Tips for paramedic interviews.

Do you have any tips to help prepare for an upcoming paramedic interview?

Are there common interview questions that come up again and again?

There are a few that come to mind.
1. What drew you to Emergency Medicine?/ Why do you want to be a Paramedic?
2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
3. How do you handle stress?
4. What are a few traits YOU think a paramedic needs to have?
5. How will you negotiate extricating a heavy patient?
(eg: 300+ pound patient in a four story walk up apartment. Pt complaining of crushing CP and SOB. Just you and your 110 pound female partner.)
5. Describe what you will do if your partner shows up to work and you suspect he or she may be intoxicated?

Those were a few actual questions asked of me in my last interview. I got the job BTW let me know if you would like to hear what my answers were.

I would like to hear your answer for the 300+ pound patient

In the case of the 300+ pound patient you would have to use your additional resources. A lot of systems work very closely with the fire department, so you could use your radio and have dispatch send you a fire dept team to help you extricate. Or call for another ambulance. While you are waiting for them to arrive you would start treatment on the patient. The patient is suffering from CP and SOB so having him walk down the stairs is out of the question (you dont want to exacerbate his condition).

In a rural ambulance setting this option may not always be available. In that case you will have to be creative with your answer, get familiar with what extrication tools your system has. The system i worked for had a "stair chair". A chair specifically designed to help a 2 man team carry a patient down the stairs. In which case you could say I will begin treatment while I have my partner bring up the stair chair. It may take a bit longer to extricate this way but if you are in a rural setting sometimes you just have to make due with what you've got.
Tip* Either way, make sure you dont get too caught up in the actual extrication! While your answer is important your interviewers will want to hear that you will start treatment. The patient, suffering from CP and SOB, has the potential to become very critical on you so let them know you recognize that!

awesome thanks alot what were the qualities or traits every paramedic should have?

This is very good to know, thank you, Carolyn. I have some interviews coming up, and I would love to hear more of your answers if you have time to share them with us.

Host said: Do you have any tips to help prepare for an upcoming paramedic interview?

Are there common interview questions that come up again and again?

In the interviews we conduct with applicants we ask the following questions and/or have the applicant respond to these statements;

1. Who are your "customers" in EMS?

2. Tell us about a time you had to be flexible.

3. Complete this sentence "If you really want to make me angry then do this...."

4. Tell us about a mistake you made and how you corrected it.

5. How do you resolve conflict?

6. What are your short term/long term goals?

We have a few "common" field treatment questions also but the questions I've listed give us valuable information about our applicants.

Carolyn in Minot Afb, North Dakota said: There are a few that come to mind.
1. What drew you to Emergency Medicine?/ Why do you want to be a Paramedic?
2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
3. How do you handle stress?
4. What are a few traits YOU think a paramedic needs to have?
5. How will you negotiate extricating a heavy patient?
(eg: 300+ pound patient in a four story walk up apartment. Pt complaining of crushing CP and SOB. Just you and your 110 pound female partner.)
5. Describe what you will do if your partner shows up to work and you suspect he or she may be intoxicated?

Those were a few actual questions asked of me in my last interview. I got the job BTW let me know if you would like to hear what my answers were.

What were your answers to those questions...I am in medic school now and I would like to start to prepare for my upcoming interviews.

what sort of answers did you give these questions.

I will be going on an interview this week for a private company as an EMTB. I just finished school for EMT and would like to know if anyone has any tips for me before I interview?

Carolyn in Minot Afb, North Dakota said: There are a few that come to mind.
1. What drew you to Emergency Medicine?/ Why do you want to be a Paramedic?
2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
3. How do you handle stress?
4. What are a few traits YOU think a paramedic needs to have?
5. How will you negotiate extricating a heavy patient?
(eg: 300+ pound patient in a four story walk up apartment. Pt complaining of crushing CP and SOB. Just you and your 110 pound female partner.)
5. Describe what you will do if your partner shows up to work and you suspect he or she may be intoxicated?

Those were a few actual questions asked of me in my last interview. I got the job BTW let me know if you would like to hear what my answers were.

I would like to know what your answers were.

I would love to hear your answers and any hints you might have for paramedic interview. My son is in Bradenton, FL and the competition is of course very tough. He is a nationally registered EMT. THANK YOU so much!

Carolyn in Minot Afb, North Dakota said: There are a few that come to mind.
1. What drew you to Emergency Medicine?/ Why do you want to be a Paramedic?
2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
3. How do you handle stress?
4. What are a few traits YOU think a paramedic needs to have?
5. How will you negotiate extricating a heavy patient?
(eg: 300+ pound patient in a four story walk up apartment. Pt complaining of crushing CP and SOB. Just you and your 110 pound female partner.)
5. Describe what you will do if your partner shows up to work and you suspect he or she may be intoxicated?

Those were a few actual questions asked of me in my last interview. I got the job BTW let me know if you would like to hear what my answers were.

i am going for a stufent paramedic interview next wee, therefore it would be really apprechiated if you could tell me what your answer were just to get an idea what there looking for, seen as you got the job. thanks alot.

i am going for a student paramedic interview next week, therefore it would be really apprechiated if you could tell me what your answer were just to get an idea what there looking for, seen as you got the job. thanks alot

David in Mabank, Texas said: In the interviews we conduct with applicants we ask the following questions and/or have the applicant respond to these statements;

1. Who are your "customers" in EMS?

2. Tell us about a time you had to be flexible.

3. Complete this sentence "If you really want to make me angry then do this...."

4. Tell us about a mistake you made and how you corrected it.

5. How do you resolve conflict?

6. What are your short term/long term goals?

We have a few "common" field treatment questions also but the questions I've listed give us valuable information about our applicants.

hi david, could you tell us what answers you look for please...

Leigh, how did ur paramedic interview go?? did the above help? xx

hello could u give me sample answers to some of those questions

Don

don in Dublin, Ireland said: hello could u give me sample answers to some of those questions

Don

i failed the interview on my fitness test! was very disappointed, but it was very difficult. i underestimated just how difficult it would be. this type of fitness test does not take place if you are applying for it as a on the job post! only in university's . which questions would u like me answer?

leigh blessington in London, United Kingdom said: i failed the interview on my fitness test! was very disappointed, but it was very difficult. i underestimated just how difficult it would be. this type of fitness test does not take place if you are applying for it as a on the job post! only in university's . which questions would u like me answer?

have you re-applied now ? its a 6 month delay every time !! what go you on the fitness test was it the bip test ? the running test ? did they give you an adjustment ont he BMI or straight off the chart ? thx

re fitness test, this programme below really helped mw make if after finding out i was 17 kilos over my BMi target 6 months before submission for the first 4 months i only lost 5 kilos and it was all my muscle not fat so had to get in touch with a number of dieticians The recommendation was actually a psorts athlete programme for targetted weight loss and clear instruction to avoid powder slimming diets due to caffiene like accelerants int eh formula that may impact a blood test, as well as this it is just as important to be physically fit and healthy as is to be the right weight - the fitness programme i went on was 10 weeks programme of a 2000 calorie diet a day protien heavy combined with 2 hours of cardio - free running and spinning with a half hour stretch and weights prgoramme - dietry supliments REDHOX extreme\ KL carnitine vit B complex and green tea capsules..result 12 kilo weight loss and good energy levels no problem with all aspects of BMI or fitness but note you have to do the exercise every single day or you bounce of the walls and cant sleep..dont take the suppliments after 6 becasue again - you just cannot sleep.. I found the free running broke the boredom in the exercise go to www.americanparkour.com and log in to getthe training exercises very pleased overall as was concnered re fitess and bmi problems.The cost for the suppliments was 150 in all. money well spent but you have to be religious 100% about the exercise and diet - taking short cuts.

as for questions on the application / interview process i found it was all centered around diversity and community. make sure you are active with local people / cahrities to tick this box.

This looks very useful on passing the interview part. snipsly.com/2009/12/02/how-to-pass-a-paramedic-job-interview/

Hope this helps guys, here are a few questions:

1. How would you intervene with a frantic relative who is grieving over the injury of a child?
2. What can you bring to the job that exceeds what other candidates can bring?
3. What are a few traits you think a paramedic needs to have?

Here are a few sites I found that have more questions.

www.jems.com/news_and_articles/columns/Becker/Career_Talk_Part_5_Tough_Interview_Questions.html

www.mockquestions.com/paramedicquestions.html

Carolyn in Minot Afb, North Dakota said: There are a few that come to mind.
1. What drew you to Emergency Medicine?/ Why do you want to be a Paramedic?
2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
3. How do you handle stress?
4. What are a few traits YOU think a paramedic needs to have?
5. How will you negotiate extricating a heavy patient?
(eg: 300+ pound patient in a four story walk up apartment. Pt complaining of crushing CP and SOB. Just you and your 110 pound female partner.)
5. Describe what you will do if your partner shows up to work and you suspect he or she may be intoxicated?

Those were a few actual questions asked of me in my last interview. I got the job BTW let me know if you would like to hear what my answers were.

Hi Carolyn: Yes I would like to here your answers that you gave at your interview. Thanks Darrell

I have an upcoming interview for the Matitime School of Paramedicine in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia and am also looking for any pointers available from students who may have gone through that program or one similar.

From what I hear they like to pose questions about standard first aid... I am currently a medical responder with Riverport Fire and have been for several years. Protocol wise our approach is very different from that of a basic first aid trained individual... I'm wondering about getting burned (for lack of a better term) by using our protocols in the interview process rather then the standard first aid techniques. Apparantly this is a big thing here in Nova Scotia Canada... is anyone aware of this?

Thanks and best of luck to all.

-NN

Hey Nathan i also have a upcoming interview with MSOP i have heard that it is standard first aid and then i have also heard that it is just general questions. when are u applying for. thanks and any tips u have would be great as well. Thanks and best of luck to u

Carolyn in Minot Afb, North Dakota said: There are a few that come to mind.
1. What drew you to Emergency Medicine?/ Why do you want to be a Paramedic?
2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
3. How do you handle stress?
4. What are a few traits YOU think a paramedic needs to have?
5. How will you negotiate extricating a heavy patient?
(eg: 300+ pound patient in a four story walk up apartment. Pt complaining of crushing CP and SOB. Just you and your 110 pound female partner.)
5. Describe what you will do if your partner shows up to work and you suspect he or she may be intoxicated?

Those were a few actual questions asked of me in my last interview. I got the job BTW let me know if you would like to hear what my answers were.

i will like to know your anwers please

Some questions I got were as follows:
1. Give us 3 strengths and 1 weakness.
2. How do you work in a team, and name a time there was a team failure and how you dealt with it?
3. Name times when given higher responsibility in other jobs? How do you handle it? What can you do better?
4. What makes you a good fit?
5. Short term/long term goals?
6. Dispatched to a single vehicle MVC in the dead of winter, vehicle is upside down in a ditch filled with almost freezing cold water. One patient walking around, distraught with minor injuries. Other pt (the driver) is upside down still in her seatbelt, appears to be VSA but you cannot reach her or touch her. How do you proceed?
7. On your way to the hospital, you give 1mg of Epi. What was your error, and how do you proceed?
8. You have an irate nurse at the hospital calling EMS drivers "lazy, bad medics" etc. How do you deal with her?
9. Psychiatric patient not wanting to go to hospital, but their wife wants you to take them. How do you proceed?
10. Colleagues did 1 call overnight and left the truck completely dirty for you in the morning when you come on shift. How do you deal with them?
11. Didn't have it, but with so many paramedics "no servicing" patients these days, I think something like that could come up.
Also, make sure you know lots about the particular service, and always find some good questions at the end. I.E. future goals of the service, their support of GlobalMedic or other community oriented places etc.
There are no tricks, just want to see your thought process and how you manage things!
Best of luck everyone.

Mark in London, Ontario said: Some questions I got were as follows:
1. Give us 3 strengths and 1 weakness.
2. How do you work in a team, and name a time there was a team failure and how you dealt with it?
3. Name times when given higher responsibility in other jobs? How do you handle it? What can you do better?
4. What makes you a good fit?
5. Short term/long term goals?
6. Dispatched to a single vehicle MVC in the dead of winter, vehicle is upside down in a ditch filled with almost freezing cold water. One patient walking around, distraught with minor injuries. Other pt (the driver) is upside down still in her seatbelt, appears to be VSA but you cannot reach her or touch her. How do you proceed?
7. On your way to the hospital, you give 1mg of Epi. What was your error, and how do you proceed?
8. You have an irate nurse at the hospital calling EMS drivers "lazy, bad medics" etc. How do you deal with her?
9. Psychiatric patient not wanting to go to hospital, but their wife wants you to take them. How do you proceed?
10. Colleagues did 1 call overnight and left the truck completely dirty for you in the morning when you come on shift. How do you deal with them?
11. Didn't have it, but with so many paramedics "no servicing" patients these days, I think something like that could come up.
Also, make sure you know lots about the particular service, and always find some good questions at the end. I.E. future goals of the service, their support of GlobalMedic or other community oriented places etc.
There are no tricks, just want to see your thought process and how you manage things!
Best of luck everyone.

Wow! Same questions in Oxford County's interview..you must have been there too! haha

And I have noo idea where Wyoming, On is..it wont let me change the location. From Tillsonburg! :) 30 mins from London!

hey i know a april from tillonsburg ;)

THAT PERSON MORE THAN LIKELY ALSO SUFFERS FROM COPD, DIABETES, AND KNEE PROBLEMS. IF THE FAMILY DOESN'T HAVE HE/SHE MOVED TO A GROUND FLOOR, THEN ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES AND THE INSURANCE COMPANY(S) SHOULD BE NOTIFIED.