The medical field is full of professionals who work in everything from research to surgery. While this multifaceted industry is bursting with opportunity, it requires a significant amount of education and work to join the effort. If you want to join the likes of doctors, nurses, and surgeons but aren’t sure where to begin, you should consider working as an EMT.
Sirens are blaring, and your heart is racing. As you weave through traffic, you check with your colleague to see how the patient is holding up. You need to make it to the hospital in as little time as possible. Amid the adrenaline rush is a duty-bound purpose to help, heal, and save as many people as you can every day. The life of an EMT is hectic but rewarding, so try your hand at it. Here are a few tips for becoming an emergency medical technician.
Education and Training
The first step into a career as an EMT involves education and training. While you don’t need higher education to pursue this career, you’ll need a high school diploma or GED. Once you have this foundation, you’ll need a CPR certification. Knowing the proper CPR sequence is vital in emergencies, and it’s a prerequisite for many EMT programs. With CPR certification in hand, you can apply to state-accredited emergency medical technology programs that will prepare you for work in the field.
Pass the Exams
If you experienced a medical emergency, you would want highly qualified individuals tending to your ailments. To maintain a standard of care, all EMT hopefuls must pass two examinations. The first is a cognitive exam in which students must demonstrate competency in medical knowledge. The second exam covers a student’s motor skills, giving them the opportunity to perform the tasks they would in an ambulance.
Find a Job
The final piece of the puzzle is actually finding a job. While this may take some time, you can always volunteer with a hospital first and work your way from there. At the end of the day, the most important thing to have to get into medicine is experience, so work wherever you can, whenever you can.
Remember these tips for becoming an emergency medical technician as you plan your career. If you follow these simple steps, you can quickly start working in your dream profession.
