Becoming an EMT

[Echoburger]

What is the best way to become a paramedic?

What classes in high school?

Should I become a EMT-B before I go to college? What about EMT-I or even EMT-P before I go to college?

What are the chances, benefits, disadvantages of working as an EMT in college?

After college...what happens? Get married and work as an EMT?

Echo needs your advice...thanks :wink:

[FireGuard69]

What are the chances, benefits, disadvantages of working as an EMT in college?

After college...what happens? Get married and work as an EMT?

Yeoo boy. This ought to get interesting.

Well, here goes.

Anatomy and Phiso. If you can take it, do it. It helps. Alot.

Best way to become a Medic? Become an EMT, work somewhere busy, and don't be a slug.

What are you going to college for? Do you plan on working while in college?

Your questions are rather openended, leaving much follow up to be done.

Work I just don't feel like doing for you.

Someone older, wiser, and much better at it is liable to rip a new arse hole for ya.

[AnthonyM83]

No one's ripping a 14-year old newbie's asshole for posting that question. Least he's got some plans for his future even if they probably will end up changing. (Besides, isn't it illegal in most states

Anyway, Echo, you need pretty much the same things you need for most science and health (and most jobs in general) professions. Do well in school, get good at reading, comprehension, writing, technical stuff, science...biology, chemistry...try your hardest in math. Get into a good college, learn a lot in whatever major you choose, take some science courses, then go to medic school after graduation.

Whether kids want to be a paramedic, physician, police officer, etc, I give similar advice. Do well in school, get good at reading, writing, critical thinking, take some classes in the area you're interested in or pre-requisities, major in whatever subject, graduate with good grades, then apply.

[FireGuard69]

If your school has it, JROTC. I forgot about that one. It squares you away.

[akflightmedic]

If your school has it, JROTC. I forgot about that one. It squares you away.

What if you want to be "well rounded"???

[Dustdevil]

lolz@well rounded That was horrible, dude!

What is the best way to become a paramedic?

Education is the primary answer. That is the number one most important factor in your future success in any discipline in medicine. Just as crucial, is keeping your nose clean. Don't get stupid with fast driving, drinking, or drugs, or shoplifting, or threatening your teachers, or anything else that will hold you back in the future. Those things not only end up holding you back, but they delay your maturity, which is extremely important to a medical professional.

What classes in high school?

Plus 5 for considering early preparation. Too many people pick EMS only after barely graduating high school with a C average, then four years later realising they don't like working at Taco Bell. They are ill educated, ill motivated, and just plain ill prepared. And after wasting four years, they are now in a big hurry to do things the fast way, instead of the best way. Consequently, they commonly end up half-arse medics. You can definitely get an edge by starting to focus on a career now. Just do NOT let it consume you. Do not obsess singularly over being a paramedic. As AK hinted, being a well-rounded person with varied interests is important. EMS is stressful and will consume you quickly once you are employed. If you start out over-obsessed, you will burn out faster than those who have a life outside of the profession. Burning out is not cool. It frequently ends your career, which really sucks if you have invested several years and big $$ in education.

I would agree that ROTC is a great maturity builder, as well as a great education in how to function in a structured environment like the corporate or public service world. Trust me, that's good to have under your belt in EMS. Especially if you are very young and have not had a few years of independence and wage earning behind you. I know only a couple of schools in your district have ROTC anymore though, so that may or may not be an option for you.

Another high school activity that can be quite valuable is if you can get on as a student athletic trainer. Excellent experience learning the function of the human body, as well as how that function is affected by injury and adverse conditions. You'll see a lot of things that will make most EMTs panic because they get zero training in those kinds of things.

Others have given great advice. Even the advice to do your own research is good, lol. I mean, yeah, this has indeed been asked here 2.6 billion times, and is answered all over the board. The "Student" and "Training" forums are the best places to start looking. But you have some specific questions, and this is research, so I am happy to tell you what I can (even though few people ever listen). If at all possible, I recommend that you take all of these courses:

• Biology - as much as possible, including Physiology if you can.

Chemistry - Same as above.

Physics - Same as above.

Psychology - Again, as much as you can get! On most days, with most patients, you will find what you learned there more important than any biology you ever learned. You don't have to do open heart surgery on every patient, but you absolutely DO have to understand each and every patient you have in order to properly communicate with them and care for their needs.

Sociology - Same as above.

Spanish - Almost a must in Texas. And it gets harder to learn, the older you get.

Phys Ed - ANYTHING to stay in shape! Yeah, I know every teenager thinks he's in good enough shape, but now is the time to start a lifelong habit of physical fitness. And they call it physical EDUCATION for a reason. There is a science to it. Just going to the gym and farting around aimlessly until you break a sweat doesn't keep you fit. If you can get into a weightlifting class, excellent. Gymnastics, track and field, great. Team sports are not only good physical exercise, but they are invaluable tools to teach you to work as part of a team, as well as taking direction from those above you to achieve a team goal. Few things are more important to a medic than that.

Math - Obvious, but strive to really understand the processes, not just regurgitate them for the tests. Once you're in medicine, they don't always give you formulas anymore. You have to figure out solutions to problems through your own ingenuity, based on your previous education. If you blew algebra off and did just enough to pass, you're in trouble. Like me. Four years out of high school, I couldn't pass college calculus to save my life. Get that foundation now.

English - Opt for compositional classes (Technical and Research writing if available) over obscure literature. But don't ever blow off those literature reading assignments. I know they seem pointless, but they are very helpful in teaching you to understand written communications and evaluate the meaning of those communications. If you follow the medical topics here, you will see a lot of people using analogies to explain medical phenomena. If you haven't developed your reading comprehension and abstract reasoning abilities through reading in school, these kinds of things will escape you and make learning any topic in the future harder.

• Don't just take those courses. Take them seriously! If they come easy to you, that's great, but don't settle for that. Make it hard! Take honours classes. Ask a tonne of questions in an effort to understand the subjects deeper.

Should I become a EMT-B before I go to college? What about EMT-I or even EMT-P before I go to college?

You should have about a year of college before going to EMT school. That's time to get your basics out of the way, establishing a solid foundation for you to build your medical knowledge upon. Without that foundation, you completely lose the potential to be anything more than an average EMT. That first year of classes is not something to be added on later. Having them done before EMT school GREATLY enhances your understanding of EMT curriculum, and is likely to ensure that you come out the best student in the class. It also makes you immediately eligible for Paramedic school, so you don't get stuck working for minimum wage as an EMT for some taxi service and trying to get your Paramedic school prerequisites out of the way at the same time, which is a horrible plan.

What are the chances, benefits, disadvantages of working as an EMT in college?

As I said above, it is a horrible idea. Chances? They're great. There are a hundred non-emergency transfer taxi ambulance services in your area that will hire anybody with a driver licence and an EMT patch to carry invalids from nursing homes to dialysis clinics all day long for minimum wage. They'll hire you too.

Benefits? I can only think of one. You make money while doing it. But a much better plan would be to let daddy pay for your school and expenses instead of working and devote all your time and energy to your studies so you won't take 8 years to get a four year degree, because daddy will pay your way only so long.

Disadvantages? The "experience" you gain is not useful to you. In fact, it is more likely to be a disadvantage to your paramedic school experience and your professional growth than an advantage. You end up with bad habits and incomplete notions that are extremely hard to break in paramedic school. It distracts you from school, causing you to study less, miss classes, and learn less. It screws with your priorities, causing you to choose working over taking more classes, diminishing your learning experience, and making it ultimately take longer. The list goes on and on as to why it is a bad idea. Especially when you are young. If you were thirty years old and had a family depending on you to buy food and pay the mortgage, all those disadvantages would still apply, but at least there would be a higher priority involved that would excuse taking the less ideal route. You have no such excuse.

After college...what happens? Get married and work as an EMT?

Well, "after college" is a minimum of 6 to 8 years from now for you, so really, it's not worth even speculating on. EMS is changing right now, so what we tell you today about your career may or may not be valid when you finish high school, much less college. But basically, no. You wouldn't want to work as an EMT if you are a Paramedic, lol. Marriage is good. Just don't marry anybody in EMS. They all cheat. 8)

Echo needs your advice...thanks :wink:

That's the best I've got for now. If you still want to be a paramedic in four years, come back here and ask again. Or just call me. I live like five minutes from you, lol. But for now, take it one step at a time and let's see how you feel come your senior year.

Good luck!

[Echoburger]

Thanks to everyone who replied...

and a special thanks to Dustdevil for all of your help. I appreciate you typing all that out for me.

I believe that the high school that I go to has the ROTC program...I should be able to take it next year :wink:

again, Thanks for all of your help everyone!

:sign3:

[DwayneEMTP]

What is the best way to become a paramedic?

What classes in high school?

Should I become a EMT-B before I go to college? What about EMT-I or even EMT-P before I go to college?

What are the chances, benefits, disadvantages of working as an EMT in college?

After college...what happens? Get married and work as an EMT?

Echo needs your advice...thanks :wink:

Man, I disagree with the criticism of your questions. I think these are outstanding questions, and that thinking like this is what will make you the master of whatever you choose to do.

As always, there's very little to add to Dust's post, and the fact that you recognized that on your own makes you a winner in my book.

Follow that advice, take your grades seriously, be a leader.

I look forward to seeing your posts on the board!

Good luck to you.

Dwayne

Note: Even at the end of a good post, refering to yourself in the third person makes you look goofy. :wink:

[AMESEMT]

Listen to Dust, he knows what he is talking about!!! Like dust said, education is important. I am finishing up my college education (in accounting) and will be going to medic school in January. I have talked to a few former paramedics that got burnt out. They recommended getting a degree as something to fall back on, just in case.

Good luck and again, listen to the wiser members of the board!

AmesEMT

[Dustdevil]

Note: Even at the end of a good post, refering to yourself in the third person makes you look goofy. :wink:

LOL!

Being the non-conformist instigator that I am, I like the third-person thing. I don't do it, because that would actually require an effort on my part, and I can't be arsed with that. Nevertheless, I've never understood how and why some people get so militantly bent out of shape over it, goofy or not. I was on one e-mail forum that totally imploded over fighting about one member always referring to himself in the third person. It was mind boggling!

Not accusing you of getting bent, Dwayne. :wink: It just reminded me of something I had always been intrigued by.