Career Change

[Geoff]

I am beginning the process to change careers. I am 31 years old and am currently a Software Engineer. My job is secure, I simply don't find it to be rewarding. I have talked with my wife for the past year about a career change and I have decided that moving into the EMT field is the direction I want to go. I have currently applied for EMT-b certification training at my local community college. This Spring semester (starting in January) may already be filled, so I may be waiting until next summer to begin the coursework.

Does anyone have any recommendations about what I can be doing now to help prepare myself for this eventual career change? Academically, as well as any mental or emotional preparation?

 

[MrBrown]

Welcome.

I am unable to offer any specific guidance regarding American education because I have not been exposed to it from a learning standpoint.

The following generically applicable comments should help however;

1) Emergency medical services is the application of medicine in emergent out-of-hospital settings. Remember that you will be seen as medical professional in the eyes of your patients and thier families; to them you are all knowing, wise and experienced with the ability to treat whatever you come across. They are (for the most part) ignorant as to what an "Ambulance Technican", "EMT", "Paramedic", "Intensive Care Paramedic" or "Advanced EMT" is; they have probably never heard of "basic" and "advanced" life support and don't understand a "scope of practice".

2) Having said that; conduct yourself in a professional manner and make an attempt to get a professional education. Enrol in a college-level anatomy and physiology and pathophysiology courses (the pathway of disease and altered physiology) and some basic pharmacology wouldn't hurt either. The six or ten pages of A&P in my EMT-Basic book is just not adequate to render proper medical care.

3) Even while in school show up with your boots polish, your shirt tucked in, your name badge (if you get one) on straight etc; take pride in your appearance and that of your profession. Don't roll up with your hair down to your bum and two weeks of growth on applicable areas for your sexuality (or not so applicable areas if you're on those sexy designer hormones).

4) Read a medical journal or two; Journal of Prehospital Emergency Care, NEJM, JAMA, Lancet etc are all fairly good. You can get free extracts from PubMed and may be able to get free access through your school if it's at the local community college or a unversity. Even if you can't get full access to the articles at least look around for words like "paramedic" and "prehospital" ("EMS" is not used so much in the journals) at what research is being conducted.

5) Understand paramedicine is still in many areas the b@$t@rd child of the medical profession; not all of what we do is based in double-blind, peer reviewed prospective trials; we are still doing things that Johnny and Roy did in the seventies and may or may not have any benefit.

6) Please don't be a "junkie" - this job (at least in this part of the world) is not about "trauma" and "lights and sirens" or "cool toys". (See No. 1). You are doing yourself and the professional standing of EMS a dis-service if all you want to do is drive fast with lights and noise, shock people and give them drugs. Don't get lights and decals and signs and stars of life on your car and tattooed on your bum!

7) May I suggest soem light reading?

Marieb's Anatomy & Physiology 7e (Green book)
Merck's Manual of Patient Symptoms
Any good pathophysiology reference (I don't have one off hand)

8) You may not be able to as it may be your course book, but stay away, far, far away from anything published by AAOS and that has an orange cover; they're nasty and awful and full credit to Nancy Caroline, MD but those books are really bad (that's more personal experience but they're not very good).

9) You're a software guy, OK I'm a PHP developer; so, understand that at least in your part of the world you are stuck with the shortest, lowest quality entry-to-practice standard in the developed world (from all accounts that I have seen). I don't know what you use C#, C++, Java etc but you probably know your stuff; know what good code looks like, what bad code looks like, if you get a parse error why it's done so and how to fix it; if you don't use proper syntax it won't work etc. The same can be said of medicine; this is what somebody with nothing wrong looks like, this is what somebody with a problem looks like, this is why they are sick, this is how to fix it etc (although that is very over-simplified)

The same is not true of EMS (at least in your part of the world). You are taught skills and minimal background knowledge; it's like if I were to teach you the physical skill of tapping out PHP code but not make you learn the language. You won't be taught any decent level biomedical science under the DOT cirricula or really, any at all.

That is why it is so important to get decent A&P, patho and pharm (and maybe some chemistry or biology too) downpat before you take on the clases because what they teach is pretty pi$$ poor (I have the entire AAOS EMT-Basic powerpoint DVD and textbook at home and they're just bad)

It may not be what you want to hear but if you want to do this medical thing I suggest you look at becoming an RN in ED or ICU or critcal care/flight nurse. Depending on where you are if you get your Associates or Bachelor of Nursing (some places have 1yr-18mo BSN for Bachelors in other subjects) you can probably roll up and do a quick semester bridge program to get your Paramedic because you have far in advance of the knowledge that a Paramedic would.

Whew, I hope that helps!!

Oh here, have a brownie the plate is over there ....

Brown away! h34r:

 

[Medic One]

As a 20year veteran of EMS I suggest several things to help you along.

Keep the TV off ... no watching ER reruns, Trauma, Rescue Me, Third Watch...etc....(what you see on TV is NOT real life)

Contact the school even if not in the next class and try and get the names of the books they are using....Buy a set and start to read them

Volunteer at your local service or one in the area of they have a VOL service...you can be listed as an observer - meaning you can not have patient contact....you can possibly learn to drive and ride in the back to see what goes down.

Join groups like this but remember what you see here is not always the truth or how things happen.

Remember the hour are usually long....pay usually low...and some services may not offor pensions or retirment unless they are a city, municiple, county or state run service.

You need to be in good health usually have to lift 100+ pounds of dead weight.

Don't get caught up on buying every little cool or not so cool items to carry in your car or on your belt.

EMSer's are hard people also....90% of us are "A" type personalities so that means during down time there will be a lot a razzing and when your gone atleast 50% of the people will talk about you behind your back....This is mostly due to the fact that everyone want to boast of the good calls (Traumas / codes / and cool rescues)
You almost never hear of the calls that went bad due to error and carelessness so be aware of the "Yahoo" status.

I think if you want to do it try it on a volunteer level first and go from there.

 

[MrBrown]

I agree with what M1 said; infact I never thought of that, duh. A lot of places still have volunteers; if you can roll up to the local volunteer squad and do ride alongs that'd be an excelent way to get some experience.

If your city, county etc is run by a paid service (AMR, Fire Department, third service etc) it may even be worthwhile calling up and seeing if you stop in and visit for an hour or two and just introduce yourself and ask some questions etc.

 

[Geoff]

Mr. Brown thanks for the information. Another possible path I have considered is to become an RN. So, I am going to look up any bridge programs from RN to Paramedic. My wife is an RN in the NICU at one of our local hospitals, she started out in the ER. She has a 4 year degree, but I would be looking at a two year RN program if I go that route. I must admit I am really wanting to be doing something different (not writing code all day long) and going EMT basic and getting some hands on experience while I continue forward with education is where I seem to be focused right now, knowing my income will drop a ton if I go this route. And thanks for letting me know that I will need to expand my knowledge beyond what they will teach in the class room to truly excel at the job.

Medic One - Good to know to stay away from the trauma TV shows, especially since my wife is wanting me to watch the new show called 'Trauma' this evening. Maybe I can find a way to gracefully bow out of watching the show tonight. I am also going to explore volunteer opportunities as you suggested. How do EMT's and Paramedics typically like ride alongs? My concern would be that my presence alone could make myself be 'in the way' and make their job harder.

 

[TxRookie]

Hi geoff. That's pretty interesting what you are doing. I am on the same boat. I am a business analyst and planning on changing my career (after 10+ years with the company) Already applied to local community college and just waiting for registration for January. I am looking into continuing to med school and get an AAS in EMS. I've been reading this forum for the past month, learning from others and reading their stories to make sure this is what I want to do.

Big change from the office environment to public service. Kudos and good luck!

 

[ldford]

Been in the car business for 10 years now, and just got finished with my EMT classes. It is the best decision I have ever made. I actually wake up and enjoy going to work! Good Luck!

 

[NJnewbie]

Geoff and TXrookie, I'm also in the same boat. I've been sitting in front of a computer since 1992 and need a change. I have a VERY secure job and it's hard to walk away from that, but my heart just isn't in it anymore.

In my town (I live in NJ) we're allowed to ride along and learn how to drive the ambulance when we first join and then we can get our EMT-B within a year after joining. The state pays for the training. The best thing to do is contact your local squad and see what the opportunities are. You might not have to pay so make sure about that before you sign up for classes.

I already have a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field and I also thought about going the 2-year RN route because I can do it part-time and keep my day job while I'm in school. I think it might be better to do some EMT volunteer work first just to be sure I like and am cut out for this type of work. I wouldn't want to enroll in nursing school only to find out I can't deal with the sight of blood, etc.

 

[MrBrown]

...and going EMT basic and getting some hands on experience while I continue forward with education is where I seem to be focused right now

Don't get me wrong mate but I have to find fault with that idea. If you are wanting to go the RN route; stay away from EMS. The two are totally, totally different.

EMT-Basic covers (from what I have seen) a very tiny percentage of medicine and is acutely focused on skills rather than a nursing program where you spend between a semester and a year doing bioscience prereq's that give you an in-depth understanding of the human body, how it works both in normal and altered states and how drugs work.

This is by no means to say dont't do it but I am looking at going down the CC/ICU RN track and having "gotten my start" in Ambulance it's so much different and it's really something I am struggling with.

Don't just take it from me but I think you are spoiling the waters if you want to go down the RN route by being an EMT or a Paramedic. Many RNs here are volunteer Ambulance Technicians but the two are so fundamentally different that if you get into Ambulance at any depth you really set yourself up to have to "un-learn" everything you got taught on the street when you hit the hospital.

Now, if you hit the hospital first then go out on the street as a volly or even full time after a couple years or whatever I hear it is so much easier because you already have the decent grounding in biomedical science and praxis that is not taught to EMS. I have seen many RNs come into Ambulance but you'll struggle here to find the other way around because many have problems learning the depth of the material and "un-learning" what they have gotten used to in the streets.

I am looking into continuing to med school and get an AAS in EMS. I've been reading this forum for the past month, learning from others and reading their stories to make sure this is what I want to do.

Big change from the office environment to public service. Kudos and good luck!

Do you mean "medic" (ie Paramedic/ALS) school or medical school ie MD/DO? If you want to be a physician go be a physician.

I know you did not mean it but I'm going to have a bit of a go at it anyway; so much is being done (here anyway) to transform prehospital care to a registered medical profession so it is not a public "service"; public service are the people who pick up garbage and turn on my water and I bet you the guys who do these things would find fault with that term anyway.

Sorry I didn't mean to snap but it just ticks me off.

Have a brownie ....

Brown away! h34r:

 

[TxRookie]

By med school I meant paramedic school. I thought by saying AAS in EMS would hint this

And the way I meant "public service" is just another way of saying "helping people", a public servant where I dont care if I know you are not, If you need help, I am there to do anything I can.

 

[thowle]

I am beginning the process to change careers. I am 31 years old and am currently a Software Engineer. My job is secure, I simply don't find it to be rewarding. I have talked with my wife for the past year about a career change and I have decided that moving into the EMT field is the direction I want to go. I have currently applied for EMT-b certification training at my local community college. This Spring semester (starting in January) may already be filled, so I may be waiting until next summer to begin the coursework.

Does anyone have any recommendations about what I can be doing now to help prepare myself for this eventual career change? Academically, as well as any mental or emotional preparation?

Sounds like we were/are in the same type of helicopter here (or... boat, if you prefer B)). None the less, I'm currently a Software Development Engineer as well, and feel the same way; however mine is more of a physical type reward than anything; in the context of "sitting behind a computer all day writing code" is boring, and brings about a bit of stress in its own way.

Of course, I'm not sure about you and your background, but myself -- I was on a Fire Department and still am who offered/offers medical response, so I got my EMT back in 2007, but never did anything with it (as far as getting a job as an EMT).

Now, I've dove into a part-time EMT postion at the local county EMS.

As for preparing yourself; just think before you act... which, I'm sure you already do seeing as how you're a SDE.

It's like when you are trying to develop and debug a complicated OCR algorithim, or something along those lines; just be calm and take the time to think about how it works; how it needs to work; what it's doing and what it's lacking.. then you can piece together what needs to be done to go from point A to B... the same follows as an EMT, if you just think about what's going on, and what should be going on -- you can be of great help! Especially with the training you will get from a well structured course.

In terms of studying; being a development engineer, anything I apply towards technology and development it makes it easier for me to understand and makes it stick with me; so before I took my NREMT and during class, my "study" method was to develop the EMT study portal system; which is freely available to the public and can probably help you... shouldn't be hard to find it.

Other than that; just dive in and knock em' dead (maybe bad analogy considering the new line of work, but you catch the drift).

 

[Geoff]

Mr. Brown - The RN route is something I have thought of mainly for the financial compensation and to be in the medical field, but I am more interested in the EMT field. I understand what you are saying though to learn things more the 'right way' as a RN and then move to be an EMT rather than an EMT and learn some bad habits that would make it harder to be a good RN. Good things to think about. I appreciate your feedback.

Its also good to hear that there are others facing the same life choices that I am in right now. Makes me feel not so crazy. (since a few people I know in my current field can't imagine me taking such a large pay cut and leave my cush job.) I will also know if I am able to get into the January class by the end of next week, but I suspect I will be starting my EMT-b classes summer 2010, so I have a lot of time to think everything over more deeply than I already have.

 

[danderson900]

Similar situation for me as well. However, I'm a little older- 52 and can now retire from my job as a Civil Engineer. I've pretty much been sitting in a cubicle for the last 30 years and am ready for a change of pace. I reallly like the idea of:
1. Having a job that varies greatly from day to day.
2. Hopefully saving some lives.
3. Being well trained and very confident in what I am doing.
At this point in time I have no training what-so-ever other than CPR cert.
(Through the years I've always signed up for CPR training because I thought it was interesting and you never know when you might be able to use it).
They offer the EMT-B course at a local comm. college and I'll prob. sign up for the upcoming spring semester.

 

[NJnewbie]

Mr. Brown - The RN route is something I have thought of mainly for the financial compensation and to be in the medical field, but I am more interested in the EMT field. I understand what you are saying though to learn things more the 'right way' as a RN and then move to be an EMT rather than an EMT and learn some bad habits that would make it harder to be a good RN. Good things to think about. I appreciate your feedback.

Its also good to hear that there are others facing the same life choices that I am in right now. Makes me feel not so crazy. (since a few people I know in my current field can't imagine me taking such a large pay cut and leave my cush job.) I will also know if I am able to get into the January class by the end of next week, but I suspect I will be starting my EMT-b classes summer 2010, so I have a lot of time to think everything over more deeply than I already have.

Funny, I was thinking of the RN route for exactly the same reason. I am not all that interested in being an RN but it certainly pays better than EMT and RN doesn't have the prerequisites that a lot of other medical fields have. But my heart isn't really in it so I doubt I'll pursue that.

I am also trying to get into the January class for EMT, but I'm not sure if that's going to happen so I might have to wait. I haven't told anyone about my idea to become an EMT because I know they'll just try to discourage me and I don't want to be influenced by others' opinions.

 

[NJnewbie]

Similar situation for me as well. However, I'm a little older- 52 and can now retire from my job as a Civil Engineer. I've pretty much been sitting in a cubicle for the last 30 years and am ready for a change of pace. I reallly like the idea of:
1. Having a job that varies greatly from day to day.
2. Hopefully saving some lives.
3. Being well trained and very confident in what I am doing.
At this point in time I have no training what-so-ever other than CPR cert.
(Through the years I've always signed up for CPR training because I thought it was interesting and you never know when you might be able to use it).
They offer the EMT-B course at a local comm. college and I'll prob. sign up for the upcoming spring semester.

Interesting. I'm tired of sitting in a cubicle too! I'm 43 but am planning to retire from my current field when I'm about your age or maybe a bit older. I figure by then I'll have 10+ years of EMT experience under my belt and then can go into doing it full-time. For now, I can only do it part-time. I wouldn't be able to survive on an EMT salary in my area of the country if I quit my current job.

 

[daedalus]

Welcome.

I am unable to offer any specific guidance regarding American education because I have not been exposed to it from a learning standpoint.

The following generically applicable comments should help however;

1) Emergency medical services is the application of medicine in emergent out-of-hospital settings. Remember that you will be seen as medical professional in the eyes of your patients and thier families; to them you are all knowing, wise and experienced with the ability to treat whatever you come across. They are (for the most part) ignorant as to what an "Ambulance Technican", "EMT", "Paramedic", "Intensive Care Paramedic" or "Advanced EMT" is; they have probably never heard of "basic" and "advanced" life support and don't understand a "scope of practice".

2) Having said that; conduct yourself in a professional manner and make an attempt to get a professional education. Enrol in a college-level anatomy and physiology and pathophysiology courses (the pathway of disease and altered physiology) and some basic pharmacology wouldn't hurt either. The six or ten pages of A&P in my EMT-Basic book is just not adequate to render proper medical care.

3) Even while in school show up with your boots polish, your shirt tucked in, your name badge (if you get one) on straight etc; take pride in your appearance and that of your profession. Don't roll up with your hair down to your bum and two weeks of growth on applicable areas for your sexuality (or not so applicable areas if you're on those sexy designer hormones).

4) Read a medical journal or two; Journal of Prehospital Emergency Care, NEJM, JAMA, Lancet etc are all fairly good. You can get free extracts from PubMed and may be able to get free access through your school if it's at the local community college or a unversity. Even if you can't get full access to the articles at least look around for words like "paramedic" and "prehospital" ("EMS" is not used so much in the journals) at what research is being conducted.

5) Understand paramedicine is still in many areas the b@$t@rd child of the medical profession; not all of what we do is based in double-blind, peer reviewed prospective trials; we are still doing things that Johnny and Roy did in the seventies and may or may not have any benefit.

6) Please don't be a "junkie" - this job (at least in this part of the world) is not about "trauma" and "lights and sirens" or "cool toys". (See No. 1). You are doing yourself and the professional standing of EMS a dis-service if all you want to do is drive fast with lights and noise, shock people and give them drugs. Don't get lights and decals and signs and stars of life on your car and tattooed on your bum!

7) May I suggest soem light reading?

Marieb's Anatomy & Physiology 7e (Green book)
Merck's Manual of Patient Symptoms
Any good pathophysiology reference (I don't have one off hand)

8) You may not be able to as it may be your course book, but stay away, far, far away from anything published by AAOS and that has an orange cover; they're nasty and awful and full credit to Nancy Caroline, MD but those books are really bad (that's more personal experience but they're not very good).

9) You're a software guy, OK I'm a PHP developer; so, understand that at least in your part of the world you are stuck with the shortest, lowest quality entry-to-practice standard in the developed world (from all accounts that I have seen). I don't know what you use C#, C++, Java etc but you probably know your stuff; know what good code looks like, what bad code looks like, if you get a parse error why it's done so and how to fix it; if you don't use proper syntax it won't work etc. The same can be said of medicine; this is what somebody with nothing wrong looks like, this is what somebody with a problem looks like, this is why they are sick, this is how to fix it etc (although that is very over-simplified)

The same is not true of EMS (at least in your part of the world). You are taught skills and minimal background knowledge; it's like if I were to teach you the physical skill of tapping out PHP code but not make you learn the language. You won't be taught any decent level biomedical science under the DOT cirricula or really, any at all.

That is why it is so important to get decent A&P, patho and pharm (and maybe some chemistry or biology too) downpat before you take on the clases because what they teach is pretty pi$$ poor (I have the entire AAOS EMT-Basic powerpoint DVD and textbook at home and they're just bad)

It may not be what you want to hear but if you want to do this medical thing I suggest you look at becoming an RN in ED or ICU or critcal care/flight nurse. Depending on where you are if you get your Associates or Bachelor of Nursing (some places have 1yr-18mo BSN for Bachelors in other subjects) you can probably roll up and do a quick semester bridge program to get your Paramedic because you have far in advance of the knowledge that a Paramedic would.

Whew, I hope that helps!!

Oh here, have a brownie the plate is over there ....

Brown away! h34r:

I love this post. +1. OP, I agree and second what Mr. Brown wrote. It is good advice.

 

[MrBrown]

Similar situation for me as well. However, I'm a little older- 52 and can now retire from my job as a Civil Engineer. I've pretty much been sitting in a cubicle for the last 30 years and am ready for a change of pace. I reallly like the idea of:
1. Having a job that varies greatly from day to day.
2. Hopefully saving some lives.
3. Being well trained and very confident in what I am doing.
At this point in time I have no training what-so-ever other than CPR cert.
(Through the years I've always signed up for CPR training because I thought it was interesting and you never know when you might be able to use it).
They offer the EMT-B course at a local comm. college and I'll prob. sign up for the upcoming spring semester.

Well I wouldn't put it qute like that from what I have seen. You will be trained and not necessarily educated in what to do.

Now I am unable to speak from a significant depth of personal experience so I will tread carefully but the consensus from our American friends is that when we contrast the required education globally you stack up on the poor end of the scale.

For example:

- Our entry-to-practice standard requires around 400 hours of education and training, you require 120.
- Canada requires a two year college degree for entry-to-practice, you require no college credit even at ALS level.
- All bar one state in Australia requires a Bachelors Degree in Paramedicine for entry-to-practice
- From 2011 we will require a Masters (post-Bachelors cert) to practice ALS, you do not
- Our Bachelors program requires the same A&P, patho and pharm classes as the BSN (4 year nursing program), you require about ten pages of waterd down A&P.

Not trying to sound like a wanker here but please, please, please do not rely on the DOT cirricula to educate you about the practice of medicine; because that's what will be are doing, practicing medicine.

I will beat my drum once again and say please, please, please take college level A&P, patho, pharm and maybe a class on biochemistry and communications. You will learn far in advance of what is required by the DOT cirricula and it will make you a much better practitioner!

*stops beating on drum ... Brown away! h34r:

 

[danderson900]

Interesting. I'm tired of sitting in a cubicle too! I'm 43 but am planning to retire from my current field when I'm about your age or maybe a bit older. I figure by then I'll have 10+ years of EMT experience under my belt and then can go into doing it full-time. For now, I can only do it part-time. I wouldn't be able to survive on an EMT salary in my area of the country if I quit my current job.

The only way it works for me $$$-wise is due to the fact that I'll have a decent retirement pension in addition to what I'd be making as an EMT.

 

[NJnewbie]

Well I wouldn't put it qute like that from what I have seen. You will be trained and not necessarily educated in what to do.

Now I am unable to speak from a significant depth of personal experience so I will tread carefully but the consensus from our American friends is that when we contrast the required education globally you stack up on the poor end of the scale.

For example:

- Our entry-to-practice standard requires around 400 hours of education and training, you require 120.
- Canada requires a two year college degree for entry-to-practice, you require no college credit even at ALS level.
- All bar one state in Australia requires a Bachelors Degree in Paramedicine for entry-to-practice
- From 2011 we will require a Masters (post-Bachelors cert) to practice ALS, you do not
- Our Bachelors program requires the same A&P, patho and pharm classes as the BSN (4 year nursing program), you require about ten pages of waterd down A&P.

Not trying to sound like a wanker here but please, please, please do not rely on the DOT cirricula to educate you about the practice of medicine; because that's what will be are doing, practicing medicine.

I will beat my drum once again and say please, please, please take college level A&P, patho, pharm and maybe a class on biochemistry and communications. You will learn far in advance of what is required by the DOT cirricula and it will make you a much better practitioner!

*stops beating on drum ... Brown away! h34r:

Wow, that is very disturbing. I had no idea the US is so far behind other countries.

Would you say it's best to take the classes you listed after becoming an EMT-B, or before?

 

[Geoff]

I am not terribly surprised that the training required here is low, since the wage is also low. it is hard to get people to get a high level of training and then pay them barely enough to keep food on the table. People can work at the local Walmart for about the same money as a EMT-b where I am at.

Mr Brown, is the wage higher there as well or are the qualifications higher and the wage also low?