EMT Career Options Worth Exploring

Please Note: Our EMT training program is no longer accepting applicants at this time. However, if you are interested in a career in the field of healthcare, we encourage you to explore our Biology degree program, which can provide a strong foundation for various healthcare careers.

Going to school to become an emergency medical technician, or EMT, doesn't always mean that you'll end up as an EMT. The certification can open doors, helping you become a crucial part of a hospital's emergency room staff, an emergency dispatcher and more. You'd be surprised at just how many jobs there are that you can do with your EMT certification. All that's usually required is finishing the course, passing the tests and then meeting the requirements for these other positions, all of which play an important role in society.

Emergency Dispatcher

Have you ever imagined yourself answering the phone when someone calls 911? Do you want to be the one who helps those having an emergency by sending representatives from the police, fire or ambulance departments their way? If you answered yes to both, then you can use your EMT certification to work as an emergency dispatcher.

Firefighter

While you'll need some additional training in order to become a firefighter, having your EMT certification is part of the job. Those who already have part of the training down (the emergency medical part, in this case) can attend the fire academy to complete the rest of their training without a hitch. There's always a need for people who are trained to put out fires and save lives.

Emergency Room Technician

An emergency room technician is like an EMT, only without the ambulance. Both spring into action when there's a medical emergency. The only difference is that an emergency room technician works in the emergency room (hence the title) and springs into action when patients arrive via ambulance.

Medics

There are several different types of medic positions to choose from. For example, an industrial medic works for a particular company, one that tends to have a high potential rate of life-threatening incidents, like mining or manufacturing, although any major important type of industry qualifies as well. Industrial medics are trained EMTs who can jump into action when an accident occurs, helping save the lives of those who were hurt on the job.

Another example is offshore medics. These workers play a crucial role on offshore oil rigs, stepping up when an employee gets hurt while at work. The main difference between an offshore medic and an industrial medic is the location, as major injuries on an oil rig require the employee to be rescued via medically equipped helicopter in order to get treatment quickly.

Health Information Technicians

Although health information technicians spend their days at a desk, analyzing, organizing and sorting patient records and treatment details, which seems quite different from the life of an on-the-job EMT, having plenty of medical knowledge is crucial to doing the job successfully. An EMT knows all of the required terminology, allowing them to handle the tasks of a health information technician quickly and easily. They will have no issues tackling everything required of the job.

Are you interested in seeing what you can do with an EMT certification? Learn more about our comprehensive EMT certification program.