Flying High! Interview Tips for Prospective Flight Medics

There are many similarities between street and flight EMS. When asked, many flight paramedics say that their position is an extension of the street EMS role with only one characteristic setting it apart: The flight paramedic’s responsibility focuses on treating the patient in flight. Typical duties of a flight medic include preparing the aircraft to be mission-ready; assisting the pilot with in-flight duties, such as basic navigation and communication; assessing the scene; preparing the patient for transport; and rendering care in flight. Nonflight duties can involve providing outreach education and public relations.

To be considered for a flight position, a paramedic must ensure that he has adequate clinical experience. Most flight programs require a minimum of three years of high-volume EMS time. Hospital time is an added bonus, as most programs provide interfacility transport of hypercritical patients. Other qualifications include ACLS, PHTLS or BTLS, and PALS. It is also highly recommended that candidates have recent instructor experience.

What should prospective candidates know that will help them prepare for perhaps one of the most difficult interviews they will face in their EMS career?

Air medical agencies are no different from the top employers in any field. They require excellence in their candidates. Their selection procedures are designed to objectify the process. Typically, candidates undergo a team interview—a process that strives to reduce the interviewer’s subjective analysis and render group decisions.

Prospective applicants should be aware that they are engaged in a process that is designed to measure such traits as attention to detail, confidence, abstract thought, clinical aptitude, enthusiasm and maturity, to name a few.

This article outlines some techniques that will help promote you as a candidate the team wishes to hire.

Know Your Facts!

Do your research. Not every flight program is created equal. Network and talk to people. Get to know flight team members on the ground and remember their faces and names. Schedule a ride-along if possible.

Investigate the operational aspects of the program. Find out how long the program has been in service, how many missions have been flown and its track record. Does the program hold CAMTS (Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services) certification? Is the program a victim of high turnover, or does it have long-tenured employees? Find out about training and ongoing educational and credentialing requirements. Acquire these credentials before interviewing. Seek information about bases and schedules.

Prepare for questions involving clinical scenarios. Scenarios give the members of the flight team a chance to evaluate your clinical thought processes and measure your knowledge base. As it is considered a highly critical component of the interview process, applicants should be familiar with the latest treatment protocols, both national and local. You will want to be comfortable addressing trauma treatment, cardiac care, and the care and treatment of neonates and pediatric patients. Take time to review emergency drugs and their dosages. Know key formulas, such as determining the average weight of an infant by age, selecting an appropriately sized endotracheal tube and determining its appropriate depth for placement. Understand common disease pathology and be prepared to discuss differential diagnoses and treatment.

Make a Good Impression

Dress appropriately and neatly for the interview. Refrain from fad clothing and hairstyles, and wear conservative jewelry. Know how to get to the interview site beforehand, and be there at least 15 minutes early. Turn off your cell phone and pager. Hold your head high, smile and introduce yourself to each individual. Give a firm handshake, and tell them it is a pleasure to be invited and considered for the position.

During the Interview

Bring copies of your resume and latest credentials for each team member to review. Carry a portfolio pad and write down the names of the individuals interviewing you. Look people in the eye and address them by name. When interacting with the group, respond to each person individually, taking time to answer questions in their entirety.

Sit up straight, concentrate and relax. Maintain a steady voice and avoid run-on speech patterns. Leave slang at the door; it has no place in a professional interview. Be friendly, but not overly gregarious. Above all, show respect.

Write notes to yourself, not only to record information, but to assist you in elaborating on questions you may have for the interviewers. Ask questions about safety and general maintenance aspects of their air assets. Even though it is a sensitive subject, don’t be afraid to ask pointed questions about past mishaps. All too often, candidates are so captivated by the opportunity to interview for a flight program that they forget to ask the obvious.

Interview Questions

Interviewers typically pose open-ended questions, asking you to fill in the blanks. These questions are designed to see if you can think on your feet using abstract thought processes. Some requests for information include:

• What do you know about our flight program?
• Tell us about yourself.
• What unique qualities do you have that separate you from other candidates?
• What are your strengths and, more important, your weaknesses?
• What is your ideal job?
• Tell us about a problem that you have had with a manager or supervisor and detail the steps you took to resolve the issue.
• What is the job of a flight team?
• Describe customer service and tell us how you would promote our program as a flight paramedic.
• Where do you see yourself professionally in five years?
• If asked, how would your colleagues describe you?

Don’t lie or distort the truth in answering questions. Tenured professionals can sense this bravado and will ask for further elaboration. At that point, you would only succeed in digging your hole deeper and nix any chance of success. If you are asked a question that you don’t understand, ask for further clarification. If you don’t know an answer, say so.

Closing the Interview

Come prepared with questions to close the interview. These questions typically involve human resource-related issues, such as performance reviews, salary, benefits and health insurance. It is OK to ask when a hiring decision will be made and if you will be contacted either way. Provide a telephone number where you can be easily contacted.

Address individuals by name, shake their hands and say, “It has been a pleasure meeting you.” Ask if you have answered all their questions and if you can provide any further information. If possible, obtain business cards from the individuals who interviewed you.

After the Interview

Follow up all interviews with a letter. Open the letter by mentioning or highlighting an aspect of the program that impressed you. Show your enthusiasm, and restate your objective for seeking employment. Most important, provide a substantive argument for why you are the candidate for them. Close by telling the recipient that it was a pleasure to be considered for the position.

Perhaps the hardest part of the whole process is waiting for a decision. If you are chosen for the position, congratulations are in order: Your journey as a flight paramedic has just begun. If you weren’t hired, don’t fret. Being turned down is disheartening, but the reward is in the journey. Learn from your mistakes and ask yourself, “How can I better prepare myself for the next interview?” Maintain a connection at the flight program and seek input. This, and some introspection, will go a long way toward preparing you for your next opportunity to interview for a flight paramedic position.