls.
While yes you will have to make your own judgement calls a lot of what HEMS does is critical care. Critical care is not something you will get much experience with as a 911 medic or ALS IFT medic. So a CCT medic or working in the ICU/or other critical care area will make you that much more desirable.
 
Im not looking to come straight out of medic school and be handed a job with a flight company, what I'm looking to do is build up my knowledge base. Being in south florida 2 local fire department run the air rescue to local hospitals and getting on a fire department here is hard due to competition, also the 2 local ambulance companies are somewhat hard as well when they want you to have the CCP board exam but I can't find a local course or online course to prep me for the exam or give me some knowledge of being a CCP provider. The only other Flight Medic position would be with companies who fly out of the country to bring back to the local hospitals. One local company already told me 3-5 years in an ED even ICU will not help me they want street field experience since we have to make our own judgement calls in the field then in a hospital setting we work under an MD. I have no problem relocating but I want to know is there any online course or something in florida to take a critical care course, but right now i wish to stay local or online as I'm finishing up my bachelor degree at a local university.
 
So then the only information you want is: What is a good CCEMTP course in Florida?
 
That an other useful courses i could take, anything to help to stand out when it comes to apply to a company.
 
A college degree.

Not trying to be an A-hole but a lot of our flight companies really like medics with degrees (very few medics actually have degrees). A lot of fire departments are also pushing for degrees for entry level firefighters and are requiring degrees for the leadership positions (captains, BCs, Chiefs, etc)
 
Im currently going for my bachelor degree, I already have my AS in EMS and to be honest I'm going to apply for MedSchool after my bachelor. But being a flight medic has always been a dream.
 
Srt4ever said:
Im currently going for my bachelor degree, I already have my AS in EMS and to be honest I'm going to apply for MedSchool after my bachelor. But being a flight medic has always been a dream.
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Well then you're ahead of a lot of people. Our flight teams do a decent amount of PR events and classes so they like to see instructor courses (ACLS, PALS, PEEP, BCLS, etc)
 
I have ACLS, PALS, BLS, and PEPP, Im trying to sit in on a PHTLS class and maybe a neonate as well. But the main one I want to have is the Board Cert for being a flight medic or critical care medic from BCCTPC
 
Srt4ever said:
I have ACLS, PALS, BLS, and PEPP, Im trying to sit in on a PHTLS class and maybe a neonate as well. But the main one I want to have is the Board Cert for being a flight medic or critical care medic from BCCTPC
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Not just having the certs but being an instructor for them.
 
Srt4ever said:
Why is being an instructor for them important ?
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Because they offer a decent amount of classes for EMS providers (at least around here).
 
Srt4ever said:
Why is being an instructor for them important ?
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Being an instructor tells me many things about a person as a candidate.
1. You not only wanted the knowledge but you want to share the knowledge
2. You did not remember or learn just enough of the course to pass the idiotic test, you have learned enough to teach. Being able to teach means you "know your sh*T" because you will be asked all kinds of dumb questions, weird hypotheticals, etc during each and every class. And then there will ALWAYS be a student who knows more than you. Segue...
3. Will you learn from that student or will you be a prick? How will you incorporate their contribution into your ongoing lecture or story?
4. Being an instructor means you can think fast and think on the fly.
5. Being an instructor means you are going to be up to date on latest trends in medicine or at least actively searching for them and sharing the info.
6. Being an instructor means you are social, outgoing and you know how to manage people. It also means you know how to work with people.
7. being an instructor tells me you are a leader but can also play well with others.


This list is by no way all inclusive...I listed only a few of the items which I think of when I see instructor status. I also take into consideration which course you are instructor in.

All of these attributes do not apply to every instructor but as a general rule, most posses them and my response is not really a debate of if they do or do not, but rather how I (an employer) view those who do have them. Interviews and probation time will tell me if I am right or not.
 
I would reccomend actual high acuity critical care experience in addition to high volume progressive 911. This will be more or less important depending on the organizational culture of the program you are hired by. At mine while there is technically a difference in scope of practice between RNs and Paramedics the education and expectations are equal for both disciplines. The time to become comfortable with a crashing patient in an ICU on numerous therapies (drips, vent, IABP , chest tubes etc) is not while you are orienting to working on a helicopter. You need to be very comfortabel with this type of work and be able to function in an organized manner in sometimes fluid situations. You can pass the FP-C and have all sorts of certs and titles , a solid knowlege base and still fumble without that experience.
 
Srt4ever said:
Its kind of hard to get a job in a ALS system here unless you're apart of the fire dept here which is really hard to get on to so much competition. There is only 2 local Ambulance companies who even run ALS or Critical Care Transport and they don't hire much an if they do they want you to be certified. And most Flight Companies don't care much for ED experience since we have to work under an MD they prefer the out of field experience since we have to make our own judgment calls.
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So you aren't even doing ALS?

The most basic requirement that every flight program has is 3 years (some say 5) of ALS experience. That doesn't make you competitive by any means, that's just for them not to laugh at your resume and toss it right into the trash. Beyond that, the other posters here have given good advice, and there are a handful of threads on here about this very topic.

No one ever said it would be easy. Good luck.
 
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DesertEMT66 said:
Its kind of hard to get a job in a ALS system here unless you're apart of the fire dept here which is really hard to get on to so much competition.
Get the training and be prepared to compete. Build up your resume.

There is only 2 local Ambulance companies who even run ALS or Critical Care Transport and they don't hire much an if they do they want you to be certified.
Become certified in what they want, move to a different area, or commute to a different area.
And most Flight Companies don't care much for ED experience since we have to work under an MD they prefer the out of field experience since we have to make our own judgment calls.
While yes you will have to make your own judgement calls a lot of what HEMS does is critical care. Critical care is not something you will get much experience with as a 911 medic or ALS IFT medic. So a CCT medic or working in the ICU/or other critical care area will make you that much more desirable.
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so where should i commute to if i live in socal AND moving is out of the question at the moment?
 
ProbieMedic said:
so where should i commute to if i live in socal AND moving is out of the question at the moment?
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Once you get out of the LA/OC area it's not hard to get hired as a new medic on a 911 company. So to answer your question pretty much any other county.
 
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