In North Carolina it seems like a paramedic makes $15-$20 an hour. Looking at local agencies, they require:
- Online application
- Physical agility test
- Written test
- Oral interview
- Patient simulator test
- Academy
- Third-ride status with FTO until certain milestones met
That seems like a lot of work for a job that pays so little and is in such high demand.
Is this typical? What am I missing?
When I started (in the late 90s), all we had was a paper application. maybe a written interview with a supervisor. After 3 shifts, you were allowed to ride as a second. Suffice it to say, we had a lot of duds. people who wouldn't do an assessment, people who wouldn't carry someone in a stairchair or lift the stretcher into the ambulance, people who didn't know anything about A&P, and even after I had been working for a few years, there were differences among providers as to what the "correct" way to do something was (and by correct I mean, how the agency wanted you to do something, like documentation, not necessarily the right way).
Looking at the 7 items you list, #1 is easy, just fill out the application. That's pretty standard. #2 is important, because why would an agency hire someone if they couldn't physically do the job? #3, do they have the baseline knowledge to do the job? yes, they passed the class (and some people we look at and wonder how), but do they still have that knowledge? #4, while these tend to be subjective, how does that applicant respond to questions form field staff? will they fit in personality wise? #5, how do they actually do the job? Can they perform an assessment? 2-5 can all be accomplished in a day, or in two days (if you want to do the PAT the day before, and those who pass, can do the rest). Also remember, the sole purpose of any interview process is to
find reasons NOT to hire someone. I know that sounds different that what you have heard in the past, but hiring is critical to an organizations success, and hiring the wrong person can be much more expensive than hiring the right person.
6 and 7 are new parts of the "orientation process," and too many place don't do this. having an academy ensures all new hires are taught the same stuff, and start on the same page. have you ever had two senior people who tell you the "right" way to do something, and they aren't saying the same thing? academy is supposed to fix that. And you are paid the entire time, which is a plus. Your FTO time is another important step; while some FTOs do suck (lord knows I've seen my share), most just want you to succeed. After all, we all know people who are cleared but still can't do the job.
Truth be told, it's a lot better than the old way of an application, an interview, and throw you on the truck and pray you don't kill someone.
