Any paramedics or EMTs on /fit/?
Tell me what you love and hate about your job.
>>36647855
one time i go call on patient
he do a big poopy in the ambulance
i quit job
i did a course through solo southeast to get WEMT. Had so much fun in class until clinicals.
>Saw young kid die while admitting stroke victim to ER
>motorcycle accident get cerebro spinal fluid on hands through cut while holding c spine hadda get tested
>elderly transportation 90% of calls all shit themselves
EMT's have it pretty hard dude that was only a few days of clinicals the kid's death rattles still is the hardest thing I saw. I am a pussy. Got certed and never even looked for a job.
Medical intern here.
I love blood and broken bones.
I hate children, women and fat people.
This interests me. I'm currently finishing jpmy undergrad in Biochemistry, would it be dumb to become a paramedic? I'm considering med school as well, my end goal is trauma medicine of some sort. Not sure if I want to do pre-hospital or intensive medicine.
>>36648257
If it's what you like, go for it
Try it out
If you don't like it, who cares, go to med school
If you do like it, congrats, you've found a career you like
This is the only life you live. Don't waste it and be on your deathbed wishing you had at least tried your hand at medic work.
>>36648257
guy who got certed here. I actually switched to chemistry after doing my emt course. it is not dumb at all. you get a real sense of how the system works and it made me realize i sure as hell do not want to be a doctor. I would highly recommend it man. Even though it was not for me it was an awesome experience. Also the paramedics I shadowed had an excellent understanding of biochemical mechanisms. These guys dont get enough credit.
>>36647988
O shit
>>36648257
I got a B.Sc. in Biomedical Technology and ended up becoming a paramedic.
Now I'm working for the fire dept. and I love it.
>$6k/mo starting
>only work eight 24/hr shifts/mo, free time out the ass, literally only working 8 days a month nigga
>full health/dental/vision insurance
>full retirement benefits after only 20 years of service
>not only do I get free gym membership, each 24 hour shift has a designated hour of paid physical fitness training
>literally get paid to go lift/do cardio for an hour then immediately take my lunch break and stuff my face with protein
>military-tier camaraderie, love everyone I work with
>get to make a difference in society
>>36648402
Biochem Guy here, how long did it take you to become a paramedic? It seems that even with a degree you still go through EMT-B, advanced, then paramedic?
Seems like a pretty dope gig, plus I love adrenaline so I think it could work for me.
About to get my emt-B cert this summer guys, anything I should know before I start?
I'm an emt in a big city. My company does lots of scheduled transports and many of my patients are morbidly obese and have disgusting illnesses/attributes. My favorite part of the job is picking people up and putting them down, for sure. My least favorite part is just dealing with my dispatchers though because I really don't mind handling grotesque things.
>>36648402
Sounds lovely.
I'd hate to be a Para here in the UK though. Used to want to be one before I went of the ambulance forums and read what the jobs like atm.
Heading towards being a Physio now.
>>36648402
And it's funny you did biomedical technology, I was doing biomedical engineering and quickly discovered it wasn't for me.
>>36648402
this is why i want to be a fireman. Getting my EMT cert this coming fall, B.S. in athletic training. Gonna be AT, CSCS, EMT when I graduate in the winter.
Any tips? Already preparing for CPAT.
I used to be an volunteer EMT in college. Stopped when my career went a different direction. It was fun, but I know I could never do that professionally. Anyway, it was a lot of fun and you learn a lot. You really need to be ready to meet people from all walks of life, and even though they could be the shittiest person ever, you have to treat them like they are your grandma. My instructor described it as such when we passed our final.
>Smile when you want to gag.
>Smile harder when you want to punch.
Here is one guy I wanted to beat the shit out of.
>Be me
>Called to domestic violence
>Father beat his daughter over the head with a pot of cooking oil
>burns his hand in the process, wants to go to the hospital
>Daughter goes with another unit, dad goes with us
>Entire trip to the burn ward, he's complaining like, "How could she do this to me?"
>"It's her fault, she got me so mad."
>Took all I had not to snap at this motherfucker.
Certainly not the worst story in the world, but that one stuck out to me.
>>36648556
What do all those acronyms stand for?
And Canadian EMTs here? EMR currently and planning on going into EMT after the summer. Albertafag
>>36647855
>started paramedic degree
>"most of you won't last more than 5 years"
>"we've allowed 300+ students into the course so you won't get a job"
>"the pay is garbage"
>"your assigned mentor will most likely have only been doing it for a few years"
>plus my dad has sever ptsd from navy nurse/paramedic duties.
Got the fuck out of that.
>>36647855
I am an emt and I have learned to hate it. I cant handle people anymore. Switching it up and going to the military.
>>36648402
>full retirement benefits after only 20 years of service
No wonder so many cities are hemorrhaging money on pension payouts.
>>36648163
I didn't witness anyone die but had a MVC patient who had his whole back basically peeled off from road rash, a guy who got attacked with a hammer and a few pysch patients. If I did see someone die during clinicals I'm sure it would fuck me up too.
I got my cert and applied for a few private companies but none have called back. I don't even feel like working in EMS but compared to working an office job I'd rather do something medical.
>>36648163
>got certed and never even looked for a job
iktf
I'm going to get re-certified this winter, I regret not just diving in in the first place
>>36649059
I already dealing people who think they are entitled at my old job and this worries me.
>>36649039
The reason the turnover rate is so high is due to money. Paramedics generally go back to school and become nurses, xray techs, sonographers, etc because it pays infinitely better.
>>36648257
If you want to go to medical school don't bother becoming an EMT/paramedic.
>>36648163
>>36647988
These
couldn't deal with shit
grew up in a town with lots of old folks, so it was mostly boring and dragging them to the hospital; then in college, i knew it would be 99% getting drunk and high college kids to sign an RMA.
>>36648437
emt-b is 180? hrs training; then you ride for a while for shit pay, then you go to medic school for what amounts to an associates degree.
some paramedics are RNs, so I'd guess that's a viable alternative route (or is that in addition?)
>>36649431
Why? I don't know what I want to do yet.
>>36649488
But how much actual calendar time does that equate to?
NY paramedic. I used to work in a more urban area and was starting to hate it. After moving to a suburban/rural area I absolutely love this job. The only reason I could see leaving is because the pay isn't great unless you join a FD which I have no interest in.
>>36650168
Why not join an FD? Do you have to be a paramedic to do so? Or just EMT-B?
I'd be working in a rural/suburban area so I'm curious.
>>36648852
woops, sorry i was in uni-speak instead of /fit/ mode
AT- athletic trainer
CSCS- certified strength and conditioning specialist (cert comes from NSCA, national strength and conditioning association)
EMT- emergency medical technician (guessing this one is obvious)
CPAT- candidate physical ability test (for firemen)
>>36647855
Don't go into EMS. Let me tell you my story.
>Paramedic. Used to work in LA, moved to Denver.
>Discovered that it's the same shit no matter where I go, shit pay, company fucks you any time they can
>5 years of experience
>Trained at UCLA
>$16/hour
>fuckthat.gif
>Quit and started running a mobile IV hangover cure company
>making even less than I used to
>still volunteer as a Paramedic in the mountains
>volunteer job is the first time I've been happy in my profession
>prepping for medical school because I'm sick of making less than 35k a year
But I own part of a company so I guess that's nice.
EMS: not even once
>>36648207
are you a fucking demon or something
>>36648257
Look at this.
>>36650222
>>36648437
You can get EMT-b in one week. Advanced can be done in 6. There are 12 week Paramedic programs, but most take 16 or 32.
>>36648207
a man of my tastes.
About to take my entrance into med-school soon.
Man, am I glad my country doesn't have the obesity rate of the U.S.A.
>>36650398
All the EMT-B courses in my area are like 3 month long courses
>>36648207
Sup Fran.
Paramedic here. Hate fat people on and off the job. The pay sucks. Getting blood on you sucks. Getting vomited on sucks. Delivering babies sucks maybe the most. Love the hours and flirty nurses. This is my last year as i start nursing school soon. If any of you are considering moving on there are awesome bridge programs out there. Nursing pay is triple paramedic pay in some places.
Ps i fucking hate fate people! Of course you're short of breath you have a baby hippo sized fat deposit pressing or pulling on you at all times. I'm mad.
>>36648556
The cpat is easy if you've already been working out. The stair climber at the beginning is the only difficult part for anyone. Stair climb for 3 minutes with 80lbs on your back. Probably less now, i haven't taken it since 2007.
>>36649608
Do a SMP (special masters program) if you're GPA is bad.
Do well on the MCAT.
Try to do some sort of research, email professors at your school to find a lab.
Do some bullshit clinical volunteering at a Children's Hospital, VA, hospice, etc.
Shadow some Doctors and maybe ask for a letter of recommendation if they like you or have good connections.
If your GPA/MCAT aren't the best apply to DO schools.
Don't go around telling everyone you were an EMT once you're in medical school cause nooone cares.
>>36650727
then take one online
>>36647855
Posted this on /pol/ first, but since we're posting in unrelated respective board topic threads guess I will post here too. Literally happen to me today:
>Be EMT working with Monday partner.
>Day gets slow around afternoon.
>Driving on the freeway.
>Partner starts opening about his marriage.
>Talks about how he "compromises" with his wife.
>Tells me how he gave up having a beer or two after work for her.
>Asks him what did she give up in return.
>He says nothing.
>Goes on to tell me how he gave up listening to his favorite podcasts, comedians, horror movies, and even old friends for her.
>Ask him how were all these harming the marriage and what did she give up in return.
>Tells me its basically because she didn't like them and she didn't give up anything in return.
>mf the whole time.
>Remember him saying that him and his wife had trouble conceiving a kid.
>Now the thought of him possibly being a cuckold enters my mind.
>mfw again.
I gave him advice on what to do and what not... but it was basically useless because he just kept saying it wasn't worth the effort to do any of my advice. It was like talking to a wall.
>>36651122
Forgot my face.
I'm a medic in Virginia. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Ask me anything.
>>36651200
Should I get my Paramedic license and try to get into a department as a FF/Paramedic without any prior Fire training?
Also why don't you recommend becoming a medic? I know burnout is real in EMS and I can't stand monotony.
>>36651050
I don't think you can do that
>>36651050
You can't do that, you have to demonstrate you know how to do skills (such as how to properly do a traction splint) in person in front of a certified trainer. Also, you have work up a certain amount of experience. E.g., with the program I did I had to help out in two different hospital ERs for 8 hours each and do a ride-along for 8 hours: a total of 24 hours of experience.
>>36651600
>>36651563
You take the courses online, then you have a few days in a classroom demonstrating your practical knowledge.
>>36651416
I mean if you want to, go ahead. I personally don't give two shits about fire, never have but had to do fire 1 to get with my agency. I was hired as a paramedic and then did fire 1 class on the side to make them happy. Some agencies don't require it though like most hospital owned and private agencies.
As far as why I don't recommend it. It's pretty much because in my few years of doing it, I'm fucking bored. I've done just about every cool whatever in the field, just today I was hands deep in a woman's skull trying to hold cspine and control a huge head laceration at the same time and it wasnt anything exciting. I've done ivs, ios, intubations, given every drug in the book, managed ventilators, lvads, seen all sorts of different illnesses and really don't get excited about anything anymore. It's all kind of lame now that the thrill is over and all the freedom to do what I want isn't worth how little I get paid compared to nurses that get explicitly told what to do and make more doing it with more room to advance.
Long story short, ems sucks, people don't appreciate what you do and once it stops being super interesting it'll just be a means of being underpaid to be overworked to be treated like ass
