What made you start?

Micro_87

Forum Crew Member
80
0
0
Why did you want to go in the EMS field?.....and are you happy you did it?
 

Ridryder911

EMS Guru
5,923
40
48
Many may choose from below

A. It looked cool! ;)
B. Truck driving school was full
C. They would not let me repeat "fries" at Mickey D's
D. I never have to really take the certification course, just attend to get Federal grants
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Shishkabob

Forum Chief
8,264
32
48
^^^ That and it doesn't hurt to have the experience for when I go in to law enforcement.
 

ErinCooley

Forum Lieutenant
240
6
0
Its something I've wanted to do for years. About my 2nd or 3rd year of college, i KNEW its what I wanted to do when I grew up, but having a father who graduated 2nd in his Naval Academy class, it was expected that I graduate from college. 5 years later I did, then had kids and was a stay at home mom. Woke up 1 morning and told my hubby that I was going to EMT school.

I'm starting my associates in paramedic technology in June and very excited about it!

PS, I like college and will probably not stop @ paramedic!
 

Mountain Res-Q

Forum Deputy Chief
1,757
1
0
I started out in Veterinary Medicine back in High School. When I graduated I thought I would continue on and become a Vet, but when looking into getting some of the basic courses out of the way at the local Community College, I saw the EMS/Fire courses and thought that Paramedic might be fun. I investigated it a little more and decided to at least try the First Responder Course for starters. LOVED IT, got my EMT the next semester and have found a balance between working in emergency services part-time and veterinary medicine part time. Glad I did it that way? Usually. I probably should have kept my aim a lttle higher, but I love Ambulacne, love SAR, and love the time I spend working emergencies and surgeries as a Vet Tech.
 

curt

Forum Crew Member
64
0
0
I really want to help people. Might have something to do with the fact that I was born premature in rural Oklahoma in '88, and they didn't have the resources to really handle the resulting pnuemo, so I got a life-flight to Tulsa. I've also had, essentially, a life-long interest in first-aid, survival techniques, survival medicine, and emergency aid. At age 15, I was living in Honduras and my dad was a rampaging alcoholic and decided it would be a good idea to get drunk off his...butt and take his anti-HTN meds at the same time. He stood up to harass the guy putting in the satellite receiver through the window, fell, and cracked his head on the rock-tile floor. I was every bit of ten step away, and by the time I got there his head already had a decent pool of blood around it and he wasn't breathing. I'd read through an old red cross first aid manual that happened to find its way down there and remembered how to proceed with rescue breathing. I breathed for him for about 30 seconds while preforming abdominal thrusts intermittently (no pulse + old manual + no CPR training = ) before I ran out and asked the satellite guy if he knew CPR. He said no, so I ran down the road and asked the neighbors to call their emergency services (It's Honduras. No 911, but some obscure 7-digit number that didn't get advertised). I ran back, got to my dad again, who hadn't moved, kept it up for a few minutes and just all of the sudden, he started coughing and resumed being a belligerent drunk until the local EMS rolled up in a stripped-out landrover.

Then, to cement it all, I took a CFR course in high school and just fell in love with emergency medicine right then and there. After graduation, I went on to my local tech school to get into the EMT program, which wasn't open yet (year-long course, one set of instructors), so I hung out taking the core classes for RN while EMT-I opened up. Got in, took the class and fell more in love with EMS because I had possibly the best instructors I could've ever asked for. I'm now attending a paramedic course with those same instructors.
 

jamiga

Forum Probie
22
0
0
Growing up, I wanted to be a fireman. My moms only response was that I couldn't be a fireman, because I'm a girl. So I would have to be a firefighter. I protested- saying that I was going to grow a mustache. I wanted to be a fireman.

My mom is a nurse, and she had a lot of influence on me growing up. So my desire for the firefighting stuff progressed into Paramedicine. She did NOT want me to be a Paramedic, saying that they are all addicted to Morphine and commit suicide.

And here I am. Alive and morphine-free.

I like it so far. I'm still in my probationary period at work, but I'll be out on my own as of Tuesday this week.
 

LucidResq

Forum Deputy Chief
2,031
3
0
*drool* flashy lights..... preeeeetty.....
 

trevor1189

Forum Captain
376
0
0
I really don't know what made me want to get into it. I have always been interested in medicine and helping people, so I am sure that has something to do with it.

Long time ago my grandparents were in a 5 car pile up on a local highway on ramp and I was the one who recognized their car and told my mom to pull over and check. Road in the ambulance up front when I was like 6. That was probably my first exposure to EMS.

I was a premed student but decided I didn't want to spend 12 years in school so I looked into other healthcare options and figured I would work my way up through EMS.

Ultimate goal is to become a flight nurse.

Recently started doing ride alongs as a third member and love it. Never knowing what the next call is going to be keeps it interesting.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

tydek07

Forum Captain
462
12
18
I had always been somewhat interested in EMS... Every week my entire family would stop everything and watch Rescue 911 :p

Well, what got me serious about EMS is Boy Scouts... yes I said Boy Scouts :D

We had this "Disaster In the Valley" camp out. We reviewed basic first aid, plus some more complicated stuff... anyway - The last day, they brought us into town. They had police, fire, dive team, local ambulance squad, and lifeflight there for us to see. We spent 10minutes at each site, and then we were set free to roam as we wish. Where did I spend all my time? ... ok ok, the helicopter first, because that was just awsome haha... but then spent the rest of the time around the ambulance. Found out that I could become a state EMT at the age of 17 (I was 16 at the time, soon to be 17), and they gave me all the info to get me started. Haha, I left that day knowing "that is what I want to do".
 

fortsmithman

Forum Deputy Chief
1,335
5
38
I picked EMS because the service was critically short staffed. I was considering joining the volunteer fire dept but the problem was I have this thing about getting out of burning buildings as quickly as possible. Since that was out I thought about becoming an Auxiliary Constable with The RCMP. I considered this since I'm a member of my town's Citizen On Patrol group. I didn't pick this because I'd have to get pepper sprayed and tasered as part of the auxiliary training. So this left EMS I thought I'd remain a volunteer and continue to do my regular day job which I love. You know what I want to continue to get as much training as possible then go paid full time. The EMS bug has bitten me and it bit me bad. Even though I'm currently 42 I'll be about 45 or 46 when I complete my training at the EMT-P level. I asked a college instructor who was a paramedic working ALS in BC if it would be worth it at my age to go for becoming a EMT-P. When I was a elementary school student I use to watch Johnny and Roy on TV. I even played Emergency with my siblings. When playing it I'd play difibrillating my brothers and at the time one sister with a pair of shoe's as the play difibrillator.
 

Sasha

Forum Chief
7,667
11
0
I think the human body is the coolest thing in the world. How it all works together to create this beautiful thing called life, how it fights to keep kickin', and how it can totally self destruct. I also like people.

But that's what got me interested in nursing.

I'm one of those people who hate to wait for things. Nursing school had a huge waiting list, but imagine that, EMT school was available. So I fell into EMT school, figured I'd just do it to occupy time until I could get into nursing school. But I ended up liking it and went on to paramedic school. Now I have plans to start nursing pre-reqs and get into nursing school. I don't plan on stopping at BSN, my long term goal is DNP. So, EMT school was an accident. I'm glad I've done it, but I don't wanna stay.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

RMSP05

Forum Probie
29
0
0
I kinda got roped into joining the ski patrol. After doing that for a few years, and liking it alot, i decided i wanted to do this year round, So i got my EMTB and im lovin every second of it, eventually ill make it to paramedic, just wish i hadent spent all this time and money on gettin a degree to want to go back to school and do something else now
 

WarDance

Forum Lieutenant
190
2
0
I got my EMT so I could upgrade my river guide satus and make more money. I have always been fascinated by everything medical so naturally I loved my EMT class. Now I am pre-med.
 

Hockey

Quackers
1,222
6
38
I wanted 2 days off a week from work so they paid me and my class to go through EMT training.


Yep, I said it
 

TransportJockey

Forum Chief
8,623
1,675
113
I did a year at a small engineering college but decided it wasn't for me, so I chose to start nursing pre-reqs. Like Sasha, almost all the classes have a wait list, so I started with EMS. Now I'm a medic student. But I don't plan on staying. I want to be an NP eventually
 

HotelCo

Forum Deputy Chief
2,198
4
38
I saw some of the Navy Corpsman at bootcamp doing there thing and I thought it was pretty cool. So I figured I'd find out what was like that out in the civilian world. And low and behold... there it was EMS. Took my EMT class and loved it, so now I've moved onto my medic.
 

281mustang

Forum Lieutenant
230
12
18
I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do after HS so I just started taking classes for for my AA and hoped that I would find somthing before I finished my degree. A year or two later I decided I wanted to be an LEO, my parents hated the idea and tried to convince be to become a FF(which I really had no intrest in becoming). My mother eventually found out that someone she knew at work was married to a Lieutenant at a local FD and scheduled a ride-along, after that I signed up for the next available EMT class/Fire Academy.
 

Sasha

Forum Chief
7,667
11
0
I did a year at a small engineering college but decided it wasn't for me, so I chose to start nursing pre-reqs. Like Sasha, almost all the classes have a wait list, so I started with EMS. Now I'm a medic student. But I don't plan on staying. I want to be an NP eventually

We're like career choice/goal twins! :p
 

JonTullos

Forum Captain
341
0
0
It sounds stupid and cliche but I've always had an interest in medicine and helping people. I was very sick as a child and spent a lot of time around EMTs, medics and other medical types. My dad's also been a NREMT-B for most of my life so I was always around it. I've wanted to be an EMT for many years but I didn't go that route (mainly on advice from my mom). I eventually decided to stop listening to others and follow my heart. Now I'm in the process of enrolling in EMT-B class and plan to move on to Paramedic. I also volunteer with the local fire department and plan to serve as an EMT responder with them. Of course, I don't plan to just volly; I also plan to work as an EMT, getting more experience as I prepare for medic school.
 
Top