I was going to become pilot. After taking a few intriductory lesson, i decided not to. I also was going to be a paramedic/volenteer EMT, regardless of any other job that i do. I decided that I wanted to do research on this as a full time career. When I chatted to a family member about this, they looked at me and said "come on, you have the potential to be more than that." My dirty look initiated the response "umm, well, I mean, you know, I'm not saying anything about paramedics, I just think that you have the abilty to do much more and experience more opertunities...[mumble, mumble mumble]"

Frankly, that pissed me off. Now, if paramedics got paid the same as a docter, or Chartered accountant, or pilot, I wonder what her response would have been?

My question then is, is money as big an issue to a paramedic as this person seems to think? if so then how do you getting around that if you are determined to follow this career?

[I apologise for the rant. this person really hit a nerve today, and i'd like to find out from people who actually are involved in the emergency services. Grrrrrrr...]

I get the same sort of thing when I tell people i'm studying Archaeology (although its obviously not in the same vein as a paramedic is a much more important and difficult job).
"Well, archaeology's good as a hobby but, a career?"
Money isn't everything. <img src="images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

WOFT:

I have had the same problem for 24 years or so now. I have known several family members and friends who just “look down their nose” when they have found out that I volunteer with a ambulance service. First I was a police officer and later learned to be an EMT. Now I am an intermediate trained EMT and a part-time or reserve police officer.

Today, I work in real estate full time and while I enjoy this work, I still have some people think I could have done better. It has never been about the money, but rather about personal satisfaction. I have sure you probably have the heard the saying that “If you work at a job you truly love—you never really work.” I can assure you that this is true. Yes, I wear many hats and although real estate allows for more personal freedom the job satisfaction is definitely not the same. It did however help pay for my pilot lessons as a private pilot.

Sadly many people of our society put emphasis on success with the amount of material possessions you can acquire. This is really how people have been raised and they really believe this. I would much rather be happy then to be wealthy and miserable. I say follow your heart and find out what you want not what anybody else expects you to do. I have known several paramedics and EMT’s to move on and finish their education to become Doctor’s, Nurses, Lawyers and other professional occupations. There is also the burnout factor, which contributes to job dissatisfaction. Most cite the money issue, some the demand of the job, some the lack of training. Those who experience this eventually leave the job.

I read a statistic, which stated the “average” paramedic has just 8 years experience and rare is the case of a permanent career. This was an actual quote from the US Dept. of Labor. Nurses averaged about the same. In each case job burnout was cited as the primary reason for leaving the occupation. Not mentioned however are the costs of training (initial) and the cost of retraining. All is not gloom and doom though. I know several people with the same amount of time-in-service, some who have made it 30 years and some that retire from the occupation. I even have considered moving to full time EMS and doing real estate part-time.

Take care,
Stargazer

ASAP= Always Suspicious, Always Prepared

Shame on whoever you were talking to, if paramedics were paid what they're worth, we couldn't afford them. Some professions are followed from the heart (paramedic, fire fighter, police, teacher) not the wallet. I thank God every day that there are people out there willing to do what has to be done for the good of others. I'm a Union Laborer by trade, currently working the nukes, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to those of you who work in "giving" professions.

Troy

Woft and Ditchfield,
I find the same thing occuring to me.
"What you want to be when u finish A levels?"
"I am interested in becoming a paramedic"
and their instand response is
"oh come on, you can do better than that!"

Reinhardt

How much is the life of your loved one worth to you? How much would you pay somebody to save your family member when they are dying? Personally I would give everything. But entry level careers in emergency medical field don’t pay enough. I'm an EMT and I still have a second job to manage my finances. Right now I started paramedic course which will put things in the better light once I graduate.

EMTs work in the background. Every fire, shooting, car accident, assault has medical workers in the background doing his job. We patch people up, bring them to the hospital and do our best to keep them alive. PD and FD get all the glory. Do we care? Of course not. Our biggest reward is seeing patient who was on the way out to be back in full swing. Unfortunately our profession is looked down upon. We see people at their worst. And we deal with people who would not be your choice of friends on the regular bases. It’s an honorable and humble profession and most important it’s a job. If somebody is putting it down ask them what difference did they make lately in the world? I saved somebody’s xmas by saving their dad. I can’t be everywhere but I can make a change one patient at the time.

Plus health is a funny issue to talk about. People don’t want to admit it that they are sick or they have a problem. People don’t want to face the fact that they just brushed with death due to accident, life style or age. They treat medics are their enemies because we are evil. We ask all the “shameful” questions which sometimes are uncomfortable. I will ask you if you drink, smoke, do drugs, if you are suicidal, your medical history, problems, etc, etc… It will make you upset because when faced with two complete strangers who just found out that you called 911 because you felt dizzy and ready to pass out but in reality you drunk 3 pints of vodka and now you do realize that you may have a problem. Or that you are 400 lbs with 2 heart attacks and you are going into another one yet on your bed table you have a glass that is filled with gravy. Or that you just beat your wife up and she stabbed you… I know things about you that should have stayed behind closed doors and that makes people to be ashamed. Many think they are invincible but that’s not the case.

Plus going lights and sirens for coffee and donuts doesn’t help our image either. <img src="images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Matt EMTB/Paramedic Student

Stargazer:

Interesting statistic. I left career EMS about 8 years ago. I could probably count 1 or 2 people that I worked with that are still in the EMS field that are not in upper management.

BTW: I still get nightmares about that job <img src="images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />


Chris

Sorry not to have replied any sooner, but we were away for most of the weekend, plus I wanted to formulate carefully my response to this post. First of all, some people are impressed by titles, rather than what the individual does as a person. What I mean by this; is that a person who equates whatever their particular job or skill they possess in terms of how they can best be of service to others, is in my book the most worthy of society. A street sweeper who performs their job with earnest and does so because they know they are providing a valuable service to humanity by creating a sanitary and esthetically pleasing environment, is, in my humble opinion of great value to society. A doctor, scientist or businessperson who does not put the needs of their patients, society or clients first, again in my humble opinion, is not fulfilling the purpose of life, as I understand life’s purpose.

The following is my history with Emergency Services and decided to give you some idea of my background and am not in any way tooting my horn. I feel you should know where I am coming from and where my experiences have led me to, in deciding what is important in life. I became an EMT-A (now EMT-B) back in the mid 70’s. I was active for a little over one year, and then got married, family life took priority, so I dropped my certification for many years. At the onset of Gulf War I, in the early 90’s, I observed numerous reports of shortages in EMS, fire and law enforcement personnel since many of them were in the Reserves and were being called up for active service. I discussed the situation with my wife and decided to reactivate my EMT-A status. Since the company I joined, primarily was a fire department, I took firefighting classes as well, completing FFIII National Certification. At the time technical rescue was also added to the pot and have taken more classes in this area then I can list. I completed CRT (EMT-I) classes back in 94’ and then completed Paramedic classes in 96’s, so I have been an active ALS provider for almost 10 years. Career wise, I have an MS in Biomedical Sciences and have been employed at the National Cancer Institute- Frederick for over 28 years in the Biomedical field.

In response to those of you that have encountered individuals/family who may look down at EMS provides and at paramedics in particular, they should be made aware that short of a physician, paramedics are the highest level of pre-hospital care provider in an emergency setting, higher than RN’s, NP’s and PA’s. Many of the skills paramedics perform can only be performed by a trained physician and generally a trauma or ED physician at that. Gone are the days of EMS providers being ambulance attendants, they are all professional emergency care providers, career or volunteer, it does not matter. In many states paramedics (including Maryland – where I live) are licensed, just like MD’s, PA’s, NP’s and RN’s by the State Board of Medical Examiners. In many states, paramedic education requires a two year AAS or four year BS in emergency medical services. Just as nurses have had to fight to gain professional recognition, paramedics are in the early stages of this endeavor as well. It should be noted that in part due to the lack of support/respect nurses have received in an historical context, within the US, a significant nursing shortage exists. With the expanded scope of practice, additional educational requirements and increasing demand of the number of paramedics, shortages are also anticipated. Becoming a paramedic strictly to do so as a volunteer is becoming more and more difficult with all of the additional requirements. Paramedic salaries are where PA’s were years ago. In our area, paramedic starting salaries are around $35,000 plus. I was talking to a paramedic supervisor from a near by jurisdiction and with overtime he grossed over $100,000 last year, not to bad and a lot more than I make in my chosen field. Pete

To all who replied, Thank You.

Pete
What are MD’s, PA’s, NP’s and RN’s?

Matt
I hope I don't step on your toes, but what is your other occupation?

MD = Medical Doctor
PA = Physician's Assistant - an "almost Dr" - they can do a LOT of medical procedures as long as they are under the (very) loose control of an MD - if I remeber right, it can be by phone in many cases
NP = Nurse Practitioner -Slightly lower down the scale - Don't remember exactly what their rights are
RN = Registered Nurse - aka, a REAL nurse - gone through REAL schooling. These folks are the real front line troops in the average hospital

PAs and NPs were an outgrowth of the MD shortage of the 50s, 60s, 70s etc. They fill the nitch between a nurse, and an MD. The first time _I_ heard the concept was in a 1940s article that proposed the idea of a "Nursing Dr"