Hello my fellow Firefighting and EMS Professionals

[Dustdevil]

Prove me wrong. Quit making excuses and feeling sorry for yourself. Git 'er done!

Then you can thank me someday for kicking your arse into gear.

Otherwise, I get to gloat about being right.

Your choice. :wink:

[ALERT Medic]

Forget it. You don't have a snowball's chance. Not enough discipline or dedication, and your credits are too old now. You'd be starting over from square one, yet you can't even afford to go to school full-time, much less give it the kind of effort you'd need to be competitive. Continuing to talk about it will only cause other medics to laugh at you behind your back.

For that matter, it's looking like you don't have the discipline or dedication to be a paramedic either. Get your head straight or find another career before you're too old.

Tough love, baby!

Ok Dust, I think you're being a little harsh on this one.

[The Hook]

Hey DustDevil,

I have only been on EMTCity for about a month. I see your responses on most of the posts I have read here. I have never seen or heard you be so damn rude to anyone. I am disgusted. She was right, you should be ashamed of yourself. Tough love is one thing. Being outright rude and cruel is another. Being an EMTCity Master gives you a great deal of privilege here. With great power comes great responsibility. Ever hear of that one? It is, with your education and experience, your responsibility to hold yourself to a higher standard than the rest of us. I was surprised at your lack of class to say the least.

I hope for better from you in the future.

The Hook

[Dustdevil]

Horsecrap. It is my experience that tells me she is on the road to failure, because I've been there. More than once.

If she has what it takes, she'll get her head together and overcome the odds rather than complain about them. If not, she'll fail like me. And enablers like you who did nothing to encourage her will share the blame.

I'm not wishing her failure. Far from it. I'm pointing her current destination out to her so she can either accept it or change it.

And I'll be the first to congratulate her if she succeeds.

[Neesie]

Welcome EMT Wolf. I agree with Dustdevil in the fact that you need to make sure that you REALLY want this and no more quitting for silly reasons. However, I do wish you all the luck. It sounds to me like you do want to persue a career as a medic and I hope you succeed. Make sure to put your nose to the grind and work as hard as you can. Be as dedicated as possible and then push to be even a little more dedicated. You are lucky that your medic school is only $1500-5000. Here in Canada, or atleast where I am from, you have to pay as little as $20,000.00 for a 2 year course! Consider yourself lucky!

Good luck and I hope you succeed in whatever you decide to do.

Neesie

[emt_wolfe]

With all due respect, Sir, I do not feel sorry for myself as you seem to think. I am very happy with the way things are coming along for me. Lastly, I would like to apologize to you, I did not join this website to bicker back and forth between people, but rather to gain new perspectives about our profession from others that have the advantage of years of experience. In posting my initial topic, I certainly did not intend to cause a conflict. Again, I thank you for trying to offer your advice, and wish you know ill regard.

Danielle

[Ridryder 911]

Although, I may not agree with Dust's frankness.. he is right. We have been in the field long enough and worked with enough people, after a while we can judge character and intent. It is part of our job.. No we are not a bunch of old cynical old medics.. just seen it too many times before.

He did not say you could not do it... just chances are, you may not..

Like him, I have seen hundreds or maybe even thousands of enter this field with intentions of going to medical school.. nursing.. even Paramedic.. etc..yadda ..yadda.

The EMS bug bites them, they become engrossed in EMS that their priorities change.. along with personal life that may or may not accompany this life style (look at other personal posts or even peoples blog).

I cannot speak for Dust, but I am sure he would agree, we wished we had a nickel for every "I am going to be a Dr. someday!, partner I have had. I can predict within 15 minutes if you will or not.. I am so far about 98% accurate.

Many think it is being smart, educated that makes one go through medical school.. well partly..but the main point is the motivational drive. Without it .. you will never finish any education programs. Really, most will agree all courses can be conquered if the drive is there... albeit it may be tough. or even have to get a tutor.. but, if the drive is strong enough, you will manage.

Myself, Dust and some others that have been in the field for a few years (>25) are not seeing anything new in some of the ideologies.. except, when we were younger there was no one to point it out to us. I wished I had someone to "wake me up " and told me to get my ducks in a row!...

There are VERY few that ever enter EMS and progress into a physician. Most of the ones I have seen were medics that decided after several years later to become a physician, not the ones that wanted to become one before entering the field. In fact in my 29 years, I have only seen 3 or 4 in compare with the 60 or so that was medics prior to becoming Docs. Again, the motivation was to become a physician for many reasons.. mainly for increase patient care, financial, and career reasons.

So don't take it we our trying to brow beat you.. just, like in the field or even in here we hear or see so many, with the same statements. Like he described "prove him wrong"....

Good luck.. keep studying and go forward!

R/r 911

[Patch]

I am wondering, other than motivational drive or "Git'r done", what do you old dogs believe would be good intro to ems or what do you guys consider the proper start to an EMS career. Such as courses/ education, volunteer, rural vs. urban, clinical vs field?

[Ridryder 911]

There are several posts regard to this, but the main points is general education. Really, reading. writing and mathematics.. on a collegiate level. Plenty of science core courses, will help you no matter which course you decide.

Believe it or not these supplemental courses actually make medic courses easier.. having study habits and A & P increases your knowledge .

So many jump into EMS and EMT courses without basic education thinking "I will get that later".. and never do or do many years later. Most do not realize, most universities have a time line (usually 5 yrs) on science course that has be to be re-taken, so you can see where motivation is important.

Good luck,

R/r 911

[Dustdevil]

In posting my initial topic, I certainly did not intend to cause a conflict. Again, I thank you for trying to offer your advice, and wish you know ill regard.

Thank you. And I sincerely do wish you the very best in your education and career. I was not looking for conflict. I was looking to give you the wakeup that I -- just like Rid -- wish I had gotten much earlier in my career to focus on what was truly important to me and go straight for it instead of continuing to make so many excuses and take so many side roads. You see, there was nobody to give he and I advice when we were young in our careers. There were no old vets around in the 70's and 80's. We had to figure out all this stuff as we went along. Today, you kids have the benefit of nearly 35 years of experience to help you along the way. Take advantage of it.

You've got to make that decision now. If you intend to be a doctor, you better be taking a full load THIS SUMMER! No EMT school. No paramedic school. We don't need anymore tourists in EMS. If you're not going to devote yourself seriously to it as a career, then please do us, yourself, and the profession a favour and focus on med school. Without focus, you will NEVER get there. If you intend to be a paramedic, then again, get into school THIS SUMMER and start taking the prerequisites. And forget medical school, because, again as Rid said, it simply doesn't work that way. Paramedic is not a stepping stone to medical school. It is a stumbling block to medical school.

Good luck!