Hello,
I am a female EMT-B student (who would like to become a paramedic, ultimately) who will be taking the NREMT exam in the spring and have just begun my ride-along/clinical hours. So far the majority of my instructors have been men. I don't mean that as any sort of criticism or complaint about the program or profession at all, but most of the "war stories" I've heard and experiences shared have been from a male (also, generally older) perspective. I'm just curious how those experiences might be different for female EMS providers.
First, I want to be clear. I am NOT trying to start any tangential arguments about gender issues or make a thread to hate on either gender. I'm not interested in excluding anyone, I'm completely and totally open to and interested in input from men or women on the subject. I've seen way too many discussions of similar topics become tense, to say the least.
So, do you feel the expectations are different in any way because of your gender? Are there elements of the job you gravitate to (or avoid)? Are there situations where you receive a markedly different reaction from certain patients? Do you feel your experience is influenced by where you work (ie, private vs. public, one part of the US or another)? By what level of provider you are? Any related do's and don'ts? How about your home/personal life? If you could send a message to your past self on the topic, what would you say?
I suppose I'm aware of some of the more obvious differences, like protocols around calls involving sexual assault, what's appropriate conduct between coworkers, and so on. I imagine that there are very few (if any) professions out there where gender is truly, totally irrelevant, that there are almost always challenges and opportunities that can be gender-specific in any working environment. It doesn't necessarily have to be anything framed in simple "good vs. bad," just...anything different. Especially if you had to learn it the hard way. So go ahead, share some of that hard-earned wisdom!
But let's all try to be friends, yes?
I am a female EMT-B student (who would like to become a paramedic, ultimately) who will be taking the NREMT exam in the spring and have just begun my ride-along/clinical hours. So far the majority of my instructors have been men. I don't mean that as any sort of criticism or complaint about the program or profession at all, but most of the "war stories" I've heard and experiences shared have been from a male (also, generally older) perspective. I'm just curious how those experiences might be different for female EMS providers.
First, I want to be clear. I am NOT trying to start any tangential arguments about gender issues or make a thread to hate on either gender. I'm not interested in excluding anyone, I'm completely and totally open to and interested in input from men or women on the subject. I've seen way too many discussions of similar topics become tense, to say the least.
So, do you feel the expectations are different in any way because of your gender? Are there elements of the job you gravitate to (or avoid)? Are there situations where you receive a markedly different reaction from certain patients? Do you feel your experience is influenced by where you work (ie, private vs. public, one part of the US or another)? By what level of provider you are? Any related do's and don'ts? How about your home/personal life? If you could send a message to your past self on the topic, what would you say?
I suppose I'm aware of some of the more obvious differences, like protocols around calls involving sexual assault, what's appropriate conduct between coworkers, and so on. I imagine that there are very few (if any) professions out there where gender is truly, totally irrelevant, that there are almost always challenges and opportunities that can be gender-specific in any working environment. It doesn't necessarily have to be anything framed in simple "good vs. bad," just...anything different. Especially if you had to learn it the hard way. So go ahead, share some of that hard-earned wisdom!
But let's all try to be friends, yes?