Is riding two 10 hour shifts a week enough to be a good medic?

[Marcus321]

Have been a volunteer EMT for about ten years, riding one night a week.

Am strongly considering paramedic school. I'd be doing it as a second job and would ride two 10 hour shifts a week.
Am worried that two shifts a week (in a low call volume area) is not enough to become competent and that I'll never feel comfortable on a call.

 

[mgr22]

How busy were you as a volunteer? Could you continue to volunteer while working as a medic?

 

[Marcus321]

Would not have time... Also, am specifically worried about medic skills. Some of the medics I interact with on ALS calls are absolutely amazing. It's honestly intimidating and I question if riding twice a week will ever allow me to turn into a skilled and competent paramedic.

 

[DesertMedic66]

A lot of it is going to depend on call volume. If you are running 5+ calls on each one of those shifts, then that will help you to improve. If you are usually not running any calls on those shifts, it will be very difficult.

 

[Tigger]

If it was a decent volume system, I think you would be alright. If it’s slow, probably not.

I started as a medic in a relatively slow service. Got a part time job at a busy service where I’d work at least once per week. I still had lots to learn even after a year of doing this, but in general I had a great routine down that could get me through most calls.

I no longer work nearly that much, but those first 6-12 months were invaluable in getting me half decent.

 

[MEDicJohn]

There is no timeline to become a good medic. Put in your time and try to make the best of it.

 

[mgr22]

Have been a volunteer EMT for about ten years, riding one night a week.

Am strongly considering paramedic school. I'd be doing it as a second job and would ride two 10 hour shifts a week.
Am worried that two shifts a week (in a low call volume area) is not enough to become competent and that I'll never feel comfortable on a call.

"Never" sounds like too strong a word, but if you're looking to expedite competence and comfort while working in a low-volume district, you'd need other opportunities to practice.

I see you're 40. What do you do between weekly volunteer shifts?

 

[Marcus321]

"Never" sounds like too strong a word, but if you're looking to expedite competence and comfort while working in a low-volume district, you'd need other opportunities to practice.

I see you're 40. What do you do between weekly volunteer shifts?

I have a full time job in an entirely different industry. I've never been good about training or even reviewing skills/knowledge for a couple of hours throughout the week.

 

[Marcus321]

A lot of it is going to depend on call volume. If you are running 5+ calls on each one of those shifts, then that will help you to improve. If you are usually not running any calls on those shifts, it will be very difficult.

From what I hear, volume will be decent but more medical than trauma.

 

[VentMonkey]

From what I hear, volume will be decent but more medical than trauma.

Traditionally, medical calls will require more forethought than trauma.

 

[mgr22]

I have a full time job in an entirely different industry. I've never been good about training or even reviewing skills/knowledge for a couple of hours throughout the week.

Do you enjoy volunteering as an EMT? Do you like your day job? If yes to both, maybe you should leave things the way they are -- i.e., keep volunteering as an EMT and stick with your current job.

 

[Marcus321]

Do you enjoy volunteering as an EMT? Do you like your day job? If yes to both, maybe you should leave things the way they are -- i.e., keep volunteering as an EMT and stick with your current job.

Absolutely yes to both. In addition to satisfying the itch of doing/learning more than just EMT-B, the call volume at my current squad is extremely low. Average of 1 call per shift. Finding a different squad is not an option. My plan is that switching to medic will force me to ride two nights a week plus there will be a higher call volume.

 

[DrParasite]

Maybe? considering there are full time jobs can be 3 12 hour shifts a week, it's doable. It know of very few paramedics that volunteer as EMTs on ambulances; depending on how busy your ALS agency would be, why not? I don't know if I would do 2 nights a week... maybe one night and a weekend. I knew a full time chemical engineer who worked at Merck who was a medic for decades, and he worked every sunday day shift at a particular station, but he was never full time as a paramedic.

if you get hired somewhere, I assume you would see more than one patient per shift right?