Skip to content

About Emily

I'm Emily, and I'm an ER Tech.

I started with no healthcare experience and worked my way into the emergency room one step at a time. I made ER Tech Academy to be the guide I wish I'd had: honest, practical, and kind to beginners.

Emily, host of ER Tech Academy, smiling at the camera

How I got here

Helping people has always come naturally to me. I wanted a career that makes a difference, and this path is how I'm building mine.

My first step was my CNA, from a summer program at my high school: about four weeks of class plus two of clinical. It was my biggest hurdle and my first look at healthcare. I waited almost a year and a half after certifying before my first job, and I went home crying after day one. If I could go back, I'd start working the moment I was certified.

Today I'm an ER tech in a hospital emergency department, floating between units. I spent seven years as a CNA before my first ER job, and I've been an ED tech for about two years. I've also worked at a level one trauma center.

The path, step by step

  1. CNAMy first certification, from a high school summer program.
  2. PCTAdds clinical skills like blood draws and EKGs.
  3. MALearned on the job while working as a medical assistant.
  4. EMTMy newest certification. I tested into it through my employer.
  5. ER TechWhere I work now.

I break down each step, and the videos that help with it, on the Start Here page.

My journey

I'm not stopping at ER Tech.

My longer-term goal is medical school, and one day becoming a surgeon. That's a long road and I'm still on the first part of it. As it unfolds, I'll share it here, the same honest way I share everything else.

Behind the channel

Orlando produces ER Tech Academy: scripts, filming and editing, and publishing. Emily brings the clinical experience and the stories.

A note on what this is

ER Tech Academy is for education only. It is not medical advice, and nothing here guarantees certification, a job, or any particular pay. Everything I share is from my own experience, and requirements differ by state and employer. I never share patient information.

Come along for the journey.

Subscribe on YouTube