DrStonehands
Forum Ride Along
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Hi everyone! I've been lurking a little, but this is my first post. It's great to be here 
So, I just got my NREMT certification from Boston University and I'm now considering a lot of things before I go get my first job on an ambulance. I was hoping ya'll could help me with some of my questions.
First off is a really simple one that's really important: On the Massachusetts licensing website they have a drop down box labeled "Obtained by method" which I'm guessing means in regard to my certification. The options are Application, Examination, or Reciprocity. My guess was that Examination is the correct option because I had to take classes and pass exams to get the cert, but I don't want to complete the process and find out I did it wrong afterwards.
The rest is just general stuff. I'm wondering if there are any EMTs working in or near Boston. I live in the suburbs right now, but I hope to make enough money to live in the metro area. If anyone has any info on good companies (not necessarily based only on how much they pay, but how well they do work/how respectable they are) I would love to hear what you have to say.
It's also important to me that I find as many opportunities to grow personally in my work, so I'm wondering if anyone has tips on avoiding being pigeonholed into a certain work routine. I'm definitely going to keep educating myself on the side, but are there are any opportunities I could keep an eye out for while actively on duty?
What are some health concerns I should keep in mind? I'm working on getting in better shape before I start. I've heard a lot of EMTs are forced to retire because their backs go bad from lifting, so I think it would be a good idea to gain strength and practice proper lifting. I'm also working on my hand strength, since I realized I was having a hard time pulling the wheel latch on a stretcher.
What kinds of options do I have in terms of picking shifts? I hear hours are very flexible, and I can expect lots of overtime. Is it true that I can work a lot of hours in big chunks and then have big chunks of time off the rest of the week afterwards? I'm interested to hear about how that works and what it's like.
I get the feeling I'll have more questions, but those are at the top of my head right now. I'll be digging around the forum for more helpful old posts as well. Thanks in advance for any help you'd like to share.
So, I just got my NREMT certification from Boston University and I'm now considering a lot of things before I go get my first job on an ambulance. I was hoping ya'll could help me with some of my questions.
First off is a really simple one that's really important: On the Massachusetts licensing website they have a drop down box labeled "Obtained by method" which I'm guessing means in regard to my certification. The options are Application, Examination, or Reciprocity. My guess was that Examination is the correct option because I had to take classes and pass exams to get the cert, but I don't want to complete the process and find out I did it wrong afterwards.
The rest is just general stuff. I'm wondering if there are any EMTs working in or near Boston. I live in the suburbs right now, but I hope to make enough money to live in the metro area. If anyone has any info on good companies (not necessarily based only on how much they pay, but how well they do work/how respectable they are) I would love to hear what you have to say.
It's also important to me that I find as many opportunities to grow personally in my work, so I'm wondering if anyone has tips on avoiding being pigeonholed into a certain work routine. I'm definitely going to keep educating myself on the side, but are there are any opportunities I could keep an eye out for while actively on duty?
What are some health concerns I should keep in mind? I'm working on getting in better shape before I start. I've heard a lot of EMTs are forced to retire because their backs go bad from lifting, so I think it would be a good idea to gain strength and practice proper lifting. I'm also working on my hand strength, since I realized I was having a hard time pulling the wheel latch on a stretcher.
What kinds of options do I have in terms of picking shifts? I hear hours are very flexible, and I can expect lots of overtime. Is it true that I can work a lot of hours in big chunks and then have big chunks of time off the rest of the week afterwards? I'm interested to hear about how that works and what it's like.
I get the feeling I'll have more questions, but those are at the top of my head right now. I'll be digging around the forum for more helpful old posts as well. Thanks in advance for any help you'd like to share.