Is paramedic school the right path?

[rahacs]

Hi all,

I've lurked on the forum for quite awhile, finally broke down and made an account.

Forgive me for starting with a drawn-out history. I've been working as an EMT-I for almost a year now. I began my training as an EMT-B within weeks of high school graduation and worked as an ED tech for about a year and have worked for several hospitals/ private ambulance companies over several years. My sights and plans have included going through PA school at the very least, if not medical school, for as long as I can remember. As I think is fairly common, however, the time commitment and sacrifice required has scared me into putting that aspiration on hold. Here I find myself ready to go on and do more but limited by life, time, finances, lack of education, and another hobby/passion as an athlete competing in my sport at a level that requires me to travel a significant amount throughout the year.

Ultimately I realize that somethin's gotta give, and in time it will, but in the meantime, I plan to be the best and most educated medical professional I can regardless of which specific avenue I pursue. I work closely with an excellent hospital-based ALS/paramedic team. I've been impressed by their competence and professionalism, but I fear, especially after reading some of the commentary here and elsewhere, that such isn't the case universally and that I'll devote a substantial amount of time and money to training that won't really be what I'm looking for. I love the field of emergency medicine, but I do not love my job. I am not satisfied with being merely an "ambulance driver". Perhaps I need to make the jump now, complete my undergraduate degree sooner rather than later, and get on with my education and career.

To be clear, this is not a dig at EMTs, but what I'm doing now is not working for me. I am good at my job, but I am not being stimulated or excited at work, and I dread every BLS/transport call we get. I guess what I'd like to know from this community - Paramedics - what do you like about your job? What pushed you to continue your EMT education to end up where you are? Are you "satisfied" or are you being drawn to learn and experience even more than you do now, and do you feel that there is room to grow in the field? And to all of you who have seen a little bit more of life than I have, advise me - do you think it's wise for me to go forward with EMT-P training at this point, or do you think I'll likely run into these same frustrations again two years down the road? Anybody else in the same boat?

 

[Veneficus]

I think if you want to be a doctor you should do it.

If you want to become a midlevel provider because you don't want to commit to medicine...well... The prosecution rests...

But from what you write I doubt you would be happy as a paramedic. It may be what you want through school and maybe even the first couple of years doing it, but ambitious people generally move on to another field.

 

[FLdoc2011]

If becoming a physician is the ultimate goal then I would probably advise not going the medic route and focus on the direct steps you need to reach that goal.... not sure of your college experience, but keep in mind there a significant and specific pre-reqs you need to do even before applying. It's a long hard road, no sense in delaying it any more than you need to.

That said, if you're still on the fence about med school then by all means take whatever time and do whatever else you need to do until you have absolutely made up your mind. It's a long and expensive process and last thing you want is to come out hundreds of thousands in debt and realize it really wasn't what you wanted after all.

 

[rahacs]

Thank you both for your thoughtful replies. This may be just what I need - a swift kick in the rear to get me moving forward.

As for my educational background, I am somewhere between a sophomore and a junior credit-wise and could probably complete my B.S. in Biochemistry in 3-4 semesters of full-time study. As I mentioned in my original post, I am a competitive athlete, and without going into too much detail, I have two years until I "age out" (and likely lose my sponsorship), and I do not plan on doing anything that will interfere in the meantime. In short, becoming a full-time student will wait on that.

The medic option was never intended to become a be-all, end-all final destination, but rather a means to support myself while managing everything else AND broaden my scope a fair bit.

Thank you for being such a great resource to bounce thoughts off of. I have a lot on my plate right now now and careful planning is crucial to making goals a reality. Sometimes the biggest challenge is figuring out what goals are realistic and attainable!