JTEMS

3 hours ago, Ruffmeister Paramedic said:

And JT I have no problem with you, none whatsoever, I just have an issue with the advice you are giving.  

I get the fact that you have chosen EMS as your life's calling and I get it,  I was like you way back when, but your advice is based on a small smattering of time and the fact that you were presenting it initially as fact is where I had the issue.  

Continue doing what you are doing in your life, I'm not here to tell you any way else to do what you do with your life, but when you tell someone that EMS is now to take over priority over EVERYTHING and all else is secondary, that's bad advice.  

Brother, I get it, I was like you once,  I hope that you will see after a year or so of experience, once you do get a girlfriend who begins to get jealous of your EMS life, you will begin to understand the EMS is not everything.  That the next major EMS Call is not going to be the next awesome thing.  

Again, I have no issues with you, I'm sure you are a great guy, I just have issues with your advice.  

Please don't mistake my criticism of your advice here as a criticism towards you as a person. 

I understand what you are saying. I appreciate the advice, and thank you for being respectfully candid. 

4 months. It was actually hard for most people in my class. I found myself having more trouble with my own stress than the tests themselves.

What I remember is "They tell the medic classes every year to put a picture of yourself on the fridge for your family, because that is all that your family is gonna see of you for the next 8 months. I want you to think the same way with the end of the course coming up, LOSE your life right now." 

They were probably more speaking of medic when they said this, but it came up quite a few times at the beginning and end of the course.

I have the best instructors I could have asked for. My whole class passed because of them (3 people dropped, but no one failed)

I have no problem with you, and I realize your opinion may hold a lil more weight than mine, but I still feel the way I do. I understand completely what you are saying, and I to an extent I agree.. but I still treat this as my life. I don't have a girlfriend. I have 2 friends. Literally. I chose this life knowing everything else would com second. I understand not everyone works like this, but for people like me, it does. I can see how your opinion may be a little more beneficial to people with kids, but still. 

Im not really sure what your problem is.. I have an opinion, you have yours.

We may have to agree to disagree on this. My EMS instructors told me on the first day to put a picture of yourself on the fridge for your family, because that is the only time they are gonna see you over the duration of the class. 

It's just my opinion. I can appreciate yours.

I had a girl in my EMT class who had 5 kids. It can be done. EMS usually works 24 hour shifts, two days a week where I live. It can vary, though. 

EMT school will be the most important thing in your life. Your kid obviously has to be taken care of, so that means EMT will cut way into your free time (and it did for me. And I'm 20 and live at home with no kids.) 

I would do it. It's amazing the things I've seen. I've done CPR on a man in front of his wife and got a pulse back. I've rushed into someone's house with the fire department to pull a man out who loss consciousness making his family breakfast. It's indescribable. 

Working in the ER. About 5 minutes before I my shift ends another patient comes into triage. I'm pissed because I'm the rookie EMT who has to do all the shitwork (and for a good reason. I needed to learn hands on) but I'm tired. So I decide not to leave my wonderful RN preceptor with this last pt. I grab the pt who is a 90 year old woman with her two daughters, and I'm writing down vitals when the one daughter slams her hands down on the desk and stares intensly at me. Extremely creeped out, I just tried to ignore it. This went on for about 15 seconds until I again awkwardly made eye contact and she exclaimed, "DAYUM BOY YOUS KINDA SEXY." At this point I probably had the most disgusted look on my face, which makes me feel terrible because no one ever gives me compliments. It took me a good ten seconds to reply to this.. Comment, and I the only thing I could think to say is "you uh, caught me off guard there." She continued on about how she was actually 60 years old and she likes to joke around, but "for real boy you be sexy as hell." to which the nurse replied, "Jake, didn't you say you were single?"

I just finished EMT a few weeks ago and passed NREMT yesterday. The best advice I can give to any new student is to have your priorities straight. EMS comes before EVERYTHING in your life. Studying for your tests comes before seeing your friends. You need to dedicate at least 3-4 hours at minimum every day to study for your exams. After you finish a test you may have a few days you can study less, but when a test is coming up, GO HARD. It all comes down to the amount of effort you are willing to put forth. A lot of people struggled because they had other things they thought were more important. You don't need to be worried. Just know that THIS is your life now. I'm sure if you try your hardest you will do fantastic! 

4 hours ago, scubanurse said:

https://cte.stlcc.edu/paramedic-technology/

They have financial aid available according to their website, appears to be accredited, and you can get your associates there too!

Thanks guys. I'll definitely look into that! 

18 hours ago, paramedicmike said:

There has to be better options for you to finance school.  How about scholarships?  Grants?  Hell, even moving temporarily to find an affordable school could be cheaper than $11k for EMT and paramedic.

Or you could go to nursing school first and self finance paramedic school after you're out, working and earning a salary.

I'm not moving anywhere. I live at home with my parents, and I am completely broke. EMT-B is over in July, and that is already paid for. I'm 99% positive I don't qualify for grants/scholarships. It's horrible, but I'll learn to live with it

I don't really want to be a RN in the same way I want to be a Medic, I just want it for an extra job and skillset/job security (A lot of medics can't be medics forever)

You guys know any accredited Medic to RN programs that are online?

36 minutes ago, scubanurse said:

where?!?

I live in St. Louis. EMT is about $2000 and medic is $9k before books and uniforms. I can't use FAFSA either, because no schools take student loans. I have to get one from a bank

1 hour ago, paramedicmike said:

There are many people out there that do, in fact, do both.  There is nothing limiting you from obtaining credentials in both professions.

 

Mike, good to know about the hospital at which you worked.  All the hospitals with which I'm familiar would only allow IV/phlebot and moving patients around on day or night shift.

If I can find the money, I will. Idk how much nursing school would cost me, but Medic school is gonna run me nearly five figures.

40 minutes ago, Ruffmeister Paramedic said:

I worked in an ER as a medic.  Night shift medics did more managing airways than day shift because the anesthetists didn't work at night.  

Plus we also did most of what we could do on the street in the ER as well.  In my ER we also hung blood and foley catheterized as well. 

It depends on the hospital you work at. 

But the hospital I worked at was rural in nature and operated on a small staff at night.  

If you are looking to work for a medium size hospital with a good amount of services then yes you will more than likely be a tech on any shift.  

I worked with an ER medic. I hate the ER.

..and most people started lines without any BSI precautions. So that was gross. It was a kinda ghetto area level 2 center.

I like the stability of RN, but I want to be on the street. I just wanted to know my opinions  if I had the money, I'd just do both! 

So I've obviously worked with medics on the truck and in the ER, and been taught by one.. but what other jobs would NRP open up for me? Can you work on other floors of a hospital (besides the ER) or work for a physician? I'd like to know all of my options I have.

Thanks,

Jake

17 minutes ago, Ruffmeister Paramedic said:

I would take a college level english composition class, as that would help you (not sayin you have bad grammar or writing skills) but it would help you with your report writing skills.  It's important to have good grammar and spelling in this field.  Yannow?

Right on. I already aced ENG 101 and 102. I'm a very good writer! Thanks for the advice my man!

Hey everyone! Just thought I'd come back since I got a lot of positive/good advice last time I posted. I am currently on the downslide of EMT-B and looking for preparation advice about Medic school. I am pushing medic off till January to do A&P because I think it will help me a lot (I took Human Bio so I technically don't have to) with medic school. What other things should I prepare for/focus on while I'm in EMT-B and A&P? I've heard medic school is a nightmare.. Any class I should take beforehand? Or book I should buy?.. Etc

In school I learned someone is not dead until they are warm and dead! I'm still in EMT school though, so I'm not the most qualified to answer.

Yeah, there is NO guarantees here.

SCCAD pays the same as FDs in the area, but I'm trying not to be attached to one agency.. I want more than one option. Christian Hospital EMS is cool too, but then I'd have to work in Ferguson..

I'll figure it out. I'm just glad I've found my calling at 20! 

Thank you both for the prompt replies. 

My main issue is paying $5000 for the fire academy. The academy ain't free in St. Louis County. I'm also pretty afraid of heights.. Doesn't really help xD. Hopefully I can get on at one of the higher paying Ambulance Districts.

Thanks again guys!

I'm an EMT Student trying to decide what path to follow. I know for a fact that I want to do EMS, and nothing else, but the best paying jobs in my area are for FF/EMT-P. There are ambulance districts around me, but pretty much all but one pays less than $15 an hour. I really don't have any desire to go putting on turnout gear and climbing up ladders, but I have heard that many firefighters are on the ambulance majority, if not all the time. I wouldn't even mind doing medical calls on the fire truck and extrications. The FD jobs are very hard to get, but is it worth it? I don't want to be stuck on a fire truck all of the time.. Should I just stick to EMS? 

Thanks,

JT