NREMT in Pennsylvania

[Sassafras]

Friend asked me to find the answer for her since she is still in military training doing her NREMT. PA does not acknowledge NREMT but she does not know, barring the local base (she is going national guard so she will be sent back to home base after training) where she will find a job. How does she go about getting certified to work in PA when done? Does anyone know?

 

[18G]

Pennsylvania accepts National Registry for reciprocity. Once she completes her NREMT, she can apply to PA for State certification.

Here is a link you can forward to her that details the reciprocity procedure. You can also find this on the Emergency Health Services Federation (ehsf.org) website under Education > Reciprocity.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11215578/ReciprocityDefinitionGuidelines.pdf

 

[EMS49393]

While they accept it and reciprocity is very simple in this little state, it's unbelievably hard to find a job as a medic. An EMT job, they throw them at people, but once you cross that line, you might as well find another state to work in, because your chances of finding employment here as a medic are pretty slim.

Most services are BLS. The paramedic is highly underused and undervalued in PA. And, yes that's based on experience.

 

[Sassafras]

Interesting, considering my company is wanting to hire medics LOL. Given we are interfacility but we do ALS transports as well. Right now we only have one medic on staff and that's the boss, so when he transports my paychecks don't get signed. J/K it does cut into his office work though.

 

[EMS49393]

It's a big state, speaking for the 100 mile radius around my position, it's better to be an EMT then a medic. If I didn't want to throw away three years of school, I'd demote. At least I could find a job.

I did IFT's for 8 years, they do not bother me. A run is a run, a job is a job. I'm at the age where I don't need that awesome super gory trauma to make me happy. I'll take anything that will let me feed my family which is why I've been looking over the line into Maryland.

 

[Emtpbill]

Say what?!?!??!?? What system are you running in? Yes it can be hard to get a 911 Job, buts that may be because alot of 911 squads want atleast 1-2 years prehospital experience. There are plenty of medic jobs to be had. Emts are a dime a dozen in PA. If you have your medic you can pretty much go anywhere you want. ( I am in SE Pa for the record).

 

[EMS49393]

Sorry but you're wrong. I had a 911 job and was laid off. Most transport companies around here are BLS only as are the 911 companies in the York/Harrisburg corridor.

 

[Emtpbill]

Negative there cowboy, come to any of the 4 counties surrounding Philadelphia and I can point you to about 15 911 squads hiring medics, I personally have an interview tomorrow for a 911 squad, that is civil service, that is down 4 FT medics.

 

[EMS49393]

Philly is over 2 hours and roughly 105 miles from my current location. I'd literally have to relocate to work there. I'm speaking of the York/Harrisburg/Gettysburg triangle, and there are no medic jobs there.

What's strange is that they place I used to work had a medic from philly come in every other weekend to work. They paid for his train ticket, picked him up from the station and put him in a hotel. If hiring is so easy there, why come all the way out here to work part time?

 

[Emtpbill]

That I couldn't tell you, we have some people that live up near scranton who travel 1-1/2 hours to work, usually they schedule themslves for 24 hour shifts.

 

[Sassafras]

Philly is over 2 hours and roughly 105 miles from my current location. I'd literally have to relocate to work there. I'm speaking of the York/Harrisburg/Gettysburg triangle, and there are no medic jobs there.

What's strange is that they place I used to work had a medic from philly come in every other weekend to work. They paid for his train ticket, picked him up from the station and put him in a hotel. If hiring is so easy there, why come all the way out here to work part time?

Sounds to me like you aren't looking hard enough or willing to travel at all. My company is 30 mins N of Harrisburg and we are only hiring medics right now as we are trying to expand ALS capabilities. I'm constantly seeing HMC hiring for both ER tech medics and flight medics. There's jobs to be had here. Trust me.

 

[EMTinNEPA]

Philly is over 2 hours and roughly 105 miles from my current location. I'd literally have to relocate to work there. I'm speaking of the York/Harrisburg/Gettysburg triangle, and there are no medic jobs there.

What's strange is that they place I used to work had a medic from philly come in every other weekend to work. They paid for his train ticket, picked him up from the station and put him in a hotel. If hiring is so easy there, why come all the way out here to work part time?

Maybe he wanted to work for a hospital? It's my understanding that most ALS in the York/Harrisburg/Gettysburg area is provided by Wellspan. It is also my understanding that much of the ALS in Philadelphia is provided by the Fire Department. I dunno about you, but I would work for a hospital before any other type of service any day.

 

[Emtpbill]

Only Philadelphia is served by the fire dept. Bucks, montgomery, chester, delaware counties are served by municiple squads.

 

[Sassafras]

In hospital would be Hershey ER techs. Had one help with a blue baby once.

 

[EMS49393]

Alright, no offense to any one that's a basic in PA, but you might think that getting a medic job is just a piece of cake here and you'd be mistaken.

I have applied for every open medic job with Pinnacle, Holy Spirit, Hershey, and Wellspan. I've had one interview in over 24 applications. Often I get a gracious "we've already filled it with someone that better meets the requirements of the position" emails (Wellspan loves that email). I've networked with people trying to find some part time gigs that are spread by word of mouth because a lot of the little organizations do not have websites or are not publicly displaying a need. Just because you see all these open medic jobs on a hospital website doesn't mean they are actually recruiting for them.

As for the flight medic thing, nope. I will not fly. I do not like helicopters, and I do not think risking my life in that way is a good thing for my family. Way too many HEMS crashes in the last few years.

I'm really not worried about the job thing in PA anymore. I've moved my ambition back to my home state and have had far more promising leads. If all goes well, I should be gainfully employed by the end of the month.

Just don't believe everything you read in a job listing, the jobs are not as plentiful as you think.

 

[Sassafras]

Or maybe there's something in your application that concerns them? Or maybe you don't have the right connections? Networking is an essential part of the process sadly. What's there not to believe about the listings? Lots of people apply, a few get hired. It's like any job application process. You seem extremely negative. I'm not thinking I want to even divert my friend to this thread for fear she'll get discouraged. And frankly, not so sure I'd be comfortable with that negativity running around my company...that IS hiring btw in spite of your disbelief that people are hiring in the area...It might affect patient care.

 

[EMS49393]

Or maybe there's something in your application that concerns them? Or maybe you don't have the right connections? Networking is an essential part of the process sadly. What's there not to believe about the listings? Lots of people apply, a few get hired. It's like any job application process. You seem extremely negative. I'm not thinking I want to even divert my friend to this thread for fear she'll get discouraged. And frankly, not so sure I'd be comfortable with that negativity running around my company...that IS hiring btw in spite of your disbelief that people are hiring in the area...It might affect patient care.

Many young folks view reality as negativity. If I were truly negative I would have given up my career after my lay off. I'm not the only one of my medic circle that has been through the same thing. A lot of us are having trouble finding work despite these "open jobs" and I've even lost a few to relocation because of it. As for my application, I doubt there is anything that triggers anyone about it. I went to a great school and had a nationally known instructor. I am still in college and carrying a 4.0 GPA in my current courses. I have numerous letters of reference from both physicians and advance practice nurses regarding my clinical ability.

You know fire departments often open up a job where they're looking for 25 or 30 people for fire fighter/EMT positions. They'll open it up for a month, get 5000 applicants, have a written test, and boom, nothing, for months, for a year, for longer because they fall under a hiring freeze. My point, just because it says it's going to be, doesn't mean it's really going to be. The class that tested 15 months ago for a local fire department just got letters for a Nov. 5th academy. Those guys held on for over a year waiting on a job to come through. There is nothing to say that these positions are posted but not necessarily needed to be filled right away. They could be building an eligibility pool to interview. I don't know, but what I do know is, I have to take care of my family, and if that means going out of state or even changing careers to do that, then so be it.

I've got this feeling your young and young people have this unique positive, nothing can go wrong view on life. I'm older, and I have a realistic view on life. If you think it's negative, well it's your opinion, and you're certainly entitled to it.

 

[EMDispatch]

Up in this region, it seems like there's a decent want for medics. There's also a limited number of medic classes up here, which probably accounts for it.

 

[Sassafras]

Well, if you think I'm young I may just kiss you. Thanks for the compliment though. I'm sure we could down the shots with our horror stories on life together and why we are changing carreers with families in tow. I choose to be optimistic, and I choose to acknowledge reality, with that optimism. I'm fully aware of hireing freezes. I understand all of that. I also realistically understand that in today's economy I am going to have to take charge and do A LOT more in order to make my application stand out. Gone are the days of handing in apps and sitting back waiting on phone calls. Now you must chase down and chase some more to prove that you are worthy and interesting as well as interested enough to get hired. Did you follow up repeatedly with these larger hospitals? There is no respect with potential employers and NO ONE calls back anymore. It's the nature of the economy, not just EMS. Why would you focus on fire anyway when you are a medic? That's an odd argument to bring into the equation.

I say you are negative, because in spite of all of the mentions you have been given regarding employment near you (and yes, if the pay was well enough I'd commute to Philly too), has been brushed off as impossible. Just a few posts up you said you wouldn't apply in Philly because it was too far away and now you are talking changing carreers and moving to another state? You contradict yourself. You've also willingly chosen to acknowledge at any point that I've very clearly stated we are hiring. So, yes, I think you are negative.

Thanks for thinking I was young though. That just made my night.

 

[EMS49393]

I live 15 minutes from the Maryland line. Changing states is not nearly as big a deal as driving to Philly. I can be in Baltimore City in about 40 minutes.

The fire department hiring was an example as several of my friends went through the waiting game this year. I'm not changing careers, I'm changing my focus. Once an EMS purist, I am now quite receptive to the notion of a nice, career job with a lovely fire department, as long as they let me trade off my fire days, which is NEVER a problem in any department I've ever known. I don't know why firemen hate the ambulance so much, I always find it to be exciting and let's face it, I couldn't make up the things I see on the medic.