# should I become a paramedic?



## emttom (Oct 1, 2010)

One question guys! has anyone worked full time emt while going to school for paramedics, cuz when i look at the hours of paramedic course, it seems almost impossible to work full time.  I'm not one of those guys who sleep 5 hours a day to work and goto school. any recommendations or your story of how you scheduled your worktime to goto paramedic school? :unsure:


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## Shishkabob (Oct 1, 2010)

Everyone here who has their Medic has been in a similar situation, juggling work, school, clinicals, internship and maybe an hour of social life a week.  Some even had kids and a significant other.  


If we did it, you can. 




Do you WANT to be a Paramedic?  If yes, then do it.  If no, then don't.


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## TransportJockey (Oct 1, 2010)

Easy answer? You'll learn to be one of those students who gets 3 or four hours of sleep.

I was working 36-48 hours a week as a hospital tech while going to school. (class was MTW from 0730-1730, work was FSS 1830-0630.) Had at least one clinical a week, did homework, and tried to save a failing engagement (which didn't happen). There were times I was up 48 hours at a time and catnapped on lunch breaks and breaks between classes. During Internship things go easier. 3x13 hour shifts a week scheduled when I wasn't at work. I made it through all but the final internship for a number of reasons. But I made it. I know I could do it again, and most likely I will when I go back to medic school


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## LucidResq (Oct 1, 2010)

Easy... find a sugar momma.


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## Shishkabob (Oct 1, 2010)

LucidResq said:


> Easy... find a sugar momma.



You said no to me.

Something about being a sucky-bus?


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## LucidResq (Oct 1, 2010)

Hahahaha.

If he works at all, Rusty will only be pulling a few shifts a month at an ambulance service when I finally drag his a** to medic school. 

We are also very fortunate to have my dispatch wages and excellent benefits, no kiddos to support, and low housing expenses. 

Yes, Tom, you will find most people work through paramedic school because they can't afford not to. It's almost a rite of passage. You know, it's as though a zombie walks into a room full of paramedics, says "I'm a medic student," and they all chime in an empathetic "ooooohhhh," because they were a zombie once too. 

I say, if you can find a way to cut your hours partially or entirely, you absolutely should. You will learn the material better and perform better on clinicals and such with more sleep. The only advantage I can think of to working through school is if you are working as an EMT and you work with paramedics willing to help you learn and foster your growth.


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## abckidsmom (Oct 1, 2010)

Get a weekend shift.  I graduated nursing school, and in my first year of working, I worked FT weekends (3 12s, gotta love nursing for that) and finished paramedic school and clinicals in a year.  

Young and unencumbered, with limitless energy means you can acheive whatever goals you set, as long as you're willing to work hard.  Sacrifice in the short term, and then you can have a long career of a 3 or 4 day workweek and sleep in until you have kids.


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## EMT-IT753 (Oct 1, 2010)

*It can be done*

I am in medic school right now and working as an EMT-IT in Wisconsin. I only have class 20 hours a week right now. When I am not in class, I am working 80% of the time. It is tough and you have to find time to study and sleep. For me it seems the days I really need to catch up on reading or studying, those are the days when we run non-stop, lol. I am now able to run on very little sleep and on my off days I end up sleeping in for most of the morning. In the end it will all be worth it though.


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## TraprMike (Oct 1, 2010)

*If ya got to ask*

there is a shortage of boiler operators.. local factory is advertising for a high pressure op.. 25 bux/hr + OT... 

you could have your pick of state, city, where ever...


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## DrParasite (Oct 1, 2010)

LucidResq said:


> Easy... find a sugar momma.


I've been trying to do that for close to 5 years.... still no luck... but I am having fun finding all the wrong girls


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## foxfire (Oct 1, 2010)

Linuss said:


> Everyone here who has their Medic has been in a similar situation, juggling work, school, clinicals, internship and maybe an hour of social life a week.



Social life?! 
What social life? 




Just kidding,,,,,just kidding. h34r:


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## princessretard (Oct 10, 2010)

you working full time as a basic right now? try talking to your company's scheduler and seeing if you can change your hours, maybe get a 24 hr shift and a 16hr shift to be 40hrs total and be full time still. that way you go to work less days and you get plenty of free days to go to medic school.


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## TransportJockey (Oct 10, 2010)

princessretard said:


> you working full time as a basic right now? try talking to your company's scheduler and seeing if you can change your hours, maybe get a 24 hr shift and a 16hr shift to be 40hrs total and be full time still. that way you go to work less days and you get plenty of free days to go to medic school.



Keep in mind not all services offer anything other than 8-12 hour shifts.


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## princessretard (Oct 10, 2010)

jtpaintball70 said:


> Keep in mind not all services offer anything other than 8-12 hour shifts.



yup, thats true too i guess. 
i remember when i first started they gave me all 8hrs. so i worked 5 days a week. everybody felt bad for me, i didnt get it, i thought those hours were fine. until i realized almost everyone had 10, 12,24hr shifts, and the occasional 8hrs. but i had ALL 8hours. couple months later i was able to bid for a 24 and got it!

right now i have one 24 and two 8hrs. have had this schedule for some months too so i recently went to the scheduler and talked to him about picking up a 16overnight i saw was opened and get rid of my two 8hrs. he actually said if i wanted it he could get me the whole 24 for that day rather than just the 16. so..hopefully soon i get it and have two 24s. i felt like i've won the lottery!!


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## Calvin (Oct 17, 2010)

I know with ours here, we have medic school going on tuesday and thurs. all day, so my employer will schedule us to work m,w,f doing 24 hr. shifts and is very lenient on giving us days off that we need for clinicals.  I guess either it's more organized here or I just lucked into being in that position.


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## Pittsburgh77 (Oct 17, 2010)

My medic class has been Mon/Tues/Thurs 630p-1030p and every other Sat 9a-5p.

I typically worked 40hrs a week for a majority of class, [mostly 5a-1p for a while, and now I'm 10p-8a, and 8p-8a on Sundays] did my clinicals, studied, and from time to time had a social life. Being only 19-20 during class, it really sucked not being able to go out with friends on weekends because if I wasn't in class, I was at the hospital or on the truck. Luckily, I graduate in 9 days so I'll be able to enjoy "living life" and turing 21 soon. Medic class will be worth the sacrifice.

If you want to become a paramedic, go for it. Honestly, it may suck while you're doing it but the benefits afterwards definitely make it worth-while in the end.


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## MrBrown (Oct 17, 2010)

Absolutely not, you should join Brown as a flying doctor with the helicopter emergency medical service.

Ambulance, Delta Alpha 91 resonding, be on scene in about ten


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## Aerin-Sol (Oct 17, 2010)

I wouldn't recommend sacrificing your health/sleep, even if it is what everyone else is doing. Try to find a place that will let you work 16s or 24s, or look into community-college based paramedic classes so you can get student loans and work part-time. The info you learn in paramedic is, I assume, going to be important for your career/your patients - do you think you're going to learn it well if you're sleeping 25 hours/week?


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## RUGBY66X (Oct 17, 2010)

Thats why i like my school its every thursday from 0900-2100 and it makes scheduling very easy ive still got time to work 40hrs and still take classes finishing my nursing pre-reqs. but i still understand the "zombie" feeling because i need the social life too so i sacrifice some sleep to go hang with my friends


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## Vanenix (Oct 17, 2010)

If you live in California, don't do it. I heard that you need to be AT LEAST a Fire Fighter Paramedic to get hired and there were 3500 applicants in LAFD and they would only accept 3. You are lucky if you won the raffle ticket to be picked. Plus if they don't like your performance they will fire you on the spot because you are in probationary period.


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## TransportJockey (Oct 20, 2010)

Re-reading this makes me glad I'm moving to a place where I don't know anyone so I can not worry about having a social life when I start P-school again in Jan.  3 days a week, 6 hours a day... and a 75 mile one way commute to class. Should be fun


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## medic417 (Oct 20, 2010)

jtpaintball70 said:


> Re-reading this makes me glad I'm moving to a place where I don't know anyone so I can not worry about having a social life when I start P-school again in Jan.  3 days a week, 6 hours a day... and a 75 mile one way commute to class. Should be fun



Record key points onto a cd or mp3 and listen during those commutes.  Make them work for you not against you.  And at least you are covering that 75 miles in an hour while people in big city go 5 miles in an hour.


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## TransportJockey (Oct 20, 2010)

medic417 said:


> Record key points onto a cd or mp3 and listen during those commutes.  Make them work for you not against you.  And at least you are covering that 75 miles in an hour while people in big city go 5 miles in an hour.



That's the plan actually  Between that and podcasts anyways. And yea. The 80mph speed limit helps a little too


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## medic417 (Oct 20, 2010)

jtpaintball70 said:


> That's the plan actually  Between that and podcasts anyways. And yea. The 80mph speed limit helps a little too



Just don't forget that it drops to 70mph between Monahans and Odessa.  They nail a bunch of people just past that sign.


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## TransportJockey (Oct 20, 2010)

medic417 said:


> Just don't forget that it drops to 70mph between Monahans and Odessa.  They nail a bunch of people just past that sign.



Including me when I was headed to Odessa last week to talk to the school. Cop was cool and gave me a warning though


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## usalsfyre (Oct 20, 2010)

I used to have a 90 or so mile commute to work. Learned a hell of a lot listening to medical podcast. Don't limit yourself to just EMS stuff, having a deeper understanding of the material will  generally help you pass the NR test.


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## TransportJockey (Oct 20, 2010)

usalsfyre said:


> I used to have a 90 or so mile commute to work. Learned a hell of a lot listening to medical podcast. Don't limit yourself to just EMS stuff, having a deeper understanding of the material will  generally help you pass the NR test.



Oh I know  I've got various nursing and medical podcasts on my list, plus the usual EMS ones (EMS Garage, GenMed, Educast, etc).


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## Probi (Nov 6, 2010)

LucidResq said:


> Easy... find a sugar momma.



craigs list


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## Chimpie (Nov 6, 2010)

Let's keep the thread on topic please.


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## clibb (Nov 6, 2010)

Some agencies will even sponsor you to go to Paramedic school. Our agency sends about 1-2 Basics to Paramedic school every year. They will either do 6 or 12 month. They get paid for housing and other wages, plus for Paramedic school.


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## DaniPhoenix (Nov 13, 2010)

I just started stripping on the weekends. 

Actually I started that when I was in university. Now I do that a little and run my own clothing company = set my own hours.


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