I have has my medic cert for a few years now and just moved to another area where jobs are not exactly plentiful. I am looking more into working in the ED for now, but haven't been called for an interview yet. I am also looking into working at a doctor's office or urgent care center for a temporary job until I can find a different opportunity. Has anyone done this and has it been helpful in any way? I realize that this is not exact the usual temporary route for a medic, but am waiting for more job openings (relocation or long commutes are not an option for now), plus would like to work closer to physicians due to requirements on future medical school application for a reference.
paramedic/doctor's office
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VFlutter
Flight Nurse
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I would think an urgent care or outpatient surgical center would be your best chance. I do not think many MD offices would hire a medic.
mycrofft
Still crazy but elsewhere
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Urgent care "doc in a box" offices near me hire nursing assistants and techs, nothing at or above LVN. I think they send all substantial emergency and trauma cases via "911" to local trauma centers and concentrate on lucrative sports physicals, employee hiring and urine testing, maybe simple sprains and simple fractures of digits or distal forearms. And colds coughs sneezes etc. People trying to evade law enforcement.
There are a lot of urgent care-type places that hire EMTs and Medics, and even some doctor's offices (including mine, interestingly...), but you should recognize that it's not emergency-type work. Be prepared to do vitals, phlebotomy, maybe IM injections, splint fitting and crutch-walking, etc.
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Generally, you'd be hired as a medical assistant or something very, very similar, unless state law allows medics to be used in that specific setting as a medic. LVNs (and nothing above) tend to be hired because of cost and their scope of practice is usually nearly as wide as an RN's, but they have to be careful not to exceed their scope.
Being an MA shouldn't be too difficult, but you have to be very cognizant of what you're allowed to do as an MA because it's easy to exceed your scope if you're medic trained, and not realize that you're doing something that's out of scope for an MA.
Being an MA shouldn't be too difficult, but you have to be very cognizant of what you're allowed to do as an MA because it's easy to exceed your scope if you're medic trained, and not realize that you're doing something that's out of scope for an MA.
TransportJockey
Forum Chief
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Out here some urgent cares do hire medics. In fact one set of them doesn't hire nurses, just docs and medics along with the imaging techs.
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The MA is hired not just for their clinical skills but also the extensive knowledge of billing, insurance and DX codes. A Paramedic in an office without nurses or MAs would have to fill that void by doing the paparrwork. The MD is not hiring you just to be a Paramedic. The less staff from other disciplines, the more paperwork you will have to do.
I haven't received a position yet. The reason that I am applying to a physician's office is to have a reference from a D.O. for future osteopathic medical school application requirement. Unfortunately, there are not any D.O.'s as an OMD or in the ER which is why I am looking at other job options for now.
Yes, it's the same around here regarding urgent care. There is a multi-physician (D.O.) office that functions as both an urgent care center and primary care practice facility which interested me. I have heard that they have hired medics before so it's one option to look into.
mycrofft
Still crazy but elsewhere
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Agreed. But know that in California LVN's can operate under their own set of standardized procedures as long as they are trained and certified by their employer. Things like starting IV's, splinting, many technical activities once a professional tells them to do it.