advice to so-cal aspiring medics...

danman17

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Don't do this unless you want to be a firefighter. It's a major waste of time otherwise. I'm not trying to bash on or diminish the integrity of career medics. But I can guarantee you that any medic working for a private agency wouldn't tell you that they're underpaid. There is almost no mobility in this job unless you're trying to make it into the fire service. The major companies like AMR who have 911 contracts exploit the services of their work base. You get paid snack bar wages to do a job that alot of people do not have the fortitude to do. Right now San Diego emts get paid at the same rate as hired medics. What is the incentive to go to medic school? How can an employer justify paying someone who has over a year of training and credentials the same as someone who went to school for 2 and a half months? It's nonsense.

My advice: don't even consider a job in this field unless you intend to be a firefighter. it's a dead end otherwise.
 

CALEMT

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Well this thread is going to be right popular. First and foremost lets clear the air, I'm currently in medic school. Yes, my end goal is to become a firefighter. No, I'm not planning on working in CA (I was born, raised, and currently living in So CAL). No, I'm not getting my p-card just to be a firefighter, I actually want to become a medic. Ok, now that thats out of the way, I disagree. There are places in CA where a medic makes a decent wage in comparison with the cost of living in the area. I agree with you get paid snack bar wages in So CAL compared to the cost of living down here. I wouldn't discourage anyone not to get their p-card if they want to, I would discourage working in the So CAL area all together. Frankly, the cost of living down here is ridiculous unless you work for OCFA, LAFD, or LACoFD making 80+ K base pay a year. Sure, you can manage living off AMR wages down here but you have to learn how to budget money. As far as the incentive to go to medic school? Shouldn't you do it because you want to? Not just for the fire job or the money? Sure you can consider non fire EMS in CA as a career field. It's not dead, lets be honest. Theres plenty of good paying jobs with decent retirement in CA, all you have to do is exercise personal initiative to find these places.
 

VentMonkey

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Or maybe you should change careers, and/ or your outlook on life. I'm a (career) "private" paramedic who has worked for AMR in SoCal both as a tech, and a paramedic.

It didn't work out at the AMR ops I was at as a paramedic, so I moved. I've since been given every opportunity imaginable at my current service, make decent enough money where I can work OT, or not, have a home, a mortgage, feed my family, sock away enough for retirement, etc.

There are always options, and FWIW some of the AMR ops, even in SoCal, have tenured employees. It's all about outlook. You can make a "career" out of anything, if you're unhappy then you can change it, but it doesn't mean there aren't options, especially out of state.
 
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danman17

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Well this thread is going to be right popular. First and foremost lets clear the air, I'm currently in medic school. Yes, my end goal is to become a firefighter. No, I'm not planning on working in CA (I was born, raised, and currently living in So CAL). No, I'm not getting my p-card just to be a firefighter, I actually want to become a medic. Ok, now that thats out of the way, I disagree. There are places in CA where a medic makes a decent wage in comparison with the cost of living in the area. I agree with you get paid snack bar wages in So CAL compared to the cost of living down here. I wouldn't discourage anyone not to get their p-card if they want to, I would discourage working in the So CAL area all together. Frankly, the cost of living down here is ridiculous unless you work for OCFA, LAFD, or LACoFD making 80+ K base pay a year. Sure, you can manage living off AMR wages down here but you have to learn how to budget money. As far as the incentive to go to medic school? Shouldn't you do it because you want to? Not just for the fire job or the money? Sure you can consider non fire EMS in CA as a career field. It's not dead, lets be honest. Theres plenty of good paying jobs with decent retirement in CA, all you have to do is exercise personal initiative to find these places.

Rad dude. Congrats and best wishes to you on your career endeavors. Anxious to hear your thoughts on this profession when you're actually working as a medic.
 

Handsome Robb

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Rad dude. Congrats and best wishes to you on your career endeavors. Anxious to hear your thoughts on this profession when you're actually working as a medic.

He's worked in the field for enough time to know what he's talking about.

I'm a single roll Paramedic for a county third service that he a better retirement package than our area FDs and makes a decent amount more money per year than most of them do. (~10k/year more).

There are plenty of places that you can spend a career as a single-roll Paramedic.


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CALEMT

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Anxious to hear your thoughts on this profession when you're actually working as a medic.

My thoughts and views will stay unchanged regardless if I'm a EMT or a paramedic. Hell is what you make of it. Theres plenty of career paramedics at my AMR op that seem to be doing just fine. I don't ask about finances, or budgeting, or anything money related cause... well... its rude for one and its really none of my business. Point is, they have a house, car, family, and are still able to take some form of vacation. I wouldn't say that its terrible but the pay could be better down here (So CAL). Factor in pay, cost of living (house, car, family, food...), and retirement. Obviously some places have better retirements, but thats a different topic for a different day. Regardless, in southern California you can get by working as a private EMS medic. You won't make as much as a firefighter, but there are options for people who don't want to go fire, but want to work in CA. Just a couple places: CHP, Hall ambulance, Mercy, Reach, San Luis ambulance, Cambria ambulance, and Riggs ambulance. I throw in CHP because their helicopters are ALS and you work as a dual role LEO/medic, but its a option for someone who doesn't want to go fire. All the companies I've listed I've heard through word of mouth. They seem to have good pay, decent retirements, and are in a affordable place to live with the exception to SLO. You probably won't be living on the beach, but more inland the cheaper it is to live.
 

GMCmedic

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I think EMS, and probably the State of California are not for you.

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danman17

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My thoughts and views will stay unchanged regardless if I'm a EMT or a paramedic. Hell is what you make of it. Theres plenty of career paramedics at my AMR op that seem to be doing just fine. I don't ask about finances, or budgeting, or anything money related cause... well... its rude for one and its really none of my business. Point is, they have a house, car, family, and are still able to take some form of vacation. I wouldn't say that its terrible but the pay could be better down here (So CAL). Factor in pay, cost of living (house, car, family, food...), and retirement. Obviously some places have better retirements, but thats a different topic for a different day. Regardless, in southern California you can get by working as a private EMS medic. You won't make as much as a firefighter, but there are options for people who don't want to go fire, but want to work in CA. Just a couple places: CHP, Hall ambulance, Mercy, Reach, San Luis ambulance, Cambria ambulance, and Riggs ambulance. I throw in CHP because their helicopters are ALS and you work as a dual role LEO/medic, but its a option for someone who doesn't want to go fire. All the companies I've listed I've heard through word of mouth. They seem to have good pay, decent retirements, and are in a affordable place to live with the exception to SLO. You probably won't be living on the beach, but more inland the cheaper it is to live.

1. Where do you live?
2. Ask them.
 

VentMonkey

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1. Where do you live?
2. Ask them.
1. He's in the I.E.

2. Ask who? I work for Hall, I'm one of 3 CCP/ flight paramedics. I can't much complain as it's something I'd strived for since becoming a paramedic; I never aspired to be a dual-role, nor am I able to relocate out of state at the moment.

I'm 2 hours from just about any beach, or the big city (my stomping grounds) which can either make for a nice getaway, or a vacation. Life here isn't as bad as some may think, or make it out to be, at least IMO.

As far as SLO, San Luis Ambulance pays comparatively to their cost of living. This is word of mouth, from my former trainees who are currently, or were formerly employed by them as recently as 1-2 years ago but moved back here to be cops (their choice, and had nothing but good things to say about SLA). They live a comfortable life, and if I ever wanted a single-role EMS gig by the coast that's where I would be headed.

It's again, all in an individuals perspective, and yours appears somewhat skewed. It's sucks, I get it, we've all been there.

Hey, FWIW, if you're an AMR employee look into Santa Barbara AMR, I hear nothing but great things, and again, the central coast of California is absolutely gorgeous.

So again, my advice to any would-be "SoCal medics" is it's what you make of it, and how bad you want what you want for yourself; nothing more, nothing less; no tricks, no secrets to success, or happiness.

The job won't define inner peace or happiness for you, that's up to you as a person.

-VentMonkey
 
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