Newbie w/ a ton of questions...

[HalfPint]

Hello Everyone,

Newbie here, with some questions.

I am a 33 year old female accountant who has quit my job and enrolled in an EMT-B course to pursue my life long dream of someday becoming a Paramedic. My tuition is paid, I have my text books, and class starts next month. So now I have a ton of questions before I start this journey....

-Is it crazy to think that I could be an EMT-B and even progress on to an EMT-P at the age of 33?

-Has anyone ever heard of other women my age starting this career?

-Is there any gender/age bias in the field (or in school) that I should prepare myself for? Off the record of course.

-The first chapter in my textbook states that I "should be able to lift and carry up to 125 pounds". I can do 80 so far, will that be a problem for me in school? I wont have my ride along until mid July. Im sure I can get there by then.

-My school only does one 10-12 hour ride along at the end of the program. When you were a student did you feel that was enough in the field time? Do people ever get more time if they volunteer for it?

-What is the harsh reality of actually finding employment (at any rate of pay), as a fresh EMT-B grad?

-Is there anyone else who has ever gone through my similar situation and is in California?

-How many of you went to a trade school (or vocational school) versus a junior college or university?

Thanks in advance for your responses everyone,

You all have my utmost respect for what you do every day!

[Woody76559]

First of all, relax. It'll all be okay. There are some gender bias that is based on the fact that traditionally women can not lift as much as men. Usually there is someone around that can help lift the heavier folks. And if for some reason you have a patient that is too heavy, call the FD in to help!. Pay rates are low, but the rewards are high. I love this line of work and just happen to get paid for it. If you think you need more time in the field, just let your instructors know. Any instructor that is worth a darn (yes, folks, Woody said darn) will help you get more field time before setting you loose. I'm not sure where you are from, but I try to hire folks fresh out of school whenever I can. Makes it easier for them to get experience and that way I can mold them just the way I want 'em! Just keep in mind that for the most part EMS'ers are a fun loving group of people. If you get offended easily, just be aware that you'll be offended. There are a lot of times you will laugh over a call, but other times it will break your heart. If this is what you want to do, then welcome to the field. We encourage everyone to join us. Just keep one thing in mind: When you begin to lose your compassion and caring that has brought you to this field, it i time to take a break. There is never a maximum age to begin in this field. As long as you can do the job, all are welcome.

Welcome, HalfPint, to your new life. It'll never be the same again. For some it is even better. Mine is. Stop by the Chat Room sometime and get to know us. We're a great bunch!

[Ridryder 911]

In addition to the wisdom of Woody. As an older adult, I believe you can contribute more than you realize. This job really needs more mature, rationale people. You are actually at the median age of most professional medics. As far as gender, it depends (as in all professions) where your employed, I do know of some services with more women than men.

Yes, the pay will probably be dramatically lower, I have hoped you investigated this prior to career change. Although, you can improve your salary, with more education, possible change in location & tenure.

As far as lifting, work out at a gym, increasing leg muscles & have a professional, teach you how to properly lift (patients). Medics, who want to stay in this career, try to learn fast & prevent back injuries. You do not have to be a hulk in this profession.

As far as education.. I highly suggest a collegiate level. If you want to pursue or increase your medical education, hopefully, you will not have to retake courses. Also, I believe, it will be required in the future (some services do have increased pay for degrees) & it might aid in promotions.

Good Luck in your future,

Ridryder 911

[noahmedic]

Well, I am dramatically younger than you, but almost half of my class was people over 30. It seems like this is a very popular 2nd chance career.

There is some gender bias, but it seems to reign more in the fire service, at least in my area.

Don't worry about how much you can lift, you should learn lifting techniques in class, and you can probably lift more than you think you can.

One ride along seems a little on the low side, I was required to do 36 hours with the ambulance, and 12 hours in the E.R. during my Basic class. You should be able to get more time third riding, but you might have to go a little further from home to do it because of the competition from schools for time slots. In my area we have to fight, esp. for our E.R. times.

I had no problem finding employment as a Basic. I believe your desire to go to Paramedic school could be a plus, services are always looking for Paramedics, and most of the time they will pay for your schooling too.

My education is a little strange, my medic classes are at a vo-tech school, but I am receiving college credit at a local private university. They allowed me to design my own degree program in EMS Management, it is based on their standard Management program, but most of my elective/internship time is taken up with my medic classes. All I have left to do is 10 months of medic school. The only complaint I have about the tech school is the number of high schoolers and the rules that we have to follow because of them(no gum in class, I.D. badges must be worn at all times,etc.).

Hope you enjoy your class!

Noah, EMT-B(soon to be EMT-P)

[THE_DITCH_DOCTOR]

-Is it crazy to think that I could be an EMT-B and even progress on to an EMT-P at the age of 33?

No, not at all. Welcome to the family.

-Has anyone ever heard of other women my age starting this career?

Yes, and I can do you one better: one of the EMT students I precepted was a 58 year old retired school teacher. Actually I was her student when I was in 1st grade. How's that for coincidence?

-Is there any gender/age bias in the field (or in school) that I should prepare myself for? Off the record of course.

Maybe....depends on where you are.

-The first chapter in my textbook states that I "should be able to lift and carry up to 125 pounds". I can do 80 so far, will that be a problem for me in school? I wont have my ride along until mid July. Im sure I can get there by then.

I don't think it will be a problem. You be surprised how out of shape a lot of EMT's are. Remember you won't be lifting 125 lbs by yourself most of the time. That's what your partner (or even better the fire department is for)

-My school only does one 10-12 hour ride along at the end of the program. When you were a student did you feel that was enough in the field time? Do people ever get more time if they volunteer for it?

We had to do a lot more clinical time than that.....40 hrs for basic I do believe and we had the option to do more if we wanted. I would double check with your school to make sure you are correct about the ride along because that sounds way too low for an EMT course.

-What is the harsh reality of actually finding employment (at any rate of pay), as a fresh EMT-B grad? Good luck....it can be a real challenge. EMS is not much of a career honestly, be prepared for long hours, low pay, bad working conditions, high stress, above average risk, potentially less than stellar coworkers. Personally I tell anyone who wants to be an EMT or a paramedic to keep their day job and do it as a volunteer.

-Is there anyone else who has ever gone through my similar situation and is in California?

Nope, sorry...can't help you there.

-How many of you went to a trade school (or vocational school) versus a junior college or university?

Basic EMT was a class through a 4 year school; EMT-Intermediate was at a junior college. My other training was through the military

[3Canz]

-Is it crazy to think that I could be an EMT-B and even progress on to an EMT-P at the age of 33?

I am 27 and decided to start school this month. Yes, I thought I was crazy. I had a good paying business, but was completely burnt out so I finally decided to do it. My family still thinks I am crazy, but I don't care.

-Has anyone ever heard of other women my age starting this career?

Yes, me LOL

-Is there any gender/age bias in the field (or in school) that I should prepare myself for? Off the record of course.

I haven't seen any so far really, but who knows.

-The first chapter in my textbook states that I "should be able to lift and carry up to 125 pounds". I can do 80 so far, will that be a problem for me in school? I wont have my ride along until mid July. Im sure I can get there by then.

I would think that unless you have another physical problem (bad back, etc) that the 125 will be possible. You'll go over it in class so you'll know if you can do it.

-My school only does one 10-12 hour ride along at the end of the program. When you were a student did you feel that was enough in the field time? Do people ever get more time if they volunteer for it?

For my school, we do 3 rides, each 12 hours long...I asked if you can do more and they said 'no'. I would check with your instructor to see if they will let you do more. I'm sure if you really needed the exposure, they'd be happy to help.-

What is the harsh reality of actually finding employment (at any rate of pay), as a fresh EMT-B grad?

I will be waiting to see....I did several ride alongs before I started school and one EMT got hired right out of school, but many others can wait up to 2 years around here.

-Is there anyone else who has ever gone through my similar situation and is in California?

-How many of you went to a trade school (or vocational school) versus a junior college or university?

My class is at a community college. My local EMS puts on the classes, but I wanted the college credit and also they were doing a faster class and I didn't want to take all summer getting done with it.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

[lemonlimeEMT]

First off, welcome to EMS, it's a lot of fun and I'm sure you will love it! You aren't crazy for wanting this as a career, or for wanting so "late" in life; plenty of people where I work started in EMS late in life, some have even started in their 40s and 50s, so don't worry about it. As far as gender bias goes, well yeah occasionally you come across it but really it depends on where you are/where you work. But as Woody said, if you are the easily offened type then stuff will offened you, a lot. That's really the only thing I've run into as far as gender bias; I work with a lot of guys and they are constantly asking me if they offended me, and they are trying to watch their language and stuff, although I constantly tell them it doesn't bother me. Don't worry about the lifting, there are always people around to help and if for some reason you guys can't lift the patient, then call in the FD. Jobs are pretty easy to find, lots of places like new comers, just because they can train them the way they want, but there are jobs out there. If you have any other questions, just ask, everyone is more than willing to answer.

[Mark3743]

I hope you get as much out of this career as you would wish for! I am a 45 year old male that is just getting back into EMS after leaving the field in the late 80's. Yes sometimes you will see an age/gender bias. Getting back into this field has got me back into to the gym for the first time in MANY years. Lifting can and will be tough sometimes but don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it! This is a tough career in many ways. Many of the jobs are with commercial paid services of variable quality, but as a newbie that may be where you end up. I don't know where you live but check with your local FD and they may know about opportunities to volunteer. Where I live CT, they are always screaming for more volunteers.

I can understand and empathize with how you feel, but it can and is a rewarding career in many ways.

Take Care and Stay Safe,

[VillageEMT]

Welcome aboard! You are not crazy or at least it's a good kind of crazy. I'm 55 and started only last year as a volunteer. It's never too late. One of our EMTs upgraded to paramedic just last year, he's a retired engineer.

The Fire Dept. paid for my training at the county EMS school, so think about who is going to advance your career when you look for a job. Many places will pay for you to improve your skills, but some will not.

Class is only the beginning of your training. A Basic in NYS needs 72 hours of Continuing Medical Education (CME) every three years to recertify without a refresher course. We also require skills testing periodically. Your mileage may vary.

We were required to have 10 hours of "clinical" time for our Basic class. This could be either in an ER or in the ambulance. The ambulance time only counted if you went on a call with a preceptor and transported to the hospital. Each call only counted as one hour even though our average call time is two hours plus since we are 25-45 minutes from any hospital. My 10 hours of clinical was really about 25 hours, with a major trauma case thrown in for good measure.

Think about running with a local EMS as a volunteer or observer if they will let you. I started driving for our squad before taking the EMT class and learned a lot. (I also learned that I love doing this and could cope with all it involved.) It also helps to know who the local people are and how they work.

Gender issues don't seem to be a problem for us, we are pretty evenly distributed between men and women. After the squad elections next month, I expect that the new co-captain will be a woman who is now our lieutenant.

Our squad is volunteer, but some of our EMTs also work at local hospitals and on other, paid EMS services. EMTs in the ER are becoming more common these days. The hospitals have figured out that they are cheaper and have better trauma and CPR skills than many RNs. It's a different prospective from nursing, your concerned with the first hour of care.

Good Luck!

[ambogrl]

Is it crazy to think that I could be an EMT-B and even progress on to an EMT-P at the age of 33?

Nope! If you are a good EMT it doesn't matter, actually I see more of an age bias with the younger EMT's. Most PT's see a more mature EMT and feel you have more experience than those that are younger, so even though you may be new to the job you prob will get more respect from the PT population.

-Has anyone ever heard of other women my age starting this career?

Yes quite a few people have a late start. From what I've seen they either start right away out of high school or start later after they find their current careers boring or unfullfilling.

-Is there any gender/age bias in the field (or in school) that I should prepare myself for? Off the record of course.

As a female I must say there is a gender bias. Of a starting class of over 90 students (we ended up with around 35 it is a hard course) I was one of 4 females. Most of the students wanted to be Firefighters eventually and that population is still sadly mostly males. So just like anything you have to prove yourself capable. But many people say that women are better in EMS because we can stay calm and assess the situation better than males who are like bulls in a china shop and tend to run in fast and furious.

-The first chapter in my textbook states that I "should be able to lift and carry up to 125 pounds". I can do 80 so far, will that be a problem for me in school? I wont have my ride along until mid July. I'm sure I can get there by then.

My employers say 180lbs but who's counting!!!! Its the gurney they are talking about and you should be able to lift your end without difficulty. Its not the weight as much as the coordination with lifting as a team. Don't worry you'll get it. That is the least of your problems!

-My school only does one 10-12 hour ride along at the end of the program. When you were a student did you feel that was enough in the field time? Do people ever get more time if they volunteer for it?

NO!!!! Skills are everything and no matter how many times you do it in the class room it is NEVER, NEVER like that in the field. I'd ask your teacher if you can do more ride alongs for practice sake. And try to mix it up, one fire, one private ambulance one in the ED, so you can get the feel of the different calls and situations for each. All are very different experiences for all have different areas of expertise. If your prof can't fix you up, they prob can, but if they can't try going to a station or the ED and stating that your a student (you'll get the req. paperwork etc) but you would like to ride along etc... most places will oblige.

-What is the harsh reality of actually finding employment (at any rate of pay), as a fresh EMT-B grad?

Depends on your area.. I'm in Cali too so if you need pointers always ask me. But in general the Bay Area is hard even if you have experience. I had to move to socal for my EMT experience for Medic school. I work fire but not full time......most medic schools in cali anyway need at LEAST 6 mo of FULL TIME experience as an EMT basic. But you have had experience with other jobs and I'm sure have been a star employee so that always counts. Your skills will improve with time but your attitude and work ethic are a big plus and having been in a solid career before will help a lot.

-Is there anyone else who has ever gone through my similar situation and is in California?

Yes, I have so just ask away.

-How many of you went to a trade school (or vocational school) versus a junior college or university?

Sorry I went to a private college have my BA and then to JR college for EMT. Private is usually more impacted and shorter so pay attention! There is a lot of info in a short amt of time!

Be safe, good luck and remember to ask questions!

~Ambo