Looking for a little flight advice

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04_edge

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This year will be my fourth year working for a private company that provides both 911 and IFT services for the county. It's not an overly busy system but we run ~10,000 calls annually and have fairly progressive protocols. We carry ventilators and IV pumps on every truck with standing order for field initiation with RSI so I have CCT experience with that and transfers. I recently took UMBC's CCT class and can now write CCEMTP after my name. I have a little under a year experience in a local ED as a tech as well, however I recently quit there. I would like to get serious about applying for flight jobs after my 5th year at my current location. My goals over the next year are to pass the FP-C(scheduled for next month, take NRP, recert for national registry, and would like to become an instructor for a card class. I would like to get some more experience in the ER because I did enjoy the change of pace, however just didn't care for the one I worked at. Is there anything else education wise or as far as padding my resume I should look into?
 
My advice is to focus on gaining quality experience taking care of sick patients, rather than on "padding" your resume.
 
Just to expand on my post above.....

Flight paramedic is typically a highly customer service and team oriented position. So while of course you need to be a knowledgeable paramedic with solid experience, beyond that the first thing that good programs tend to look for is applicants who are mature, eager to learn, humble, outgoing, easy to get along with, and able to work really well as a member of a close team. Those soft skills can't be easily taught, so they are generally considered more important than coming from a place with cutting-edge protocols or having an extra couple year's experience.

When you eventually apply for a FP position, you will probably be competing with anywhere from 20-50 or more other applicants for the same position, and they will all have checked all the same boxes that you have. They will all have at least 3-5 years of ALS experience. They will all have all the alphabet courses. They will all have CCEMTP or an equivalent, and many or most will have FP-C. Many or most will have teaching experience of some sort. Some will have bachelors' degrees. Many will have other little odds and ends ("padding") on their resume that may or may not actually be helpful. Most will claim to come from a place with progressive protocols. All will do their best during the interview to walk that thin line where they make themselves look like an absolute rock star, but without looking like they are trying too hard, and without coming off as cocky.

You know what most of them won't have? Actual critical care experience. Despite all referring to themselves as "critical care paramedics", few will actually have spent any significant time caring for truly critical patients.

Clearly, you don't need critical care experience to get hired as a FP. Generally, that's what your FN partner is there for. But if you are serious about learning and serious about finding a way to make your resume stand out, probably your best option is to take a job for a couple years with a ground CCT unit. I mean a real CCT unit, that is affiliated with a tertiary hospital and routinely transports patient on vents and drips and with invasive monitoring - not a regular IFT or 911 ambulance service that occasionally transports to a cath lab with nitro and heparin infusing.

If ground CCT isn't an option, working in an ICU as a tech is better than nothing. You'll at least get exposure to lots of things that you'll never see otherwise as a paramedic.
 
Having worked as a Flight Medic I can say it seemed 75% of the time was PR, 15% of the time doing educational material, and 10% was actual flights.

I miss the job, yes, but I don't miss where I was. If you get into a program make sure you're getting into a good one with a good crew/base (and decent flight #'s)
 
Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately there is only one company locally that i would consider working for that has a true CCT truck. I would consider working PRN for them now but I think there would be a conflict of interest. I'd bet I could get my foot in the door as a tech in the ICU however.

I know several people who are/were flight medics, and really my plan is based off of the direction they took to get a job in HEMS. I want to broaden my possibilities further than the local flight services though. I've been researching services and have an idea at least of places I would consider working for. I don't plan on settling for a lesser service so i want to be sure i absolutely have the best knowledge base and credentials to set me apart from the crowd. Even if that means taking a extra few years to do it. One of the things in particular I am looking for is a service that is associated with a teaching hospital; specifically for the learning possibilities.

I consider myself a fairly mature guy, and am very humble. I do know what some of my flaws are as well, and it is something I'm continually working towards improving.
 
I will reiterate what I have stated before...in case you have not done so already. Go to flightweb.com and introduce yourself there as well. Read the threads. A LOT of great information there. A LOT Of networking opportunity there. Avoid the few douchebags who hang out there but overall it is a VERY good site for someone interested in flight medicine like yourself.

Not to steer you away from here, but there are only a handful of qualified people to deliver what you are asking while over there you have access to a ton of people in the industry.
 
anyone know the answer to the challenge question?
 
Do not and did not see a challenge question...can you be more specific?
 
Sorry, to register they have a security question. What city was amtc last year (2012)?
And after googling it, it only shows as far back as 2014.
 
Awesome. I should probably actually say I "yahoo'd" which was probably the problem -.-
Thanks
 
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