Paramedic

[Faithful Retrievers]

I'll be first to say I have no personal experience, but have buddies that have. Not one that started as EMT are still doing it or wished they had done it. If I was a single fellow looking at this field I would do the travel nurse deal like one of the before mentioned fellows. He catches gigs up till Dec and Jan then makes time to hunt hard and has the funds to do it. I dont know what its like now, but I know he has seen alot of the country on someone elses wallet. Plus alot of womenz that have a good job around you. One buddy works for these helicopter ambulances up here in airvac are what ever and it seems like a pretty good gig. Money may not seem like a reason to do something now but by the time you finish it will be.

[lackeymfd]

Ill second what others have said about the 3am calls, going in nasty houses etc etc. You either hate it or love it.
Your going to be hurled on, get blood on your clothes,have to deal with bodily fluids. People will only call you when they are having a bad day. You will see the worst things of life every day. It can be depressing and mind wrenching at times.

However if your going to become a medic, join a goverment based fire dept. Memphis hires medics like wildfire and the pay and benefits are GREAT. You will most likely gain the better advantages of the job rather than private based "sit in a parking lot" band aid buggy. Better benefits, Pay, Better quality co-workers

Also some Hospitals hire EMT's and Medics to work in the ER's to triage patients, start IV's and obtain vitals. The pay is usually better than being on an ambo, I know several freinds who work in ER's as a ERT (emt or medic) and average between 17-21 a hr.

My advice would be get your EMT, work as a EMT as while. Gain some experience and then go take your medic. You will likely find it will be easier on you to do it in that manner rather than cram so much in such a short amount of time.

[Medicine Man]

Basic is a semester. Medic is now a AA degree and with the length of school it's gonna take you to get your Medic license,(with prereq.'s) you might as well go get a nursing degree and a hell of alot more money!!!!!

And the reason you you see people moving on is they get burned out. I know, I've seen me do it. The rewards, when you get them are great. Having a child's parents come to you and thank you, recieving a card in the mail telling you how much your appreciated, breathing life back into a child,......... etc.

BUT....getting up at 3 in the morn to go get Lakreesha cause her "haid bees hurtin" and KNOWING that before you can do you paperwork in the ER that she gonna bees out the side door down at the corner store get her a "40". Or for Jamal's tooth ache, cause all he wants is a ride into town, or the 19 yr old with 4 kids, about to POP with #5, and waits till the last min. to call cause its "FREE" if you do it, and announces that she's HIV right about the time #5 pops out, watching the ER Doc have to tell the mother and father than just ran into the ER that their teenager was killed in the car wreck you just worked and watching their world cave in....etc. etc. etc. I could go on for hours. Then you throw in a good dose of child abuse, neglect, burnt up, broke up, getting spit on, swung at, cussed, drunks.............

Some folks do it all their career and my hat's off to them. I last 7 yrs and THANK GOD, it was my part time job while off from the Fire Dept.

Oh yeah, I was 0-36 on full codes.

Well I personally never even thought about the EMT route. I did get my BS in Nursing and worked in the ER and Cardiac ICU (no point intended GC) before my current job. Every post I read seemed to really hit the nail on the head but this one really stood out. I would HIGHLY recommend that you just simply go ahead and get your RN degree now . Even if it's only a 2yr degree. Besides that way when you the Murse also..