EMT stands for Emergency Medical Technician, being one of the most popular choices when it comes to a career in healthcare – and for good reasons.
The truth is, a career as an EMT can be challenging, given the volume of work, program, and day-to-day threats, but for those who would like an active, dynamic profession with plenty of rewards, EMT is just the correct answer. If you’ve decided on this career path, you indeed have a lot of questions, and even if you don’t know what your future job is yet, you may want to learn what this career is all about.
One thing is for sure: EMT doesn’t imply only transporting patients to the hospital – it’s about saving lives, helping people in testing times, showing compassion, and constant learning. Suppose you’ve thought about pursuing a career in medicine, but you feel that becoming an actual physician is not your thing. In that case, you may consider a career in EMT since you’ll learn medicine, physiology, and anatomy – everything a physician studies in the Faculty of Medicine. So, you’re practically trained to do the exact same thing doctors do: help people medically.
This article explores some interesting facts about this career, so keep reading if you don’t want to miss the news!
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Consistent growth
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of paramedics and EMTs has a growth potential of 11% from 2020 to 2030, which is faster than average. This shows that a career in EMT is in high demand, the reason why more and more people start to pursue this profession. And this is normal since it gives you countless opportunities to grow.
An EMT career teaches you valuable life skills, preparing you for various situations. It can be a good start for a healthcare career, an opportunity to gain experience and practice your abilities. Later on, the choice is yours – you can choose between various professions starting from what you had learned during your EMT training and practice in the field. From firefighter, paramedic, and registered nurse to physician assistant, medical doctor, and chiropractor, there are plenty of possibilities for those choosing to follow this career path. Of course, further study is required, but it’s helpful to know that once you become an EMT, you don’t necessarily have to be an EMT forever.
Depending on your skills and experience, you can become a paramedic, EMS manager, and even EMS instructor-coordinator. It’s only up to you how much you want to grow in this ever-evolving healthcare field.
Varied options for training and education
Apart from the possibility of climbing the career ladder, there are also various options for training. So, if you decide on becoming an EMT, you should know that you can choose from different emt training programs, depending on how much time you’re disposed to allocate to your preparation. However, you should know that training to be a first-line emergency responder doesn’t take very long – you can complete your training in about one year, with the chance to finish it all in a shorter period (6 months in most cases). However, you may want to follow a more extended program to understand the field better. So, when looking for an emergency care program, make sure you choose one that best suits your needs and career vision. With a simple search on Google, you can find emt classes near me so that you can have intensive hands-on training without being forced to travel for miles to complete an EMT class. The relatively short training time allows you to complete an EMT program, even if you work in another field or have a busy schedule.
Apart from mere training, EMT courses teach you life-saving and practical skills, such as first aid, automated external defibrillator, and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
Make a difference in your community
Everyone recognizes the contribution of EMTs to their communities. These heroes, as EMTs are often called, are valued in each community due to their 24/7 availability, quick response to emergencies, and incredible compassion towards those in need. That’s why EMTs are seen not just as healthcare practitioners but also as life saviors.
This career can only be appreciated – maybe not everyone knows, but EMTs often face danger and risk their lives to save others. One thing is pretty clear: their primary purpose is to take care of their community.
EMTs are not only preoccupied with the transportation of patients to the hospital for further investigation. Sometimes, an intervention on the spot, like first aid, is required, and this makes a huge difference. If they don’t act immediately, maybe those patients don’t even arrive at the hospital; that’s why the life-changing skills learned during the EMT training are crucial. Without EMTs and paramedics, life in a community wouldn’t be the same; no matter how severe or minor your injuries are, these first-line responders are there for you at any hour.
In-demand career
As we already mentioned, the U.S. Bureau of Labor predicts employment growth in the field, which means that this career is in high demand. And that couldn’t be otherwise – there will always be people needing medical help, no matter how much you want to believe the contrary. The sad truth is that accidents happen all the time, and, just as their name also suggests, they can’t be foreseen or avoided. That’s why there’s a great demand for EMTs to be on call when such unfortunate events happen.
So, if you want a “job for life”, a career in EMT might be your thing. Given the number of annual emergencies in the U.S., there would never be too many EMTs – the U.S. alone records more than 200,000 emergency calls. Emergency medical technicians are also trained to work in any environment, not only in the ambulance, to deliver life-saving services even on a cruise.
We hope our insights will make your search easier and help you decide on what career path you want to follow. As you can see, an EMT career has a multitude of benefits, but the choice is only in your hands.