When/Why did you first become interested in becoming an EMT/working in EMS?
My initial interest in becoming an EMT came from wanting a foundation in medical knowledge and to be able to help people if they were in life-threatening situations. I started really enjoying EMS after becoming an Opportunities in Emergency Care (OEC) intern where I had the privilege of teaching EMT students, keeping my knowledge up to date, and practicing my skill set through a variety of competitions. Building connections, community, and friendships through OEC served as a stepping stone that catapulted my passion for EMS and medicine as a whole because it gave me new perspectives to patient care, interventions, teaching, and so much more.
Tell us about your experience in the EMS field. What jobs have you had?
I am an independent EMT contractor, so the majority of my experience in the EMS field is related to event work. I have had the opportunity to work with multiple age groups, ranging from young kids to older adults watching their kids’ games. In the future, my goal is to either work part-time or volunteer ambulance service while I attend university.
What is the most rewarding part about working in EMS?
Aside from the obvious of getting to help others, I think the most rewarding part of working in EMS is the opportunity to connect with a broad patient population. EMS give you the opportunity to obtain extremely versatile knowledge, skill set, and patient communication since EMS requires you to work with patients as young as infants to those who are elderly as well as patients from all different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. All the patients you work with have a unique story to tell and I think that working in EMS allows you to connect with people in such a way that it highlights their individuality.
What is your favorite part about working for Allied Medical Training?
I enjoy for AMT because the environment is productive, respectful, and positive throughout each week. Additionally, it is a nice full circle moment for me because I get to help others who were in the position I was when I was an EMT student at AMT.
If you could give advice to someone looking to become an EMT, what would you tell them?
Be the nosy EMT! Remember all the questions you need to ask so that you can get a full picture of the situation. Also, learn the formula that the NREMT skills exam wants you to know but realize that actually working with patients will be incredibly different and not a one formula fits all process. Because of this, make sure you are able to communicate and explain what you’re doing and why you’re doing it with all different kinds of patients.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
Teleportation! It would save me a ton of commute time, allowing me to get smaller tasks done in a more time-efficient manner. It would also be pretty cool if I could teleport objects to me if I needed or forgot something.
