What ever you decide to do is going to be a good thing, just remember if you ever change your mind, we will always be here! Good luck!
Thank you for the helpful replies, they are comforting and informative.
With that being said if you really really want to do somthing....... Just go full speed into it... I know I dont want to be 40 seeing a fire truck go by and telling my self ... I should have tried.
This is something that had crossed my mind, and not a situation I wanted to be in. I agree definitely.
Face the fear and you defeat it and it becomes easier to beat every time you do it.
That is very true. Repetition makes the "correct" instincts come more naturally. I feel like if I had gone through the first practical and realized everything would have turned out fine (the same thing that happened to my first exam) that I would have been much more confident on the rest of the practicals.
Not to blow the nice warm pillow of support but what is going to happen when you roll up on scene and crap has hit the fan and your faced with a huge situation then what? You deal with abandoment charges? If you can not deal with a class and tests how are you oing to deal woth a pt. Are you going to question you bp reading? Pulse? What your supposed to do and when and wether or not you did it right. You need to get your self straight and seriously think about this.
I am not looking for a "nice warm pillow of support", my post was more of a vent. But, there is nothing wrong with looking for support when you are feeling down, EMS workers do it all the time (CISD teams, talking with family, etc.) As far as "rolling up on a scene where crap has hit the fan" I wouldn't put myself in a situation where I wasn't prepared/trained to deal with what awaited, hence why I dropped the class. Of course I would not deal with abandonment charges, why would I leave a patient if I was unsure? Who would do that? Some of your questions are fairly hard to read, so I'll skip them. As far as "seriously thinking about this", why do you think I dropped the class?
Okay, I'll probably get bashed for not being 'understanding enough' but here's my two cents:
I joined this board for constructive criticism as well, not to bash anybody.
My guess is that you posted here because you want someone to come along and make you feel better about yourself for something you have already decided was a personal failing.
I'm glad you have me pegged. I don't feel I had a "personal failing", I just questioned my judgment. As I replied above, there is nothing wrong with looking for support when you feel down, I'm sure you do it all the time.
I would recommend taking a real hard look at your reasons for wanting to do this job.
I want(ed?) to do this job for several reasons. I hate the idea of working at a desk. I was a Sociology major because I LOVE working with people. I also feel that I honestly am very good at something that I apply myself to, and I would love to be good at helping people in need! I also think that EMS work (in general, there are exceptions of course) takes a certain type of person, and I like the attitude of the workers.
This may be one of those personal aha moments where you overcome a character flaw or weakness or it may be one of those times when you get a clearer view of who you are and where you are going in life. To recognize that a particular career is not cut out for you doesn't mean you are somehow inferior to those that do it. It means you are different and better suited for something else.
This was a very helpful response for me, because it makes a lot of sense. I hope that this does provide a clearer view of who I am, and, who knows, it may lead me back to EMS again. Thank you for the helpful reply.
I just want to be clear that I am not coming here for a "warm pillow of support", but rather helpful opinions about my situation, stories of people who have been in the same situation and how they dealt with it, comfort, etc. I was only in the EMT-B class for a month (almost), and already have gained a great deal of respect (more than I had) for what you people do. It does seem like it takes a certain type of person, and I am unsure of what "type" I am at this point in my life.
Sorry this is so long, my son is asleep and it's the first time I've gotten to sit down in a while, so I figured the longer I type the longer I get to sit here ^_^
the attitude you have going in i think is what makes a lot of the difference in whether or not you will succeed. in other words go in saying i'm going to take this class and do my best at it. my granddad used to say "it's ok to fail, it's not ok to quit." in my view that's kind of the attitude you have to have. best luck