Tips on becoming an EMT

[jeevsie 3,739]

The kid is graduating in a few months and is taking a gap year before med school.  He says it's a common move to be an EMT in the gap year.  He says there's a 6-month online course for $1500 that he wants to start now so he'll have more time to work.

Does this sound like a good plan?  I'm a little skeptical given the short time to work (assuming he can't be hired until he has the cert).  Is this EMT cert method the normal route?

[Nice Guy Eddie 13,522]

A google search tells me there is a 14-day (straight, no weekends off) to earn an EMT certificate in Corpus: https://www.texasemsacademy.com/emt.php I have no idea what you can and can't do with this certificate. 

Can you really get a solid EMT job with this low level of training? And does EMT mean really dealing with emergencies or just transporting old people to the ER when they fall?

 

[0xdeadbeef 1,652]

A number of points in no particular order:

• Not all people are disciplined enough (or wired right) to do a longer online class. You know you kid and if he could follow through. 
• That seems a little high cost wise and is a quite a bit long; but maybe that's the trade off for an online class.
• I had a son do EMT training and for him, having a live instructor to ask for clarifications and explanation as well as having answers to deeper questions was invaluable. 
• Whatever ever class he takes, he would still have to pass a (national? state?) certification test.  Make sure he understands that you expect him to take that...that's basically like a final grade to show he actually learned something.  
• The in person classes also have you do ride-along with ambulances. With the ride along, they usually have a requirement of 'at least X transports to a hospital'. So you don't know exactly how many rides that might take, but you start to see some things.   

 

Here's one highly rated one that's $1100, but there are a lot of good ones:

https://www.schertz.com/421/EMT-Training-Academy

Quote

The Academy is a 16-week course that consists of 176 hours of classroom lectures and skills training.  Classroom training is complemented with an internship including 40 hours of practical experience aboard our ambulances and 24 hours of clinical experience with the Emergency Department at Northeast Methodist Hospital.

Note - of that 16 weeks, probably 4 weeks is set aside for scheduling and doing the ride alongs. the class instruction itself is probably about 3 months of 3 days a week classes. 

I'm not sure who all needs the EMT Cert, but I know All firefighters have to have it in Texas. 

Edited February 27, 2023 by 0xdeadbeef

[jeevsie 3,739]

Some interesting Google results.  Acadiana in Austin will hire you while you take their course.  You need to commit to two years with them, though.

That 14-day one seems legit but scary.  14 days later - alright, let's catch some calls!

[CooterBrown 18,022]

Tell him to fuck off and slay pussy for a year. Why the fuck would he want an emotionally draining job right before med school?

[Native Horn 3,512]

This is a recent thread that may have some useful info:

https://www.surlyhorns.com/board/topic/29758-emts/#comment-5072623

[naija 2,869]

Has he already gotten into medical school?

[Herbie Hancock 7,370]

Two ambulance driver threads in one week? What the hell is this place coming to? And what are you doing to your children to scar them so deeply that they think this is a good career path?

[Guest]

Maybe it is my military background, but it seems like EMT is the "less greedy/ cares more about people" realtor gig.

[closetohumping 17,460]

We're tipping EMTs now?

[Deej 76,898]

I have a friend who was an EMT. He quit to become a set medic here in Austin on film and TV productions. He's banking. Owns two homes in Austin and one in Asheville, NC.

All for passing out band-aids and Advil.

[Delta Charlie 150]

My son recently completed an EMT course and passed the cert test. He took it out of the Texas State Campus in Round Rock. It was about 3 months long. 

 

EMTS Academy

[CHAD BRISCOE 372]

Trust me take it with a gray assault but i use to work at a hospital and all them dudes was r*etatds

Edited March 3, 2023 by CHAD BRISCOE

[Texzilla58 4,744]

If he’s looking at a gig that’s somewhere on the medical supply chain he could probably do a gig at a funeral home. Pickups, body prep assistance, haz mat disposal.

[CooterBrown 18,022]

If he’s looking at a gig that’s somewhere on the medical supply chain he could probably do a gig at a funeral home. Pickups, body prep assistance, haz mat disposal.

Before starting med school, a friend extracted bone marrow when a donor body showed up at the hospital. He had to be on call 24/7 but he was paid like $700 a body for a few hours work.

[Herbie Hancock 7,370]

Suggesting someone work for a funeral home to gain emt experience is about like telling someone to go work for a septic company to learn how to become a chef. JFC I'm always amazed at the willingness of people here to offer their completely unqualified advice on a matter.

[DalTxHornFan 3,116]

1 minute ago, Herbie Hancock said:

Suggesting someone work for a funeral home to gain emt experience is about like telling someone to go work for a septic company to learn how to become a chef. JFC I'm always amazed at the willingness of people here to offer their completely unqualified advice on a matter.

Back before the 1970s, funeral homes tended to run most rural (and some city) EMS systems in Texas.  Look at news footage from the UT Tower shooting in 1966 -- mostly funeral home ambulances.  Talk about perverse incentives!

[Herbie Hancock 7,370]

I am very aware of the origins of the field that I have dedicated over a decade of my life to and in which I hold the highest certifications possible. But this is 2023 and not 1973.

Edited March 28, 2023 by Herbie Hancock

[RPM 26,341]

5 hours ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Back before the 1970s, funeral homes tended to run most rural (and some city) EMS systems in Texas.  Look at news footage from the UT Tower shooting in 1966 -- mostly funeral home ambulances.  Talk about perverse incentives!

Yep. The funeral home was right beside the hospital in Bridgeport in the 60's.

[tx 3 putt 77,345]

On 2/27/2023 at 2:49 PM, CooterBrown said:

Tell him to fuck off and slay pussy for a year. Why the fuck would he want an emotionally draining job right before med school?

mf’n this

’I’m going to med school’ will drop any pair of panties in corpus 

[freyguy 4,284]

As an EMT, you will see some fucked up shit that will affect you for the rest of your life.  Don't know why people take that job.

Oh, and never let an EMT let you look at their phone pics...ugh

[StassneyHorn 6,635]

To study for the NREMT download the Pocket Prep app. It makes it so easy, firefighters can pass.

[GoPokes83 2,240]

A lot of volunteer fire departments offer free EMT training.

[Herbie Hancock 7,370]

If you need a study guide to pass EMT basic, I'd really appreciate you not trying to become one.

[GoPokes83 2,240]

I worked as a basic EMT up to Paramedic in college, and while this was a bunch of decades ago and EMT’s now do what only paramedics could do then, getting your basic EMT training should be a piece of cake if your kid is med school bound or even of normal intelligence. As I said many volunteer FD’s provide free training, but $1500 seems a little steep but not crazy high. IIRC my basic NR EMT training was a full semester or close to it. I’d be very leery of some 2-3 week class, but if there’s a service that will hire you after that, what do I know? After the very basics you learn mostly from experience. And yes, in the years I did it I saw shit that there’s no way to ever unsee, it’s not for everyone and incredibly hard on your back!