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Kudos Mateo! I am also a 23 year old medic. Im from TX and I have similar issues with growing up in EMS. I became a basic at 18 and fought tooth and nail to get hired. Not many insurances will cover an 18 y/o to drive an ambulance. Since then Ive had people look down on me for not having the same amount of experience as they do. Im still the rookie where I work and Ive been here 5 years. All that aside, I LOVE my job. Yes there are times when I get down at 3AM for a person that sprained their wrist a week ago and wants to be transported to the ER by EMS because they will be seen quicker. Ive also met some life-changing people. Old people with stories of REAL hardship. Young people who make me realize how I DONT want to live my life. Ive learned lessons by watching other peoples mistakes. Ive also been able to share in other people happiness. Ive been the one to look in the eyes of a woman who lost her husband of 60 years in his sleep and told her that despite our best efforts he died. I think all these things signifigantly impact the life of a young person. Maybe for the better, maybe not. However knowing what I know now, I can tell you that, despite the difficulty, and what may to others be considered low pay, I wouldnt change a thing. I do what I do for my patients, when thats not enough then I'll move on. Just a young medics opinion...

Mazrin, Exceptional first post! Welcome to the City! I noticed that you're not naive about the whole 'glory and teary eyed thank yous' that is so commonly associated with entry level EMS people. Since you appear to have your feet on the ground, let's get right down to 'brass tacks': EMS can be a rewarding career. It's got its 'up sides' and its 'down sides'. A lot of people aren't burned out on the helping people aspect as much as they are on the bullshit that's associated. Depending on the service you're with, you've got: 1. Small vollie politics and ass kissing to get ahead 2. Clicques that you'll find any place you work 3. The "You're nothing more than a warm body in a uniform" mentality of some of the larger services 4. The "You're just a mere Basic, while I am a PARAGOD!" mentality of some of the levels of EMS 5. The 0300 "I've got to go to the ER for this stubbed toe!" call Then there's fighting the 'trauma junkie' mentality that is very pervasive in this field. The disappointment of not being able to 'save the world' because you've got your EMT-B, and have been turned loose with peoples lives in your hands. Depending on the call volume of the service you're on, you may or may not get breaks, you may or may not get 'sit down meals', and you may or may not be returned to quarters between calls. In GA, (and other areas of this great country) the average wage for an EMT-B is about $10.00/hr. By the time you factor in taxes and other expenses; no, you're not bringing home a lot of 'bacon' at the end of the week. Because of this, you start 'jumping open shifts' as they come available. This can lead to relationship problems because you're never around, and you're sleeping if you are. Another 'relationship hazard' is not being able to talk to your 'significant other' about the calls, because a) they won't understand a thing you're talking about or you're trying to shield them from the 'yucky stuff' we deal with in the field. EMS is demanding work, and it takes a special breed of person to be able to deal with all that we come across in the field. Many will tell you that once it 'gets in your blood', it's hard to get rid of the urge to 'jump in and take control of a bad situation'. A lot of EMT-B's get 'burned out' because they're relegated to the IFT trucks, where you're not always viewed as a health care provider, but more of a 'horizontal taxi cab'. Because of this, most people tend to lose sight of the fact that for any private service, the IFT is the 'bread and butter' of the company. They also tend to lose sight of the fact that on an IFT truck, you're getting a myriad of exposures to establish and hone your 'bedside manners' and really get your 'hands on' experience. Then there are those that go into EMS 'blind' until they are called to their first MCI and realize that this is NOTHING like they thought it would be and can't handle the patients screaming in pain. (Why does it always seem that the patients with the minor injuries scream the loudest and longest?) EMS is never a 'steady pace', it's either 'feast or famine'. The calls may be hours apart, or they may be back to back....it makes it difficult (especially with a volly or on call service) to make plans for anything. Sick and injured people don't take holidays off, and usually the 'low man on the totem pole' gets to pull all the holidays... Bottom line: EMS is a field that takes some 'tough as nails' individuals that can learn very quickly how to separate the 'business' from the private life. Many people can't do that, and they end up taking the job home with them. You have to be able to balance being compassionate to your patients, and being able to 'shut it off' at the end of the day. This ISN'T a good career choice for those that want to just do 'eight and skate', who can't leave work at work, and who are just too 'soft hearted'. It is also not a good 'fit' for those that complete EMT-B and think that they're at the top of their game. There is no 'top of your game' in EMS, because our patients rarely, if ever, read the textbooks and act accordingly.....

As most of the frequent flyers around here I have a very long military family history, for that matter my last years post concerning the most holy of days 11 day/11 month/11 hour was a message to my children. It's the Military, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press. It's the Military, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It's the Military, not the politicians that ensures our right to life, liberty or freedom to practice any religion of our choosing. It's the Military who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag. This year I received a story that I would like to share from a friend who served as a Physicians Assistant in Canadian Armed Forces for 20 years this is what she replied to my email in red above and red for good reason. Within minutes of receiving PA CAF email and now feeling very, very angry and crushed that some one would even say this to a Veteran, thinking to myself IS that this attitude taught in the schools ? I believe in Karma next click of "send receive" my little sister an ex RCMP sent me this story do I have to say I forwared this story to my friend and now all friends of EMT City. http://www.snopes.com/glurge/nodesks.asp TRUE.

Hi, everyone. Little bit of background: I recently graduated from college with a degree I'm not really interested in using. Not interested in an office job (23 year old male). Police / Fire / EMS was always something that sort of sat in the back of my mind as something I'd really like to do. I first decided on police. I got hired by the State Police and went to the academy. It was there that my first naive mistake was made. I went into police hoping to be someone that helps people, does something meaningful and rewarding, etc. Turns out the profession and the people in it are too aggressive for my personality (not saying anything bad, it seems like you need it to do what they do, it just wasn't a good fit for me). I left that. No longer interested in pursing a law enforcement job. So, I took up a job doing security (Was easy to get. Needed something to not be stagnant). living back home again for a bit to recoup, figure out what I want to do. I toyed with a number of things, and eventually decide to go for EMT-B, and then after some experience, get my Medic. Taking the (emt- class and loving it. This stuff is really, really interesting. Instructors are cool, I'm currently #1 in the class, and feel I have a talent for it. I don't just memorize answers, I actually really like learning all the "why's" and "hows" behind all the signs and symptoms and stuff. Even if I did nothing with this certification, I'm having fun getting it. Then I find these forums, and read some pretty discouraging posts about how awful this job is, how you can't possibly make a living off the pay, relationships are doomed, etc etc. In my state EMT-Bs avg out at about $16/hr, P's start around $20 avg at about $24+/hour. Maybe that's >average? Seems like enough money for a 23 year old who tends to live modestly. If I go for medic, the $20+/hour seems like enough as well. I'm not looking to make big bucks, just looking to live comfortably and be content in my work. To make a ling story short, what's your take? Think the job is awful? -Then why are you still doing it? Good but pay sucks when you're starting a family / trying to buy a house, etc? -What's a good career to transition into? Any success stories? Thanks for taking the time to read this, and if you do, the time to respond. Feeling a little discouraged. Believe me, after the police thing, I certainly have more realistic expectations of what I'm getting into. I know it's not all excitement and glory and teary eyed "thank you"s. But man, the way some people here talk about it can be a real downer.

+1 for admitting that it might have been a mistake on your part. Now that you have the knowledge hope to see ya on the streets some time.

I actually did have awesome instructors, and I remember them talking about it .I probably was studying while they were talking or I comprehended what they said and just forgot about it since, I didn't take the NREMT, for a long time after. So it's more of a FAIL at me for not being a good student and not paying attention.=]

I have to say that there is alot of military history in my family and while I have had no desire to serve, I have a huge respect for those who have and those who do. I feel and I maybe a bit off course in this but I feel that I am in the minority with my respect for the military in my generation. I hope and wish that I was wrong however at least in my neck of the woods there is almost the same attitude about this current war as there was Vietnam. Now granted I do live in CA where people are a little off their rockers anyway. Anyrate, Thank you LS AK and any others who I do not know about for allowing us (the civies) to hold on to all of our freedoms.

Mateo, Well said! It's refreshing to see a 'younger view' like this. You've eloquently given us a glimpse into the 'younger mind' and the trials and tribulations that many of us 'older dogs' have put behind us as we've transitioned from young adult toward middle age and beyond. A good number of us become jaded as we progress through a higly stressful and demanding career choice. We sometimes forget what it was like to be 'just starting out'. I know I'm guilty of it from time to time. We can all probably recall our first calls, how absolutely terrified we were of potentially screwing something up. As we progress through our professional career, we tend to focus more on how we can become better at what we do. Sometimes we just need a little 'reminder' how far we've come from the days of the newjack with the trembling hands and shaking in our boots, because we weren't sure of what to do, or if we could even do what was necessary. Thank you for that 'gentle reminder'!

Mazrin, to start off with, great first post ! Stick around the City, you should find it invaluable during your tenure in EMS. Although there are some great posts on this thread, I would like to give you a perspective from more of a mental standpoint coming from a young age. I am a 23 year old Paramedic. I am in eastern NC, and my EMS experience is limited to this area. With that in mind, anything said following this is not necessarily how things are on the national level. As a young person entering the EMS field, it can be quite a challenge. Being this young, we still have a lot in life to figure out. I have noticed (personal experience) that between the ages of 18 and 23, we are learning how to be "our own person". The mentality changes from being a follower (do what your teacher says, do what your parents say, etc...) to being an independent young adult really leaves us with quite different advantages and disadvantages. We learn to maintain discipline to do what is good and right, in light of not having consequences placed by authority figures (such as parents/teachers). We are still developing the skills necessary to stand up for ourselves as to not be taken advantage of by others. We are learning to better interact as an adult with other adults who can outrank us greatly with life experience. EMS can have a great impact on the young adult’s development. With that being said, the negativity in EMS, without having that life experience, can be overwhelming and bring out characteristics that you may not be proud of. It is important for you to be open minded with your new experiences, as you need to be able to decipher the good from the bad, and to think independently, and not follow the closed minded views you are certain to face. Without being touchy-feely, but rather quite honest, EMS experiences can create quite a roller coaster ride in your life. For me, I have reflected and noticed many changes that I contribute to my EMS experience. It really forced me to be a more confident person (although that is still changing to this day for me). Others typically will look down towards a fresh and young looking face, chalking us up to being hormonal and inexperienced, not really belonging in a high stress medical career. It taught me that I had to improve my confidence skills, which has been a positive impact on me being "my own person". The confidence shows others that you are ready to embark on the EMS journey. At the same time, it is important to be humble and realize that there is still a lot more for us to learn. As others have mentioned, separating work and personal life has also been another lesson. Although not limited to the young adults, I think for young adults, it where the skill is best learned. It was quite easy for me to succumb to bringing my stress from work to home. Starting out with good habits and practices can define how your whole EMS experience is. Although you are still in the learning phase, remember to learn what is right. The best learning you can do is to question and find out for yourself, not relying on Joe Blow’s opinion. On a financial level, many people find EMS to be inadequate. Being young and unmarried, it is more money than I probably need. It is nice to see a paycheck and know that I have plenty of money to do pretty much what I like to do. Now applying that to a family would be different. While I believe it is doable, with an EMS salary, to support a family, more money is always better, right? Many families live off of less money than an EMT makes, so, it should be doable. Will it be easy, though, probably not. When I get married and have three kids popped out, I’ll come back and let you know how it worked out. I like my job though. I enjoy the nature of the work, the environment, challenges, and learning aspects of the job. That isn’t to say that it is the mother lode of all jobs. I am quite sure there are other jobs out there where I could be just as happy, if not happier, and better off. Why do I stay you ask? Well, probably complacency. But, it is not uncommon to stay where one feels safe and secure. Changes can be scary and that probably has a bit to do why people feel stuck in the profession. As far as careers to transition into, most feel that EMS should not be a transition career, although most think it is. I say transition into whatever you will be happiest with. A lot of folks transition into nursing, some move on to PA and the like. Others though, remain in the profession. There are also opportunities to work in a hospital or clinic setting as a paramedic, so there are some options for you. At our age, there is so much to do, I wouldn’t recommend making up your mind, but rather being flexible. Realize that in a year from now, your thinking and mindset will be different, and as such, your decisions for changes need to be made accordingly. My successes are not based on buying a house or raising a family working EMS. Rather I consider the success to be personal in nature, in that I am happy with the decisions and directions my life has endured. I think that is the key reason you find such negativity in EMS. Many people are unable to be a generally happy person. I am sure you are familiar with the saying ‘misery loves company’. Make any sense? Good luck Marzin, I hope this helps. If you wish anymore information from the ‘kids’ perspective, just ask ! Matt.

Good topic. I think what we're seeing is the next generation of EMS providers, taught by newer generations of EMS educators. While we can't judge the profession based on a few random folks.. Perhaps this is a characteristic that can help EMS advance into better things? Train them well, they'll be treating you someday.

Hugely underutilized piece of equipment. That being said, I haven't used one outside of class. On MVC's my patients have either been so stable that boarding was practically cosmetic, or so unstable there was no time. We carry two on each truck.

Well maybe I can shed a little light here. I mean no where as great as Lone Star or Dwayne but some personal insight. I have only been in this industry 2 years and been at this site even less BUT I will say this. When I first got on a rig I was all stars and sparkles, couldnt wait for that trauma call or the arrest. Well guess what its not like that LOL I love what I do and I do it for free as a vollie. This brings me to this site. When i joined here I hated all the vollie bashing. Check my posts I would fight tooth and nail till I was blue in the face defending my vollie experience. Then a few folks here explained to me the reasoning behind posts and such. Its based on THEIR experiences and as such they are entitled to their OPINIONS. So I digressed and realized that I can coexist with everyone here if I let alot of the negativity to fall by the way side and focus on the meat and potatos of the discussions. Your experiences will be just that YOUR experiences, some will be good. Some will be bad. Good and bad days. Just realize what we really do and try to enjoy the profession. ok some of this is probably incoherent babble as I am pushing 20hrs awake and am looking at another 14 before sleep so I appologize if it doesnt make sense.

I'll do my best to offer a little bit of the other side. EMS is filled with people who don't like their jobs. Everyone seems to have their own particular reasons why, but I will just touch on a few of the common themes so that you can be a little better prepared. These aren't necessarily my personal feelings, but I think they are all pretty accurate. 1. As an EMT, and even more so as a medic, eventually at some point you will realize that you are at the bottom of the totem pole in a system that revolves around hierarchy. Worse, you will realize that you belong there. Medical training for prehospital providers is like a crash course. There is very little of the background, of the science, of the rigorous study that characterizes most serious medical training. Because we lack this, we are constantly at the tip of the iceberg, knowing just enough to get by but not enough to really understand. Depending on your personality and your background, this may bother you every day or never at all. There is no real solution to this problem but to leave EMS and go back to school, which quickly becomes less and less of an option as people get older and more tied down by debt and family obligations. The result is a large population of dissatisfied EMS workers with no real way out. 2. The rest of the medical community, as well as many EMS employers, recognize the deficiencies detailed above and treat EMTs/Paramedics with a constant disrespect. This manifests itself in many ways both big and small, from relative job insecurity ("you are not special, you can be replaced tomorrow no sweat") to nurses/doctors/medical staff who refuse to acknowledge the vital role we play in the continuity of care. Some of this can be relieved on a personal level by maintaining a good reputation, but this takes years of work and at the end of the day when the chips are down, you are still "just" an EMT or paramedic. You will be reminded of this at the worst time and it will make you feel like shit. 3. There is the constant threat of injury. This is a dangerous job that requires repetitive physical motion. Back, knee, and shoulder injuries are extremely common and often career-ending. If that happens you can count only on a pittance from workers-comp for a short period of time, and then ending up jobless with very few marketable job skills. What are you going to do at age 40 with a busted back and a high school education? Not much. I realize you have a college degree, which is great, but this is the reality for an overwhelming proportion of EMS workers. Believe me, this weighs heavily on the mind of any career EMS worker, and it isn't a pleasant thought. 4. We rarely save lives, and a lot of the time it takes some creativity and imagination to even see that we "made a difference" for our patients. The majority of what you do on the ambulance will be needless transport for barely injured or sick people who have no business on an ambulance nevermind a hospital. The ratio will change depending on where you work, but I would (generously) estimate that 20% of the patients I see have a legitimate need for my services. This reality differs dramatically from the expectations of the newly hired. Even if you "know" it's not going to be all blood and guts, I don't think you can truly appreciate how ridiculous the day-to-day can be. Some people are better at handling this than others, as lots of people will certainty attest to on this forum. I can tell you though, if you take a look at people with 15 and 20 years in this business (a small population to begin with), you will find VERY few people who aren't frustrated with this on a daily basis. 5. The pay isn't great, and unless you work for a fire service or the occasional 3rd service municipality, you can forget about a pension or retirement benefits other than a 401-k. $20 an hour may seem like a decent salary to you now, but that money gets eaten up QUICK with a mortgage, school loan payments, and a family. Unless you are extremely good at managing your money (and most aren't), you will likely come to rely on overtime hours, which will be inconsistent and take you away from home for more time than you'd like. I work with a lot of people who routinely pull 60-hour work weeks just to pay the bills, and once you get caught up in that kind of situation it is very difficult to pull yourself out. There are others, but I think those are pretty much the "big 5." Education, respect, injury, B.S., and pay. You should know that this is, however, an extremely rewarding job. Working on an ambulance gives you opportunity to see things that you never would otherwise, and I think really gives you a perspective into life (and death) that very few people get. I don't think there is any other job out there like this, and those benefits shouldn't be ignored. I am very proud of my job and I am extremely glad that I decided to do it. That said, I'm working my butt off to get out.

I really wanted to post a grat motivational post here, but Lone, Dwayne, and Herbie beat me to it. Mazrin, I worked in a different industry for a lot of years - something completely separate from EMS. I got to the point where I hated my job, I was destroying my health and home life with the long hours and stress, and every day I would wake up each day hoping I was too sick to go to work. I was as high up the food chain as I could go, without making a major move to a larger centre or sleeping with my boss (neither of which I was prepared to do!) During the last 5 years of that career, I began working for a local vollie EMS service. As much as you see people on these forums hacking vollies (and there are areas where I have issues with vollies too) I am so glad that it gave me an opportunity to get kmy feet wet in EMS and realize that this is what I really wanted to do. Five years ago, I took the leap to leave my other job, and get into EMS full time. That was the best decision I ever made. I love my job, I love what I do, and even on my worst days, it is nothing compared to the job I had previously. There is negativity on these boards, partly because this is a good place for people to vent, where others will understand. It is also a place where people will tell you to put your big girl panties on and deal with it if you are over-reacting - that is one of the things I love about this place. This is also a place to learn, to make great friends, and to ask questions yhou may be afraid to ask somewhere else. Your post was a great one - I hope to see you here often, and wish you all the best!

Man, Lone Star just killed your thread brother, as that is nearly a perfect post in my experience. There is no way to describe here what the job means and entails to everyone, but if you choose this path you will instantly recognize each and every point that he made. I'm going to highlight a few simply so that I can feel superior and believe if I've added something pertinent to the conversation... I never get tired of pts.in general. There are moments, but they are incredibly rare. My coworkers sometimes make fun of me, mostly in a good way, because I tell them that my theory is to 'love all of my patients. If I love them then I talk to them right and all of the other decisions become easy.' And I believe this, that I share my life with each and every pt that I encounter. (Understand that I have never worked a high volume system with the exception of being overseas, so others may feel differently, and justifiably so) I forget most of them almost immediately when I leave the ER, or in my current gig send them off to the hospital or clinic. But for the few minutes/hours/days that I am with them I try and open myself up and truly see them... I love that. Some here will tell you that that is just a bunch of wanker bullshit. And they will also be right..for them. But sometimes we all get tired of the bullshit we work around. I recently came into contact with a medic that was telling me that the only use he had for Hydrogen Peroxide in his ambulance was convincing the drug addicts that it is an HIV/AIDS test. You bring it into contact with blood, and if it foams, that that is a positive test. I completely destroyed him in front of God and everyone. I forced him to try and explain in front of about 15 people how convincing someone that has almost nothing to live for that they now have absolutely nothing to live for was proper care? I asked him to define the role of a paramedic in healthcare, to define the word compassion. It's wasn't pretty, but I'll bet he's more careful about talking idiotic macho TV crap around people he doesn't know in the future. He doesn't like me much now, and that's ok, because I don't like him at all. Unfortunately he will tell that story to many, many of his coworkers that will think that it's hilarious and will use it on their trucks. Of course the flip side is that you will also run with many providers that will almost take your breath away with their kindness and competence. And for me, that keeps me working, and thinking and studying every day, so that I can try and throw my hat into their ring. But the truth is, if you truly want to be a rockstar provider you will always be in the minority. You will always make others at least a little bit uncomfortable. But fuck em...This isn't a popularity contest. Akflightmedic, chbare, billygoatpete, Mobey, hell...there are probably 30 more here that I could name if I took the time..Being in a profession that allows me the priveledge of having folks like that to council and guide me? Priceless. Yeah, I'm not sure where you're at, but these wages sound well above the national average. I do pretty well now, by my standards, but I work a min of 14/12s in a row in some pretty cool, but weird places. Yeah, this is the down side of having a career that is dominated mostly by kids. They are willing to go crazy, burning themselves out working a gazillion shifts a week. It's not healthy, but it pays the bills they would say. I'm thinking that if you have a family, a house, a boat, a motorcycle and a jetski, that you need to redefine your priorities and what it actually means to pay the bills. Another great point. Plus, if you have a hard time keeping your dick in your pants there is plenty of opportunity to cheat on your spouse or sleep with someone else's. Judging from the quality of your first post though, you don't strike me as someone that has trouble with logic and focus. As far as stories...yeah, mostly they are best left at work unless you have something that hurt your heart, and then of course you should share that with your mate. My wife could not possibly care less about EMS. She's proud of me for being a medic but has no interested in the blood and gore stories, etc. Once, early on I had 6 patients in one day and three of them died. After the last pt was delivered dead to the ER (two were end stage pathologies that died during transit and one arrest.) I swore I was going to duck calls for the rest of the day. As I was walking back to my ambulance, another pulled in so I reached out and opened the doors for them and they had a pt in arrest. My partner was waiting at the truck and saw me riding in on the cot doing compression and almost died laughing at the coincidence of me getting stuck on another dead person. I was laughing my ass off telling this story to my wife who said, "Honey, that story is very funny, I'm sure it is, but please don't tell that to any of our friends or family." Heh.. It's a crazy world... I wish if firemen really needed to get whacker hero tattoos that they would replace the 911 nonsense, (unless of course you were actually there) with some of the words in bold. Ok, not the IFT part, but you know what I mean. Lone Star has pretty much created an EMS primer for you as it relates to your questions. I've got almost nothing to do in the clinic at my current job, which is why I feel the need to chime in and give long winded answers where there often weren't really any questions. But you know what? One of the things I love about being a paramedic? Is that those here get that I'm bored out of my mind, they will allow me my drivel, even support me if I need it, until enough is enough, and then one will be kind enough to say, "Ok man, it's way past time to stop being an asshole. you've had your time, now suck it up princess and go do something productive!" Heh...I love my job.... Dwayne