Hey, I need a place to start.

[JakeK]

Hey guys,
I'm 16, and I'm considering being an EMT. The problem is, I don't even really know where to start. My dad was a police officer, and I've learned a little from him, but not enough to get me started.
I'm still a high school student, living in Dallas county, TX.
So I was hoping that someone would be able to weigh out the pros, cons, and requirements for me. Possibly a run-down of scheduling, average work load, and average "day on the job." It doesn't have to be super detailed, but enough to give me a basic knowledge would be great.

Thanks guys, and God bless.
-Jake Kiere

 

[tnoye1337]

Well I think you should start off by volunteering at a local ambulance corps and they will guide you right (hopefully.) They even might pay for your courses like they did for me

 

[Sasha]

There is no standard day at the job. Some places get one call every few shifts. Some places get 12 calls in a 12 hour shift. Even at my job some days we are bored out of our minds, some days we are sacrificing to the EMS gods for 20 minutes to grab lunch.

The pay is low, the stress is high, and there aren't a lot of jobs right now. Too many EMTs/Paramedics not enough positions.

You have to really love the job to stay. Scheduling differs from ambulance to ambulance company.

My advice? Do well in school, finish your diploma and consider a nursing degree. If not nursing, get your Basic then get into a 2 year paramedic program.

Best of luck kiddo.

 

[JakeK]

Ok, thanks. this helps a lot.

More answers welcome.

 

[medic417]

911 call person dieing. Upon arrival find person bumped their little toe. Next call lift assist. Following call is person dieing, upon arrival found to be farted sideways. Next call is multiple car crash, upon arrival find cars barely touched, no injuries. Very boring job 95% if 911. 98.9% if transfer service. Not fun and games like TV and movies.

 

[JakeK]

I didn't assume it to be non-stop Mission Impossible action, I just want to have a job that allows me to help people and possibly save lives. I know there is so much more than that. Thanks for the comment!

 

[Sasha]

I didn't assume it to be non-stop Mission Impossible action, I just want to have a job that allows me to help people and possibly save lives. I know there is so much more than that. Thanks for the comment!

It can be really fufilling. I work as transport, I really enjoy my patients, I don't enjoy my company. I like making them comfortable. That's a big part of my job.

If you're going in looking to save lives, cold hard reality: CPR doesn't work that well. Cardiac arrest survival rates are abysmal. Of those who survive, many die a few days later in the ICU, many survive to rot in a nursing home, a few survive to discharge with little to no neuro deficit and good quality of lifee.

 

[JakeK]

I understand what you're saying. I'm CPR certified and they told us basically the same thing during the course. But if it even has the slightest chance of saving a life, why not try? Thanks for the comment.

 

[tnoye1337]

I understand what you're saying. I'm CPR certified and they told us basically the same thing during the course. But if it even has the slightest chance of saving a life, why not try? Thanks for the comment.

There's a good attitude!

 

[JakeK]

Thanks man. Since I was little, I've been compassionate about people. We're God's creation, and we need to care for each other. I'm preaching now. Anyways, thanks for the comment!

 

[Sasha]

I understand what you're saying. I'm CPR certified and they told us basically the same thing during the course. But if it even has the slightest chance of saving a life, why not try? Thanks for the comment.

Because sometimes dead is dead. Don't go in with that attitude. That's the attitude that causes people to rush dead babies to the ER.

 

[JakeK]

I never said that you should try to do CPR on a dead person. Just on someone that it could save.

 

[triemal04]

Step 1: Do not use this forum as the end all/be all for finding information about what a career in EMS is like. Far to many people here are, and can be, completely full of crap. I'm probably of them. Use this place to give you general ideas of what you should do, especially if you are really considering a long career as a paramedic.

Now that that's out of the way (and that is the most important step), go find a paramedic, one who is honest and accurate and not full of themselves and/or a raving lunatic :beerchug:, and sit down and talk with them about what it is they actually do on a day to day basis. Ask about how they got to where they are, what they like about this job, what they would change, where they think the profession is going, where it should/could go, what could be better/worse...you get the picture. If your dad's a cop he may know be able to put you in touch with some people to start with. If he isn't, call the local services and ask if you can do a ride-along, or even just talk to someone who works in the field. If they also give you access to someone in management, use that too.

Once you've done that...do it again. And again. And again. Find people from as many different types of services as you can find; private, hospital based, fire based, 3rd service, primary 911, primary IFT. Talk to people from all of those and ask them all the same questions and any that you think of after each one.

Pick up some journals to read through and compare; find ones that relate to, or are for EMS, but get others that are also about medicine or emergency medicine in general. Start thinking now about how much you actually want to know about medicine, and how you will learn that once you complete paramedic school (you won't learn enough there, so it's better to be prepared.)

Find out what you can from NAEMT and NREMT; if you aren't sure what you are getting into there is information there that can help you.

That's enough to get you started. If you do all that and still want to do this, then start looking at what it takes to become an EMT and then a paramedic in your state. Start looking at what the local services are, and what else is offered in the surrounding areas.

 

[JakeK]

Thanks for the comment. I do plan on looking around some more, this was just a starting place. All of these are great ideas, and I appreciate you taking the time.

 

[triemal04]

I should also add: go talk to people who deal with EMS who are also in the medical field; ER doctors, ER RN's, and the like. If you can get people who don't deal with EMS regularly, talk to them as well. Find out how EMS is viewed in the medical community by those outside it.

 

[Sasha]

I never said that you should try to do CPR on a dead person. Just on someone that it could save.

You only do CPR on dead people.

 

[JakeK]

What I meant by "dead person" is a person that has been gone for way too long to save. That's my fault for not phrasing it correctly.

 

[WuLabsWuTecH]

Don't mind Sasha too much! She can be a bit jaded at times (although she is a very pleasant presence on these forums!). That being said, she also takes a lot more patients than most of us do (a busy night for me is 2 patients on the backup truck, 3 on the primary; while most nights I sleep straight through--sasha probably hasn't seen a day with fewer than 2 patients in a while...) doing primarily transports (assuming this is still the case).

I love my job! Yeah, it's just something to do while going through Medical School, but I enjoy it. I would say 80-85% of the runs I take, the patients aren't anywhere near dying on me, but it is still nice to help a stranger out, and on those calls where patients are in dire straits, it's nice to be able to pull out the stops, regardless of the outcome.

 

[Oculuck]

Hey guys,
I'm 16, and I'm considering being an EMT. The problem is, I don't even really know where to start. My dad was a police officer, and I've learned a little from him, but not enough to get me started.
I'm still a high school student, living in Dallas county, TX.
So I was hoping that someone would be able to weigh out the pros, cons, and requirements for me. Possibly a run-down of scheduling, average work load, and average "day on the job." It doesn't have to be super detailed, but enough to give me a basic knowledge would be great.

Thanks guys, and God bless.
-Jake Kiere

Start third riding as soon as possible. And if that company has 24-hour shifts, ride all 24 so you get a feel for the fatige the job brings. That was the biggest thing I had to adjust to.

 

[Sasha]

I'm not jaded.