Becoming an EMT with with a Reckless driving misdemeanor

[Breezy]

Hi there, I am new here and made an account to ask this question...

 

So in 2014 at an age of 21, I drank and drove. I was clear with the judge that I did learn my lesson and will never be doing that again. Subsequently I was given a reckless driving charge which is a misdemanor. Since then I have achieved an associates of science from a local communtiy college and am about to recieve my bachelor's of science in microbiology from a very well respected medical school. I have also since worked under a doctor in a rural area who serves the undeserved, non English speaking patients. 

I want to know, if and when I expunge this reckless driving charge from my record, which will be soon as it has been three years since the incidence, will I be able to become an EMT and go to EMT school? I am extremely interested in practicing the profession and know I can help a lot of people being trilingual (fluent in three languages). 

 

Thank you

[medicgirl05]

This may very by state, as the state is the licensing body...I work in Texas, so I'll speak to that. I assume the process will be similar, but won't swear to it.

A misdemeanor on your record shouldn't prohibit you from becoming licensed, the problem would be an agency hiring you because of insurance concerns related to the reckless driving. If this gets expunged, I would think it's no longer an issue.

Question for you-Why do you want to be an EMT? If you have a degree in microbiology it seems like you could use that for a much better career with advancement opportunities. No judgment, I'm interested in your answer.

[Just Plain Ruff]

ok, I'll ask the question that no one ever asks 

Why did  you drink and drive?  

But that question aside - You will find many of us on this site, myself included that you won't get much support from in your quest to become an EMT.  The reason why I say this is one of the worst things we see is the senseless disaster that are drunk driving accidents.  They are 100% preventable by the DRUNK who decided to get drunk and then get behind the wheel of the car and drive, then hitting a family or a kid or whatnot and killed them or maimed them.  Again, this is 100% preventable and we in this business are tasked with picking up the pieces of this 100% preventable disaster.  

So this is why we don't have much sympathy for anyone who comes here with stories of having been arrested for drunk driving and wanting to be an EMT.  

Now that being said, you need to call your state EMS licensing bureau and talk to them directly and ask them about your situation. They and only they can tell you if you can get an EMT license.  Then if they say Yes you can, then you then need to call the prospective EMS Agencies you might want to work for and ask them if you can even get insured by them as a 21 year old emt with a previous reckless driving charge on your license which for the places I have worked, reckless driving held just as much NASTY connotations as a drunk driving charge and that person application who had that history on their driving record was immediately placed into the circular file and shredded.  

I hope you never make the stupid decision of drinking and driving ever again.  And yes it was stupid and I hope you learned your lesson. hopefully you know it could have been a lot worse than just getting arrested and ticketed like you were.  

But I do wish you the best in your future endeavors.  But I also do second MedicGirls question,  why do you want to be an EMT when you have a degree in Microbiology.  I'm sure that degree can get you more money than a 8-10 dollar an hour or so EMT job.