God Bless the Broken Road....

[rat115]

What got me here? That's a long story.

I started out after high school wanting to study to get my DVM. I moved to CO and met my husband. I ended up putting him through school for his master's degree, and I got my m-o-m instead of my DVM. In 2002, my hubby injured his back and had to have surgery. While on disability, he got an offer for the job he's got now, so we moved. In 2004, he reinjured his back while we were over 40 minutes from a hospital over rough rural roads. His family refused my wanting to call an ambulance, so I took him to the er. Turned out that he had reinjured the disk he had had surgery on and fractured 2 vertibrea. That got me really thinking and I realized how much I knew and how much more I would like to know. I got the opprotunity to take the EMT-B course through the local community college, took the class and I really enjoy the challenges of the job.

[Eydawn]

When I was a small child I wanted to be a police officer. I was homeschooled and pretty sheltered. Went to an inner city public high school, met the people I'd be arresting and developed asthma and decided cop was not what I should head for. Played around with the idea of becoming a microbiologist for a while, and then got into a venturing crew where I got my First Responder... the first time they let me on the ambo for a 3rd ride, that was it. Help! It's got me and it won't let go! I hear sirens in my sleep! (the EMS bug)

Wendy

NREMT-B

CO State EMT-B

MI State EMT-B

[SooC]

Hmm....sounds like everyone has a good reason why they got involved in EMS....wish I had one- I dont even know why, but just one day it clicked- this was definately what I wanted to to do with my life. Never had any interaction with any paramedics before I decided to persue this career. Rode out for 4 months in my last year of highschool (seems like forever ago) and was exposed to a variety of different calls, making me want to persue this career that much more! I've wanted to do this for 7 years now- and am finally in the program.

So to answer the original question "did EMS make your life more or less fulfilling"....Im still a student (so I dont know if it counts), no other job would "fulfill" me like being a paramedic....Since alot of my classmates and I may not make it into our second year of the PCP program- we've discussed 'what we would do if we didnt become paramedics', Id probably end up a homeless bum downtown- I dont think there is any other job for me (wow I do sound like an overly-ambitious student!)

[kristinaemtb]

i was a phlebotomist before becoming an emt.i went into phlebotomy because i wanted to be in healthcare without having to take care of patients.boy-how did this happen?i'm in just the opposite now.but in a way i'm not---see...i hand over my patient and go on to the next---just like phlebotomy.I enjoy my career but getting paid $6.25 an hour makes me wanna quit

[09E]

After I left FDNY, I decided that paramedics were all that and a bag of chips! :3some: