Getting hired as an EMT-B in L.A. County...

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Shaysurfs

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Hi all, my name is Shay and I just joined this forum. I'm starting my EMT-B program in August and I would like some advice or tips on what I can do to get hired as an EMT-B in L.A. after completing the program and passing the NREMT-B exam, of course. As soon as I receive my certification, I plan on taking the ambulance licensing written exam, getting my L.A. DOT permit, Live scan finger printing, DMV DL 51 Medical exam etc...what other steps or classes should I take that will up my odds of being hired(sooner rather than later) here in L.A. county? From what I've heard and read, it's pretty brutal trying to get hired here in SoCal.

My ultimate goal is to go to Paramedic school at Mt. Sacs, but I would like to work as an EMT-B for at least one year before I apply to medic school...not to mention, most medic schools require at least 1200 hours as a paid EMT-B anyways...and I also would like to prepare myself for medic school by taking some cc courses during my first year working as an EMT-B.

Thank you for your time and I will appreciate so much any advice that anyone can give me as a noob.

-Shay
 
Are you able to move?

In all seriousness... the medic program you were looking at...does it require experience.

If you can I would go right to medic. Because it could take you more than a year to find a job.

Take A&P as soon as possible. Any extra classes. How is your driving record? Any health problems?

Three cards are already against you because you are in SoCal.
 
I am not able to move at this time. The main reason I wanted to work for at least a year as an EMT is to have the experience on my resume to hopefully make it easier to get a job as a medic. I figured it would be equally as difficult to find a job as a medic with no EMT experience at all...the same with nurses. The Mt. San Antonio college paramedic program is affordable and appears to be a decent program...pretty intense and hard as hell, but closer to me and affordable, nonetheless. There is always the option of private medic school, but I'd rather be able to graduate without the debt. I plan on taking A & P, medical terminology and drug calculations. My driving record is decent. No unpaid tickets, no accidents, no dwi's. I need to get a DMV printout, but I should be good. No health problems that would prevent my ability to work as an EMT or drive an Ambulance...Would volunteering be a good route that could lead to employment?
 
Hi Shaysurf,

It's been more than 10 years since I worked in L.A as an EMT, but yes, I do hear it's tough gettting hired as an EMT today. Since you say you are close to Mt. Sac, you ought to apply in the Inland Empire as well. The key thing is to get hired for a company that runs 911, not only interfacility transports. You really need 2 years of solid 911 experience before you go into medic school. You won't learn anything just doing interfacility transports.

As others have already said, you must take an anatomy course, a physiology course, and perhaps a microbiology or medical terminology course as well. You should enroll as soon as you finish your EMT course.

As far as Mt. Sac goes, let me just tell you that you need to steer clear of that place. They have a hugely high fail rate, and most people who graduate from there have gone through twice. Thus, since you lose your intial tuition (about 2 or 3K), plus all the time that you couldn't work, it actually turns out to be a more expensive school than, say UCLA. Daniel Freeman (UCLA) really is a much better program anyway.

Good luck! L.A. County isn't a good place to be a paramedic, but it's pretty fun to work there as a new EMT.
 
@ZZYZX, the reason that I wanted to avoid UCLA(which, was actually my first choice before MT Sacs) is because of the nearly $10,000 tuition compared to $3000 at Mt Sacs. I can also get financial aid at Mt. sacs, which I believe I can't get any aid if I go to the UCLA Medic program. I am still torn as far as where to go for medic school. UCLA is in Inglewood, which is more sketchy, but closer to me. Mt. SACs is further, but much more affordable and I can get aid. I have read about the horror stories of Mt. sacs...and that really concerns me. However, I could, essentially, go to MT. SACs twice and still pay less than I would if I went to UCLA.

After I finish my EMT-B, I plan to get as many extra certs as I can(ECG/Pharmacology, Ventilator, PALS, and ACLS) in order to hopefully boost my resume. I also plan on taking my ambulance exam, getting live scanned and my medical card as well before applying for EMT jobs. I'm hoping this will up my chances of getting hired...what do you think?

I would like to work for at least a year as an EMT before going to medic school, so that I can save some money and also take A&P, Algebra(because I'm awful at math), microbiology, and medical terminology...and possibly a psych class...in order to prepare for medic school...

With both MT. SACs and UCLA, I have to have like 6 months of full-time or like 1200 hrs working as an EMT...
 
Just avoid Mt. Sac at all costs, but whatever, you have a long time before that happens.

You should figure out which companies in L.A. County do 911, and then apply there. As others on this site will tell you, it's tough getting a good EMT job, so you may want to consider some alternate employment while you wait for an opportunity. Start your education with an anatomy course and then a physiology course, and learn as much as you can independently, such as by using this site, picking up a Merck manual, a book on pathophysiology, etc. Good luck!
 
Thank you so much for your advice! I think that I will research paramedic schools a bit more, even if it means having to commute more. But, like you said, I have some time to figure it out...I need to get hired as an EMT-B first, which, will be an adventure in itself!

One more question, do you think having those extra certs will help me with finding a jo as a newly certified Basic EMT(preferably 911)?

Thanks again!
 
Shaysurfs said:
Thank you so much for your advice! I think that I will research paramedic schools a bit more, even if it means having to commute more. But, like you said, I have some time to figure it out...I need to get hired as an EMT-B first, which, will be an adventure in itself!

One more question, do you think having those extra certs will help me with finding a jo as a newly certified Basic EMT(preferably 911)?

Thanks again!
Click to expand...

Hey Shay,

Having extra certs will definitively help you getting hired. I recently got hired by AMR San Bernadino as an EMT-B after waiting one year on the wait list (I applied August 2011, got called June 2012). And even so, I am going to be doing IFT's for 6 months until I can run 911 calls. I worked for a company called Priority One Medical Transport right after I got my EMT-B certs doing IFT's for about 4 months, which helped me get hired by AMR.
I have to say that it will be extremely difficult and rare that you be hired by a 911 company without any prior experience doing IFT's. Even if you do get hired by a 911 company (biggest ones in LACo. are CARE, Shaeffer, McKormick, Gerber), you are required to do IFT's for 6 months, or even a year, before they put you on a 911 rig.
By all means apply to each and every one of them. Big IFT companies in LACo. are Bowers, PRN, Priority One. And there are dozens of smaller ones as well.
 
NCTI Riverside has a great Paramedic program.
 
I can't speak for all companies, but I can tell you that with at least two of the major 911 companies in LA, extra certs don't mean crap as far as getting hired as an EMT. Won't do a thing for you, really.

(Also, honestly, I think you get more out of those extra certs after you've been in the field at least 3 months or so)

Do Mt. SAC only if you're VERY VERY VERY good at self-studying. Like you can read a chapter in a book on your own, then ace a non multiple choice question. You have to be very good at memorization, with almost no help from the staff. Based on MULTIPLE stories from otherwise smart and motivated students.

Also you can now apply for financial aide with UCLA...
 
zzyzx said:
The key thing is to get hired for a company that runs 911, not only interfacility transports. You really need 2 years of solid 911 experience before you go into medic school. You won't learn anything just doing interfacility transports.
Click to expand...

A BLS company with 911 contracts is absolutely key to be prepared for medic school.

Although a BLS company that only does IFT's isn't waisted experience. First, its really hard to go straight from EMT school to get hired doing 911 without any BLS experience. Second, it really does take some practice to be competent at taking blood pressures and pulses in a moving ambulance. Third, the IFT pts will definitely have long medical hx's. Reviewing common home medications the pt's your transporting are taking will help out extremely when you do your 911 work.

IFT will get old real quick and you will max out what you can possibly learn fairly soon, but there is still stuff to learn. I would say go into it trying to get what you can from it and immediately start applying for a better job.

Good luck with everything!
 
hey shay,
im ben i just recently graduate from Mt. SAC's emt program. let me just tell you this, the horror stories are true. i went through the emt program twice. the first time i didnt pass by 2%, that was devastating! the second time i was top 5 in the class. the medic program is no joke. just during the entrance exam they let go of half the class. mt. sac wants the best and nothing less. the emt program is the same as the medic program, they just leave out all of the medic information. it would be ideal if you take emt and SAC and then medic school later. i have seen that the best medics at SAC are the ones who have previously taken the emt program there.

i just finished getting most of my requirements (state cert, nremt, live scan, adl). the state cert was 105$, nremt was 70$, my livescan was 70$, and adl book was 5$, (have not taken adl test yet). i recently applied to CARE ambulance, and i have not heard from them yet.

in my opinion the best thing you can have is connections. try to see if you can take some fire courses and get to know the instructors, station visits maybe? since you are an emt student im sure that they will be more than glad to help you out. having good references on an application is pretty important. i dont know if your goal is fire, but you need to have good connections to go into this field.

hope this helps, if you have any questions about mt sac medic/ emt program dont hesitate to message me.
 
zzyzx said:
The key thing is to get hired for a company that runs 911, not only interfacility transports. You really need 2 years of solid 911 experience before you go into medic school. You won't learn anything just doing interfacility transports.
Click to expand...

Not true. At all.

The experience debate has been beaten to death, it's up to the individual, I had no true EMS experience prior to medic school, graduated valedictorian and was offered a medic job at the company I work for and went to school at the same day I graduated.

You can learn a lot from IFTs. A lot of things that you wont be taught in school. Especially if you take the time to read the H&P and take advantages of resources available to you whether it be nurses, doctors, your partner. I learned a ton doing having one out of my four days a week being an ALS IFT truck during my paramedic internship, the other three were 911 days. Learned more about vent settings, troubleshooting ETCO2 and vent problems, ABGs and ongoing sedation along with other things than I did in school, hands down.

The reality is it is virtually impossible for an EMT-B with no experience to get hired by a company that does 911s. Even if you do get hired I can pretty much assure you you are going to be on a BLS IFT rig or maybe driving a CCT rig if you are lucky before they put you on a 911 rig.
 
I plan on taking extra certs before applying for jobs. So far, the only certs that would actually apply to me when I become an EMT are PHTLS, S.T.A.B.L.E., Ventilator, and possibly ECG/Pharmacology and also all of the ICS 100,200,700, and 800 classes through FEMA, since they're free anyways. I will wait to take ACLS/PALS/12lead/EKG etc until after I have taken A&P/Chem and am ready to start applying to Medic programs, because I think that they will help me in the long run anyways.

I have been looking into UCLA Daniel Freeman Paramedic program, because I found out that they do have financial aid available. I have also read that the program has a pretty decent faculty support system for students and that is something that is really important to me. Also, if I apply to the UCLA program I can volunteer for 6 months as an EMT and still apply to school as long as I have 6 months experience, paid or unpaid. I will try my best to find a job as an EMT-B, because I really would like to work for at least a year for the experience and so that I can save up some money to pay for bills etc while going to Medic school, as I won't be working.

I haven't completely ruled out MT. Sacs, however, whether I decide to apply to that school will completely depend on how prepared I feel for it and if I feel that I can handle it. I have read multiple times about the horror stories and lack of support etc from teachers, which has definitely gotten me to take a step back and reconsider. The difficulty of the program doesn't scare me off as much as the not having support and help when I need it from my teachers does. I'm more of a hands-on learner and I definitely want to get the best education possible out of any program, but a lot of that depends on the enthusiasm and dedication of my teachers.

Thank you guys for all of your advice and opinions. It has helped me a lot.
 
Who in hades is offering a vent certification for basics? Its difficult to get a paramedic to understand mechanical ventilation, I shudder at trying to teach a basic.

I'm curious what you can learn doing 911 vs IFT (at least IFT as its done in this area, no idea what it's like in CA) besides some rudimentary scene management.
 
Shaysurfs said:
I plan on taking extra certs before applying for jobs. So far, the only certs that would actually apply to me when I become an EMT are PHTLS, S.T.A.B.L.E., Ventilator, and possibly ECG/Pharmacology and also all of the ICS 100,200,700, and 800 classes through FEMA, since they're free anyways. I will wait to take ACLS/PALS/12lead/EKG etc until after I have taken A&P/Chem and am ready to start applying to Medic programs, because I think that they will help me in the long run anyways.

I have been looking into UCLA Daniel Freeman Paramedic program, because I found out that they do have financial aid available. I have also read that the program has a pretty decent faculty support system for students and that is something that is really important to me. Also, if I apply to the UCLA program I can volunteer for 6 months as an EMT and still apply to school as long as I have 6 months experience, paid or unpaid. I will try my best to find a job as an EMT-B, because I really would like to work for at least a year for the experience and so that I can save up some money to pay for bills etc while going to Medic school, as I won't be working.

I haven't completely ruled out MT. Sacs, however, whether I decide to apply to that school will completely depend on how prepared I feel for it and if I feel that I can handle it. I have read multiple times about the horror stories and lack of support etc from teachers, which has definitely gotten me to take a step back and reconsider. The difficulty of the program doesn't scare me off as much as the not having support and help when I need it from my teachers does. I'm more of a hands-on learner and I definitely want to get the best education possible out of any program, but a lot of that depends on the enthusiasm and dedication of my teachers.

Thank you guys for all of your advice and opinions. It has helped me a lot.
Click to expand...

The biggest problem with going to medic school in LA is that you then have to do your internship there. Medics trained in LA(not all, but many) have difficulty functioning outside of that system. I saw it in Kern, I see it in Riverside. Too much mother-may-I and a distinct lack of emphasis on critical thinking.
 
Having done both IFT and 911 and gone through medic school, I can tell you, IFTs taught me very very very little that helped me out in paramedic school. Having 911 experience was key.

Internship was pretty much like doing what I had been doing before. The difficulties were now having to make treatment decisions, directing team members, and controlling the chaotic scenes. I would have drowned with only IFT experience, especially on the chaotic critical accident and gunshot wound calls.

Reading H&P reports was fun. I personally got off on it. It has contributed to making me a richer EMS provider...but can't really think of a time it helped me out in school, other than vague familiarity with lab values and language.
 
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