EMS: College to Career

I arrived at college as a brand-new EMT-B. Throughout my undergraduate years I was active with the campus EMS squad during the term and with my hometown 911 transport agency during school breaks. Following my graduation, I worked for a private ambulance company for the summer and then moved to Buffalo for paramedic school. A year later, I have begun working as a paramedic. The lifeblood of my fledgling career may have been my time with urban and commercial services, but its backbone was definitely my four years of college EMS. That time was a jumping-off point that has greatly aided my transition to "real" EMS jobs.

For starters, experience is king. There is obviously a minimum level of training required to function in any EMS capacity, but beyond meeting "cognitive" and "psychomotor" certification standards, one of the chief distinguishing features between adequate, good and great EMS personnel is the experience they bring to the table. Collegiate EMS offers its members the opportunity to take calls, treat patients and practice skills. Any experience is good and more the better. Plus, college squads are often less complicated to join than private or municipal agencies.

Secondly, I learned a great deal about "behind-the-scenes" EMS while at college. In two years as Equipment Officer and two years as Operations Officer, I was closely involved with inventory, purchasing, communications, scheduling, training, personnel and inter-agency relations. This provided me with a more encompassing view of the industry that didn't end at the ambulance doors. College EMS is unique in that members can execute a wide variety of offices and responsibilities and do so much more quickly than could be expected in the commercial world. Any college student considering becoming an EMS professional would be well advised to seek office with his campus squad at some point during his (or her) time there.

Lastly, EMS isn't for everyone. Some people are born to do this job; most of us have to work at it. But there are also some people who are destined for greatness in other areas. If you are interested in EMS--in whatever capacity--the only way to know into which category you fall is to try the work. College EMS is the perfect way to do just that.