Unapproving Parents?

Were your parents disappointed in your career choice?

  • Yes.

    Votes: 5 41.7%

  • No.

    Votes: 7 58.3%
  • Total voters
    12
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Chuckleface

Chuckleface

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Simple question: Do any of you feel like you may have disappointed one or both of your parents by choosing to work in EMS? If so, how did you handle it?

The reason I ask is even though my mom doesn't come out and say it, I can tell that she is disappointed that I'm looking into a career in EMS instead of a more academic career like working in business.

I don't want to drag my personal problems into this forum, but I am curious to know if anyone else has had a similar experience.
 
Chuckleface said:
career in EMS instead of a more academic career like working in business
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Do you mean more "remunerative"? Or do you really mean academic? Because I can tell you that "academic" is not the right word for most fields...even those that require an advanced degree (or plural advanced degrees).
 
EpiEMS said:
Do you mean more "remunerative"? Or do you really mean academic? Because I can tell you that "academic" is not the right word for most fields...even those that require an advanced degree (or plural advanced degrees).
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Yeah. She keeps bringing up how little Paramedics are paid.
 
Chuckleface said:
Yeah. She keeps bringing up how little Paramedics are paid.
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So...that is a fair point, right? I think there are several ways to neutralize this issue:

1) Make EMS a part time job
2) Commit yourself to getting enough education so that you can be "management"
3) Plan on working lots of OT.
4) Find a place where you can live comfortably on a smaller salary.
 
Or be willing to relocate to areas where Paramedics are paid a decent working wage.

There's plenty of departments around that pay their medics well.



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She wants you to be successful. But, that never comes if your not happy in a job.

I tell my kids the opposite. Don't look for money, find a job that makes you happy. Nothing worse then hating a job that will be your life!

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Yes, my mom had some concerns about the pay. She also knows what my long term plans are. She might not be the biggest fan of them since moms are the type to worry, but she supports them regardless.

People's opinion should not be a factor in what you want to do if it is something you truly want to do. If money is the problem, there are places that pay well. If it doesn't seem academic enough, then she should meet some of the higher level, more experienced providers and see if that opinion remains. If running into fires scares her, then fortunately that will be a relatively small part of the job if you go to the fire side and not even the most likely thing to kill you at that.

Get your EMT done. Do the job for a while. See if you actually like it and learn more about the job. If you want to pursue it further then you will have those options down the road. I will say, this is a great job to have during college. Beats the hell out of food service and pays better.
 
I work EMS part time. I never seeked approval from anybody before, however as mentioned above, do what makes you happy. If you end up truly loving EMS you can make a living doing it in the right spots. You will have to work and grind to get there, but if you love your job you'd do that! I'm sure many folks on here will say that a well certified and experienced medic can make 60k+ in the right area.

Good luck, remember she's your mother, she won't necessarily show it, but she will get to say "hey my son/daughter is doing a good thing for xyz city" when you call 911 they show up. Will you make millions, nope, but hey! thats just money. The things that matter in life are the people you surround yourself with and what kind of person/son/dad/significant other you are. Money will soon follow!
 
My parents were disappointed with fire/EMS as a career choice. I did it anyway, with no regrets. While I'm not full time EMS anymore, it's not because of money or because I disliked it, just because I wanted to get more education. It's a fun job, and despite most of my high school friends being highly paid lawyers, consultants, and the like, I was never ashamed of what I did. I'm also pretty sure I was the only person who really liked my job.

That being said, from your other thread, I would still go to college and get your bachelors in something (nursing is often thrown out but really it can be anything). Your parents are paying for it, as I remember, which is a huge benefit that many people won't have. Even if you stay in EMS your whole life, a bachelors makes you more hirable and promotable (at one fire job I had, you needed a bachelors to make captain, for example). And if one day you decide EMS isn't for you--which happens all the time, EMS is hardly a perfect job--it's much easier to already have a degree as opposed to trying to work and go to college/trade school at the same time.

You can still work or volunteer on the ambulance in college and get an idea of what you like. Just as an example, I worked with 4 or 5 college classmates on the ambulance while we were in school. One now works in fraud but still does EMS part time, one is a freight train operator (and does volly fire), one works in emergency management and does volunteer EMS, and three stayed full time in the emergency services-- two are state troopers, one of them highway, the other a helicopter medic, and me doing fire/EMS.

My point is, when I was a freshman in college I think I wanted to be an FBI Special Agent, or, depending on my mood, sing on Broadway. Some people don't figure out what they want to do with their life until they're like 40, so don't pigeonhole yourself into a career (any career, not just EMS) too early.
 
@rescue1 again speaking some truth, i forgot to add the college degree... You really need it, if not for yourself, get it for your company most hiring personnel i know at the state level view a bachelors as a degree that will help prevent future IA/HR nightmares. Although i still wanna be a FBI Agent(ish). :P
 
When my parents stopped paying my bills, I stopped basing my decisions on what would please them. Simple as that.

That being said, both my parents were/are nurses, so me choosing a medical field wasn't disappointing to them. They might have preferred me to go the college route, but the fact that I'm happy and successful is more important than a degree.
 
Lots of good points and experience here.

Ill echo what was said before, stop trying to please your mom.

That said, get a degree in something. When I made the decision to get into EMS, I was 8 classes shy of a bachelors in Computer Science. My only regret is not finishing that degree, though I still have time. I only need one class to finish my associates though.

Im one of those mentioned above that makes 60k a year in EMS and I work 10 days a month. Its not common and it will not be a job that is handed to you lightly. I got extremely lucky with timing and had a good reputation in the local EMS community. I have yet to wake up and dread going to work (except for those first 7 months as an AMR medic).

In short, do what makes you happy but have a plan. EMS isnt for everyone.

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Sixty grand? I need to move to Indiana lol
 
RocketMedic said:
Sixty grand? I need to move to Indiana lol
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Plenty of places in TX that you can make that and only work 10 days a month.

I'm at one of them.


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Handsome Robb said:
Plenty of places in TX that you can make that and only work 10 days a month.

I'm at one of them.

I really just want to build a life-sized Pawnee from Parks and Rec.

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Click to expand...
 
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