intersted in beingcoming an EMT

[diggindonkey]

Hi there I just have a few questions I was hoping someone could answer? I am currently a student at Michigan state and and taking may last class this semester(I only need 3 credits to graduate which is one on-line class) and will have my degree in kinesiology (the study of movement: lots of bio and anatomy). I don't have the best grades, mostly do to my first two years when I didn't know what I want to do/ had too much fun. I want to explore a career in the paramedic field but am not sure how to go about it. a friend of mine just got hired by our local fire department as an on-call volunteer and they have said the will pay for his school to become certified as an EMT. Here are my questions.
1.Do I have a good chance at being hired like my friend was, I don't know what they look for but I am an intelligent (as least I think so) and physically active male?
2.If I am hired do fire departments pay for not only EMT but paramedic training?
3.Do on call volunteer firemen get health insurance?
4.How long would it take to complete paramedic training and would it be shorter because I have already taken bio/chem/anatomy/physiology classes from state.
5.how much does training cost to become certified as a paramedic (I am already in debt from state so this one is important.)

 

[MMiz]

Hello, and welcome to EMTLife!

First, I worked part time as an EMT-Basic while getting my degree at MSU a few years ago.

1. It really depends on where you want to get hired, as all departments are different. There are many volunteer departments in Michigan that will be happy to put you through EMT school, while others will require that you pay the bill. Generally EMT-Basic school is $500-$1000 in Michigan.

2. Most private EMS companies will pay for your Paramedic education if you sign a contract stating that you're willing to work for them for x years (usually 2-5).

3. Most volunteer firefighters don't get health insurance, though you may be able to get health insurance through an association.

4. If you go the community college route for your EMT-Paramedic education then it would take four semesters to complete your Paramedic education. If you don't have your EMT-Basic, then add a semester.

While you wouldn't have to take the A&P classes, realize that usually it's only two classes (A&P I and A&P II) that are required. Because of this, you won't be speeding up your education, though you'd save some money.

5. It would cost about $5000-$10,000 to get your EMT-Paramedic cert.

Depending on where you are in Michigan, and where you want to go, I'd highly suggest:
1. Lansing Community College
2. Oakland Community College

Understand that as an EMT-Basic in Michigan you'll make anywhere from $8-$11 an hour, and a Paramedic will make from $12-$16 an hour. Of course you can work tons of shifts and overtime to make money, but you may want to explore graduate school as a Doctor, Nurse, Physician's Assistant, etc.

I hope that helps.

 

[diggindonkey]

First of all thank you and I am glad to see another spartan replying!
I live in Brighton, so I want to apply for the brighton area fire department. My friend who was just hired(a few days ago) said that they pay for his school, and he said that includes EMT which i am assuming is just EMT-basic, so I guess that is 500-1000 bucks ill save!
You say most private ESM companies will pay for the education if I sign with them for X amount of years. my question here is, how do I find these companies and how do I go about contacting them about getting my school paid for? and will they employ me in someway during school?
will I be getting at least 12 credit hour a semester for my paramedic training, because if so I believe I can stay on my parents health insurance (I play hockey so health insurance is HUGE to me)
Last question: is it worth it? I want to know if there is a good chance of being hired full-time after completing my training. I don't need to make a lot of money, but I need to have a stable income to help my fiance through med-school(not paying for school just for our apartment and food)
I really want to work in the medical field but I my grades are not good enough for med-school and not really good enough for most grad-schools, do you think joining the fire department as a volunteer is a good way for me to get a start working in health care/emergency health?

 

[MMiz]

A lot of these questions don't have a simple answer, but depend on the service/department you work for. If I were you I'd go to the local volunteer fire station and see what they have to say. Call a local community college and talk with their EMS director. There really is only so much you can do online.

You're not going to find many private EMS services that will pay for your EMT-Basic education, but most volunteer fire departments will. Go to your local fire department and ask.

Health insurance was an important part of my career decision, and I wasn't able to find a local private EMS provider that offered good insurance at an affordable rate. I'm sure if you're on a paid fire department you'll have great insurance, but good luck finding one of those jobs!

I don't believe that you'd be best served to become an EMT in this economy, especially not in Michigan. Most people use EMS as a stepping stone, but being a good EMT will not necessarily help you get into medical or nursing school. Again, it really all comes down to what quality of life you're looking for, and if you're comfortable making $10 an hour as an EMT-Basic and $14 an hour as a Paramedic, go for it!

No matter what you do, I think your next step should be to talk to the fire department. It looks like they'll offer you free FF/EMT training, which is a great skill to have.

Good luck!