I have come to the stage in life where I got to make a choice in my education. This is an important one as it will have an effect on which career I am able to pursue later on. But I don’t know what I want to do. I have got thoughts on what I would like to do but I can’t get to a decision.
One thought is to become a paramedic. I know that there are some members of this forum who are based in the medical world and I wondered if they could give me advice.
What I would like to know is (especially from paramedics)
1. do/did you enjoy your job and would you recommend it?
2. what are the qualities a person must have to become a good paramedic?
3. what qualifications would you recommend when applying?

Thanks in advance

Reinhardt 4/4

Hi,

Well to answer question in a nutshell, it can be the greatest experience of your life or the worst. So much depends on you the person. I choose to be a paramedic as a volunteer, my "real" job is working in a biomedical research lab where I have been for over 25 years and for me a career change as this point in my life is not practical. As far as being career vs. volunteer, there is NO difference in the training, continuing educational requirements or professionalism. My volunteer partner on the medic unit is a career medic in another county. Career EMT's, paramedic or firefighters have an advantage in that they have more of an opportunity to hone their day-to-day skills quicker than I can. On the other hand, many in the emergency services field have and do become "burned out" quicker. Although, I do not have any hard figures, my experience is that marital/divorce tends to be higher that the general public (again in my experience, not me personally, I have been married 23 years). I do what I do because I have a need in my life to help others that is what fulfills me as a person. I spend at least 50 to 60 hours a month between the medic unit and the technical rescue team I am on. My wife/family are very supportive, although I have missed many of my daughters' (I have 3) important events, i.e. proms, sporting events (they are swimmers), school events, I know they would not want me to give up what I do, in fact they too have picked up the "bug" of helping people. The older two are lifeguards; the oldest teaches CPR, First Aid and Life guarding classes. Both of the older ones have accompanied me on trips to Ecuador on medical missions. As to the education, I can only address here in the US. For EMT-B's, most jurisdictions/states sponsors Department of Transportation (DOT) approved classes, I believe it is around 120+ hours (I took my original EMT in 1976 and some hours have been added); there is also an EMT-I level, which is closer to paramedic training, in terms of skills. Most paramedic level training now requires at least two years of college, in some areas four and is generally 300+ hours over and above the 120+ hours for EMT-B level training. Paramedics are considered the highest level of pre-hospital care provider, second only to physicians, we have no standing within (at least in Maryland) the hospital proper. In Maryland paramedics are licensed by the state, as opposed to being certified, as are EMT-Bs. I have to go now, but will be happy to answer or consult with you in way possible. Pete

Well said Pete.

I was career EMS (EMT-I) for about seven years for two different commercial services. Both were in depressed urban environments. Although we were the primary service providers, about 90% of our time was spent doing routine transfers between healthcare facilities. The other 10% of calls were classified as "emergencies" but very few were even close to life threatening.

The work hours changed from week to week and when I first started on the job the folks at McDonalds made more money. There were also personal issues to deal with. I worked with a lot of people having marital difficulties. Mostly because of the long hours and poor pay. On more than one occasion I worked with a partner who was "under the influence". Due to the difficulty in hiring people, management generally turned a blind eye to this and would just make sure the offender wasn't behind the wheel (treating the patient was okay though).

For me, this was the sad reality of EMS. Oddly though, I am also glad that I did it because of the experiences and the insights into society that I gained.

I got out of it about seven years ago. Today, I could probably count on one hand the number of people I know that are still in the field.

Please keep in mind that there are parts of the US where EMS is much more progressive . Also, Employment with a government body is generally more desireable than with a company whose only focus is money.

Chris

PS: I am a much happier person today.

I just went thru all my testing to become an Emergency Medical Technician. It's probably one of the greatest experiences I had in my life so far. I did a lot of medic stuff in the army so I decided to be an EMT on the side after all this 9/11 stuff happened. You can't describe the feeling you get when you save somebody. Even before my exams we did rotations on ambulances and I got a chance to bring back some folks and receive a birth. I mean there is me with all this theory learning, hand in hand with my partner bringing back a lady who collapsed on the street. When we got to her she was almost gone. Her vital signs were off the chart and you do what you have to do and your training kicks in and next time you walk into the hospital, nursing staff tells you that she made it and she is going to be ok. This is one of the kind feeling that shows you that you single handed can make a difference. Job has a down side as well .There is a lot of waiting, some patients are nasty, you taxi a lot of drunks and crazies and have numerous bull crap calls but that one call that you get when you go out all the way makes it all worth it. I just keep telling my self that I see people at their worst therefore I forgive all their radical behavior. Since you are in Portugal right now I have no idea how rules about medics work in Europe but in the states you need a high school diploma and be at least 18 years old. It’s definitely a choice since medic careers are stress full and working in the high paced environment can really put a lot of load on you but it is a rewarding career. You will not become super rich but it pays enough. To be a good Medic you need to be curious, polite yet firm, sharp and have ability to think fast and improvise. A lot of times in the field stuff happens that no book can describe it and there are those calls that you wished you never got (infant/child problems or abuse trauma). You have to be able to look professional no matter what. When patient looks into your eyes, he can’t see fear or distress or uncertainty. He needs to see confidence and knowledge. I got called to gunshot wound to the neck and none of the stuff was in the book. Yet you follow what you know and learned and this kid’s mother when she looked at us she knew we will save her kid. I only knew the basics about child birth in the middle of the course yet when it came to one I got my stuff straight and did what I had to do. Delivered a healthy baby boy without any problems. I was scared and really afraid but on the outside I was cooler than Shaft. It’s not for everyone and I deal with a lot of Medics who are burned out or don’t care anymore. I think you should ask a local ambulance crew to let you ride with them on couple of calls. You see the real deal right there. Just remember and I did find it disturbing at first that you are the most important person on that scene. Your safety and ability to perform is far more important than anything (even than patients health). Yes heroic acts are great but if you get hurt, you are not good for anyone. We get about 6-7 calls for 8 hour shift and that adds up to a lot in a week. Most of it is nothing serious and that kind of makes the job repetitive and boring but like I said before, this one serious call makes up for all of it.

Matt

Reinhardt

What are your other ideas/career options? I'm also nearing the stage where I need to make a few descisions, or at least have some ideas about my future.

I'm not too sure about other countries, but in South Africa, many matriculants take a 'Gap' year. this is a 1 year break before they start tertiary education or settle down and start working. The 'gappies' usually work abroad, travel or pursue their hobies and other interests. this also gives them another year to decide what they want to do in the future.

Good luck wih your descisions.

One question. Are you planning to stay living in portugal

Wouw! what a response! I printed the threat out and will now read it (really excited) and then will reply. As I said before it's really hard here to get on the net and when i am on its a slow connection and haven't got much time (we haven't even got a telephone cable at home yet! <img src="images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />). THANX
<img src="images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

I greatly enjoyed my job, I was a paramedic from '87 till '00; it both took a lot out of me and gave a lot in return. I would not have changed the jobs I had, or the choices I made.... lots of interesting experiences.

I recommend you talk with medics and firefighters to get a feel for as many opinions on this as possible. Also, I believe that experience in an emergency room is invaluable. There are often volunteer positions that are available in an ER.

As far as qualities, a sincere desire to help others would be at or at least near the top of my list. Everything else can probably be taught/ learned both in the classroom and on the street, but without this quality, I don't think a person can be effective in this career. This quality should, In my opinion, be emphasized in any application process as well.

Feel free to drop me a private message if you like...

Tim Hogan, Edmonds, WA, USA
(former paramedic & currently a firefighter)

Pete, Matt,Tim and Chris,
Thank you very much for your information. I printed it out, read it several times and underlined all the important bits. The information gave me a clearer picture of life in the medical world.

In England I send letters to three different paramedic services asking them for “work experience”. Sadly none of them replied. Then one day I saw a paramedic standing next to his ambulance. I grabbed my chance and told him my story about the failed letters. In return he explained that there is very little chance of me getting to ride with an ambulance crew. Merely for the sake of safety.

Chris,
What career did you pursue immediately after you left your job as career EMS?

Woft,
The other ideas I got is to get into the outdoor pursuit business. The closest thing to that I think is to work with tourists whether national or international. I don’t like the idea of working with inexperienced people who are not encouraged to think for themselves once they enter the outdoor environment. What I am looking for is working with people in an outdoor environment with the same amount of knowledge and expertise. Sadly I know no job description that matches this one apart from the
army. I have been thinking about that one for several years. I tried running away from the option but it doesn’t stop coming back. Apart from the obvious drawbacks (NBC warfare, having to work for a cause I don’t agree with, losing limbs, working for an organisation that does not have a problem destroying a forest which I would enjoy walking through) I am not welcome home anymore if I do join up.
So although the drawbacks I think it offers more than any other organisation in terms of being able to be outdoors, a reason to keep up the survival interest and good future prospects.

About the gap year since last summer I have not been doing a lot as I first would move inside the UK so after my exams (AS level) I discontinued going to school. Then it became clear that we wouldn’t be moving. In the meantime I worked on the farm where we rented a house. In October we moved to Portugal. Now I am waiting for the Portuguese course to start which has been postponed again! So by the summer I should know basic Portuguese to start school. That is one year of doing more or less nothing (well working on a farm for 4 months and moved house twice (I recently moved house inside Portugal 15 min inland)). So that will be exactly 1 year when I start school. Although rumours is that here they have 3 months summer holiday because of the extreme heat. It is more a question of wanting to study in Portugal which brings me to the next question from…

Pete,
No, I am not planning on staying in Portugal. It sure is a fantastic country but not when you are young. I sure do want to live in a country like this when I am settling down. Now it is boring and spreading out my education over 3 different countries, having to learn three different languages, is not a good idea. I want to finish my education in Holland but my parents can’t finance it. The one option is to join the army and become a medic or something. Then I get free education.
Reinhardt 4/4

Reinhardt:

I jumped ship entirely and went into the equipment leasing (banking) business. Its definitely not as exciting but the health and education benefits are much better.

Sorry to hear about your luck with the English services. A friend of mine there has been trying to get an ambulance job for quite a while. There is apparently a long waiting list and few openings.

Is there a Red Cross organization in Portugal? That might be a start for training.

Chris