Swampmusic,
Please forgive us if we seem to be eating you up right off the bat. Some of us who have worked our entire lives trying to improve and elevate the status of EMS in the public's eye have a very tough time with what appears to be a lackadaisical attitude in regards to entering the field, and we will ‘strongly’ encourage those who are thinking about entering EMS just for the trauma and adrenaline to rethink their position.
In your very first post you stated, “I don't think it matters if I pass the state/national exams,” which possibly threw up some red flags to some of us that read that initial post. It is as if you are going into this with a less than determined attitude, and whether it’s paid or volunteer, no future patient deserves that attitude.
And then you came up with the statement “It won't be that bad if I fail anyways, the course is free of cost to my fire department. Worse comes to worse, i'll just get a big "I told you so" from the others EMTs in my department.” Which in my mind, raised another red flag. I’m sure the Fire Department is paying for the course, or in the least, paying an employee to teach the course. If I was the finance officer for this Fire Department I would have a hard time writing a $1000 check for someone with that attitude. I’m sure there are some equipment needs or pay increase needs that may trump a less than 100% attitude for passing the course.
Red flag #3 “For the meantime I just have to work hard and make it into that 50%.” Really? Why not set the bar a little higher and reach for a goal of making it into the top 90%? I’m not sure I want to work with someone who is satisfied with knowing 50% of what they were taught when it comes to EMS……
“So I am not quite sure where you are getting that attitude from lol.” See above ^^ to understand where we are seeing “that kind of attitude.”
Final red flag, “As I said earlier I will take continuing EMS CEU's. I am just going to firstly attempt and get through the basic program. At least the ones worthwhile taking like multi trauma, burns, shock management, respiratory emergencies, etc... I have an interest in these.” So if Grandma Brown down the street has a cardiac emergency, since medical emergencies fell into the 50% part that you didn’t have any interest in, she doesn’t get the proper treatment and dies enroute to the hospital?
That is why you are getting the feeling that you are being jumped on. At least that is why I am jumping on the bus. I feel like (from interpreting your comments) you are more interested in Fire Fighting, which is fine, I have no problem with that and am glad there are people that are willing to fight fire because I am scared of it!! But don't enter EMS in order to elevate your FIRE position. Go get a degree in Arson Investigation or Wildland firefighting and get a better position or higher pay based on your FIRE qualifications and leave EMS to those of us who care 100% of the time for 100% of the patients.
So if you are thinking about getting an EMT certification, think a little harder as to WHY you are going to get this certification. Think about what this certification requires you to know and do. If you don't want to deal with stubbed toes and 10 out of 10 headache pain at 3 am, then don't get into EMS. Trauma and 'adrenaline' filled calls make up a very, very small portion of the entire picture......
Thanks for listening to a Dinosaur's opinion.......
Tami
Looks like that penguin guy (paramedicmike) and I were almost on the same track at the same time........LOL