Hi all-
I'm thinking about taking the plunge into an EMS career and have a few questions. I'm working as a graphic designer now, but am not passionate about art & design, which incidentally makes this career seem unappealing in the longterm. When I chose to get my degree in graphic design (as a beer-drinking college student) I thought it would be "fun" and "easy". It is both of those things, but entirely meaningless as an adult!
Some of the desires I think I would satisfy by working in EMS are: I want to feel like I'm making an impact in my community. I want to be challenged physically, mentally & emotionally. I would enjoy navigating chaos with a team while everyone else is running away. I want my work to feel "real," which is really a relative term to the work I'm doing now, which certainly does not feel "real" to me.
So a few questions for the seasoned EMS workers around here…
1. What aspects of being an EMT/Paramedic are you most passionate about? Are they the same things you THOUGHT you'd be passionate about when you started?
2. If you changed careers- do you regret leaving your "stable" job for something more tumultuous? Was working in EMS as rewarding as you had hoped it would be?
3. Do a lot of people burn out?
4. For the married folk out there- how has working in EMS challenged or strengthened your marriage? My husband and I are not trying to have kids anytime soon, but I imagine things will still change if I'm switching into such a demanding line of work.
5. Am I crazy?
Thanks for your help!!!
Alex