the 100% directionless thread

Jim37F said:
I (tried to) do my taxes yesterday...Normally I've always just done Turbo Tax (or Credit Karma's free version last year) cuz normally its just input a W2 or 2 and done.....however with the move across state lines (and the little bit of Ubering I expiremented with last year) I decided to visit H&R Block....and lets just say I didn't know what I didn't know and had to make a follow on appointment to come back with documents and stuff I had never heard of lol (fun fact, Uber may not be such a great side gig when the tax lady told me they don't take taxes out of your earnings....you have to manually pay those yourself, which of course, just like the scummiest dialysis taxis running around LA, they don't tell you any of that, so there's a chance instead of a refund I might have to pay the IRS....lovely. I'd rather go back to school and sit through a full State EMT course again and get a part time AMR job vs paying to do Uber ha
Click to expand...
I am single and claim zero deductions. I have four W-2s this year and one 1099-MISC from being a contractor doing EMS education for a hospital (made a couple thousand over the year, nothing big). I owe over 2500. W.T.F.
 
Transported one of the rare GSW's to the head that just kinda skips across the top of the skull and carries on. Dude is incredibly lucky, just and inch lower and he would have been in a much different situation.
 
Tigger said:
I am single and claim zero deductions. I have four W-2s this year and one 1099-MISC from being a contractor doing EMS education for a hospital (made a couple thousand over the year, nothing big). I owe over 2500. W.T.F.
Click to expand...
Get married AND have a kid. That is what I had to do to get a return.
 
Last edited:
Tigger said:
I am single and claim zero deductions. I have four W-2s this year and one 1099-MISC from being a contractor doing EMS education for a hospital (made a couple thousand over the year, nothing big). I owe over 2500. W.T.F.
Click to expand...
I'm REALLY hoping that's not the boat I find myself in... I am (was?) counting on that refund to help pay some bills, can't afford another tax bill on top of that! Fortunately the Ubering was only a month or so, plus the tax lady said I can deduct my moving expenses cuz it was specifically for a job, so that should help my case lol (hopefully...fingers crossed, knocks on wood. ..)
 
Tigger said:
I am single and claim zero deductions. I have four W-2s this year and one 1099-MISC from being a contractor doing EMS education for a hospital (made a couple thousand over the year, nothing big). I owe over 2500. W.T.F.
Click to expand...

Do you have 4 W2's from one full-time job, and a few part-time jobs? Or did you change jobs during the year? Anytime you have multiple jobs (multiple W2's) anything other than your full-time employment will not be taxes at the needed rate to avoid having to pay taxes. Thats because part-time employment is taxed at a lower rate due to making less income. ANY 1099 work is also not helping you, as NO taxes are withheld, and you must account for this...... So thats why you owe 2500 dollars......

The way to avoid this, as a single person, with likely not enough deductions to itemize/make it worth the effort is to claim 0 both federal and state (if you pay state income tax) AND put in additional money (depending on what your yearly income is), say 10 dollars to federal additional and 10 dollars to state at all jobs if you can afford it, but certainly the part-time/lower income jobs for sure. If you are tight on funds leave your full-time job at just 0 exemptions, and claim 0 and put in additional at your other jobs. That will get you a refund/make sure you don't owe next year.

Any investment professional or tax man will tell you the GOAL is to break even each year and not give the government an interest free loan. That sounds all well and good but for people working schedules like we do, and making the kinda money we do (likely to be working part-time additional etc) it's difficult to balance. I would rather pay in extra and get a mini savings account back at the end of the year, then run the risk of owing and being caught off guard.
 
Jim37F said:
I'm REALLY hoping that's not the boat I find myself in... I am (was?) counting on that refund to help pay some bills, can't afford another tax bill on top of that! Fortunately the Ubering was only a month or so, plus the tax lady said I can deduct my moving expenses cuz it was specifically for a job, so that should help my case lol (hopefully...fingers crossed, knocks on wood. ..)
Click to expand...

You will likely only be able to deduct the moving expenses if you itemize your tax deduction...... In order to do that, your total amount for itemized deductions must be over the standard deduction rate. Depending on your living situation, single vs. married, house vs. rent, kids, etc that may be tough to do..... Be careful with HR block...... The quality of service varies greatly on the person you get..... Tax's and audits are no joke. HR block is kinda like the Jiffy Lube of oil changes. I tell people the oil is essentially the blood of your car. Would you want your blood transfusion at some urgent care place or an actual hospital.... Tax places are the same. If your taxes are simple, a good CPA will not cost much more than HR block and will be worth the money IMO. I live in MD and everything is expense. My wife and I go to the same guy every year, and he's 234.00 bucks, BUT that is itemizing and having alot of forms for house, etc. That also covers for him to review our investment accounts, and financial advice throughout the year. The biggest thing I am paying for is peace of mind, because if I get audited he handles absolutely everything with the IRS.....Tax preparation fee's are also tax deductible.....

1099's screw alot of people........ ANYTIME you are doing 1099 work you have to take about 25-28% and set that aside for taxes depending on how much you're making at the 1099 employer. If you don't you end up getting screwed end of year. LUCKILY for you it sounds like it was only a brief time, so hopefully you will be ok. Finger's crossed for you, if you have any other questions let me know.
 
CANMAN said:
Do you have 4 W2's from one full-time job, and a few part-time jobs? Or did you change jobs during the year? Anytime you have multiple jobs (multiple W2's) anything other than your full-time employment will not be taxes at the needed rate to avoid having to pay taxes. Thats because part-time employment is taxed at a lower rate due to making less income. ANY 1099 work is also not helping you, as NO taxes are withheld, and you must account for this...... So thats why you owe 2500 dollars......

The way to avoid this, as a single person, with likely not enough deductions to itemize/make it worth the effort is to claim 0 both federal and state (if you pay state income tax) AND put in additional money (depending on what your yearly income is), say 10 dollars to federal additional and 10 dollars to state at all jobs if you can afford it, but certainly the part-time/lower income jobs for sure. If you are tight on funds leave your full-time job at just 0 exemptions, and claim 0 and put in additional at your other jobs. That will get you a refund/make sure you don't owe next year.

Any investment professional or tax man will tell you the GOAL is to break even each year and not give the government an interest free loan. That sounds all well and good but for people working schedules like we do, and making the kinda money we do (likely to be working part-time additional etc) it's difficult to balance. I would rather pay in extra and get a mini savings account back at the end of the year, then run the risk of owing and being caught off guard.
Click to expand...
Yea, I was prepared to pay for the 1099 stuff, but that accounts for less than half of what I owe. I was not prepared to owe on W-2 jobs since I claim zero on everything. But as you say (and I forgot I guess), different rates for different incomes, not just one. :(
 
Tigger said:
Yea, I was prepared to pay for the 1099 stuff, but that accounts for less than half of what I owe. I was not prepared to owe on W-2 jobs since I claim zero on everything. But as you say (and I forgot I guess), different rates for different incomes, not just one. :(
Click to expand...

Sucks man for sure! I look at how hard and how many hours I work, then look at what I pay in taxes and want to vomit. Coupled with the fact of working in an inner city healthcare system, and seeing people who "can't afford the prescriptions for their children" yet are driving a new E class Mercedes really gets my goat. Makes me wonder sometimes if I am the crazy one for working so much and those people have it all figured out lol.
 
When the bystander tells you he is a retired firefighter 3 separate times....and that your conscious pt wasn't breathing and he didn't feel a pulse and "worked" her (think cpr)...but she remembers everything and said he did the Heimlich too high....maam, he was trying to do cpr. God bless....
 
I'm the stroke guy this week...
 
So preceptors...what are things y'all find particularly beneficial to do with students? Going to be cleared for medic students here soon. I remember my preceptors that stood out and why they were great, but want to get some ideas of things I may not remember as well. I want to ensure they are quality shifts and add some ideas to what I remember standing out the most.
 
StCEMT said:
So preceptors...what are things y'all find particularly beneficial to do with students? Going to be cleared for medic students here soon. I remember my preceptors that stood out and why they were great, but want to get some ideas of things I may not remember as well. I want to ensure they are quality shifts and add some ideas to what I remember standing out the most.
Click to expand...

Take a preceptor class. No way a new medic should have students without one.
 
NomadicMedic said:
Take a preceptor class. No way a new medic should have students without one.
Click to expand...
I am, but I am also seeking the opinions of y'all because I know most members here value education. I already get students, just not medic students.

Not really asking a what as much as an individual process. I love having the students I do get and am comfortable teaching my day to day. Not entirely new to teaching either. Spent about two years teaching martial arts and almost the same with a youth shooting team. Have a lot of friends in medic school that ask for my help on stuff quite often.

How y'all like to the frame the day as a whole though, that's what I am interested in. I've already got ways I like to do things, even with helping people learn, but I am always trying to find out how I can do them better.
 
StCEMT said:
So preceptors...what are things y'all find particularly beneficial to do with students? Going to be cleared for medic students here soon. I remember my preceptors that stood out and why they were great, but want to get some ideas of things I may not remember as well. I want to ensure they are quality shifts and add some ideas to what I remember standing out the most.
Click to expand...

If at all possible, set some time (non-operational) to let your student know what your objectives are, how you will act, how you expect them to act, what any red lines are, and how you will function. Don't leave them hanging by wondering what they should do in regards to how to act. Personally, I like to set that they are able to ask me for help or delegate tasks to me WITHOUT negative consequences, because that is why I am there, but that I do expect them to be willing to learn and engage in the discussion as to what, when, how and why we are acting, not simply spout protocol. Going through a few practice runs to demonstrate "what right looks like" to you is far easier on a dummy than a patient. This time also lets you clearly communicate your expectations. Show them everything, from preparation to documentation.

Also, set aside time to do their paperwork and ensure that it gets done on both ends.
 
StCEMT said:
How y'all like to the frame the day as a whole though, that's what I am interested in. I've already got ways I like to do things, even with helping people learn, but I am always trying to find out how I can do them better.
Click to expand...
There was never any way for me to frame a day. Day one was usually me feeling out the intern as a person. All of them had different goals, personalities, and training styles.

It should benefit the both of you since you’re still enthusiastic about training. Downtime might consist of random protocol questions, or “what if” scenarios regarding calls I had just to gauge what they would have done.

If they weren’t getting many contacts, or were perhaps having competency issues I used to have them show up early so I could run them through skills drills with our training gear.

The confident ones were easiest to me, the cockier ones were as well; the latter were so fragile most were either shaped up, or eventually shipped off.

Again, I didn’t believe in a distinct flow for the day. All of their personalities were too different, as were their abilities, and capabilities at that point in their schooling.

Adding to what @RocketMedic mentions about engaging. Many of them really could careless about what you want them to become, and just want a damn license. Just sayin’...
 
Yeah, so I saw my first good projectile vomit in a while. Dude painted his car's interior with puke. Like, exorcism style. Late 60s, severe Alzheimer's, multiple hemorrhagic strokes and aneurysms, and a new onset "really bad headache"...I don't like that!

I'm off today, so Yey school!
 
The ones that just want a card are difficult. It is hard to take time out of my affairs for someone whose ambition is to run an HFD pumper and sees the -P as their ladder grease. Those folks, I'm honest with- this job will drag you down if you treat it like a chore. But, I am fair, and I give everyone I precept/teach as many opportunities as possible to succeed. A lot of people are actually pretty capable, they just need their objectives and frames of references aligned. But if they refuse to engage, it is a huge challenge- I've had that before and it was extremely frustrating. Tindr will still be there at EOS, and shirking learning and work to BS isn't cool with me.

Also, cue them onto EMTlife. We can always use more members.
 
StCEMT said:
So preceptors...what are things y'all find particularly beneficial to do with students? Going to be cleared for medic students here soon. I remember my preceptors that stood out and why they were great, but want to get some ideas of things I may not remember as well. I want to ensure they are quality shifts and add some ideas to what I remember standing out the most.
Click to expand...

Honestly, I think the biggest thing is to be laid back. They don’t need to do everything exactly the way you do it. You are there to help the student learn paramedicine, not to pimp them and challenge them constantly and increase their stress level. Not to try to mold them into a shadow of yourself. This is civilian EMS, not Navy SEAL training. Folks who are high strung or get worked up easily or who lack confidence rarely make good clinical instructors.

Very first thing is to have a candid talk about expectations. Also make sure that in spite of the importance of meeting those expectations, they understand that it is perfectly OK - expected even - that they ask questions, forget things, and make mistakes. Everyone has bad days.

After that, ask the student what they need. Do they have defined objectives to meet that they need you to help them work towards? What questions do they have, about your expectations or your protocols or medicine in general? What are they weak or struggling with, and how can you help them with those things?

You shouldn’t coddle them, but they need to know that they can trust you to treat them fairly - like the adult learners that they are - and to help them learn, not to seize on every opportunity to make them feel bad about their performance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top