Boston EMT Jobs

[umassemt11]

Hello. I am a 30 yr old male looking for a job change (currently in insurance). I am thinking about getting my EMT-B. Is my age going to be a factor in hiring? It seems to me anytime I look at EMT's that they are all much younger than I am.

Thanks.

[Dustdevil]

Is my age going to be a factor in hiring?

No, but your mental stability will be questioned.

Why would you want to be an ambulance driver? It's boring, demeaning, degrading, and pays nothing

[cosgrojo]

No, but your mental stability will be questioned.

Why would you want to be an ambulance driver? It's boring, demeaning, degrading, and pays nothing

He's right about the pay... But the rest is only true if you make it that way. It may be boring to Dust and a number of experienced people on this Web site, but to someone in insurance sales, it might be overwhelmingly exciting. It is only demeaning if you allow yourself to be influenced by cranky old retired people, and degrading only if you are easily swayed by the opinions and bluster of those trying to degrade you.

Your age will not be a factor. 30 y/o is not ancient in EMS... it is a little late to start as a Basic, but many have done it before. If you are interested in making the medical profession your new career path... EMS is not the way to financial freedom, but it can be rewarding. In Boston you can either work for any number of transfer services, or do 911 for outlying communities. 911 in the city is done by Boston EMS. You have to live in the city, and be ready to work when they need you, and you also have to earn your stripes there. Even experienced medics have to work as basics for a year in their system before they allow you to practice, and the pay is not equivalent to what they require of you. You wouldn't be able to afford a studio apartment in the city on the pay that you are started at even at the paramedic level.

I'm not trying to tell you not to do it... but make sure that you are making an informed decision for yourself and your family (presuming you have one). And EMS has a weird way of ruining relationships... if you get into it, be prepared for the fact that your perspective of life will shift, possibly changing your feelings about life and those around you... consequently changing how others feel about you.

Good luck.

[Dustdevil]

He's right about the pay... But the rest is only true if you make it that way. It may be boring to Dust and a number of experienced people on this Web site, but to someone in insurance sales, it might be overwhelmingly exciting.

Sorry, I should have clarified that I was speaking of the non-911, non-EMS job that is all that most EMTs will ever get. EMS is relatively exciting. But few EMTs in Boston will ever see that job. It's something to shoot for though, so long as you don't need to make a living in the meantime.

[CBEMT]

Your age is no big deal. The EMTs all seem younger than you because many of them took the class right out of high school or, less often, college. I train basics older than you all the time.

The question is, can you live on less than $15 an hour.

[umassemt11]

Thank you all for the info. As far as the pay goes, my thoughts on that were doing EMS part-time, or even full time working a few long shifts, and then having a second job. Is that something that EMT's do to supplement their income?

Thanks again.

He's right about the pay... But the rest is only true if you make it that way. It may be boring to Dust and a number of experienced people on this Web site, but to someone in insurance sales, it might be overwhelmingly exciting. It is only demeaning if you allow yourself to be influenced by cranky old retired people, and degrading only if you are easily swayed by the opinions and bluster of those trying to degrade you.

Your age will not be a factor. 30 y/o is not ancient in EMS... it is a little late to start as a Basic, but many have done it before. If you are interested in making the medical profession your new career path... EMS is not the way to financial freedom, but it can be rewarding. In Boston you can either work for any number of transfer services, or do 911 for outlying communities. 911 in the city is done by Boston EMS. You have to live in the city, and be ready to work when they need you, and you also have to earn your stripes there. Even experienced medics have to work as basics for a year in their system before they allow you to practice, and the pay is not equivalent to what they require of you. You wouldn't be able to afford a studio apartment in the city on the pay that you are started at even at the paramedic level.

I'm not trying to tell you not to do it... but make sure that you are making an informed decision for yourself and your family (presuming you have one). And EMS has a weird way of ruining relationships... if you get into it, be prepared for the fact that your perspective of life will shift, possibly changing your feelings about life and those around you... consequently changing how others feel about you.

Good luck.

[Dustdevil]

Would you want the doctor treating you to only have a couple shifts a month of experience?

[umassemt11]

Well then it sounds like part time work wouldn't be allowed then, but I can't imagine that's the case.

Would you want the doctor treating you to only have a couple shifts a month of experience?

[WolfmanHarris]

Well then it sounds like part time work wouldn't be allowed then, but I can't imagine that's the case.

It is possible, but the EMS hobbyist is a self-perpetuating problem. Pay is low, so people only do it part time while working a better job, but since it's not their primary job the impetus to increase wages doesn't exist. Of course the piss poor wages help keep the better educated providers who can do better from staying in EMS, if they enter it at all, so of course pay stays low to reflect the commitment level and education of the majority of providers. Not everywhere, but lots of places.

[umassemt11]

Yeah that's a good point.

It is possible, but the EMS hobbyist is a self-perpetuating problem. Pay is low, so people only do it part time while working a better job, but since it's not their primary job the impetus to increase wages doesn't exist. Of course the piss poor wages help keep the better educated providers who can do better from staying in EMS, if they enter it at all, so of course pay stays low to reflect the commitment level and education of the majority of providers. Not everywhere, but lots of places.