Older EMS worker, what do you think?

[DwayneEMTP]

Ok...that's it!

I'm tired of hearing people say they had a great time in medic school! How the hell did you manage that?

I spent a great amount of time and energy at school four days/wk, at least 25 hrs/wk studying, 40 hrs/week (min) at work, and every spare moment either worrying about the above, or freaking out over my B in pharm. (Though I don't really freak out, it was stressful)

Obviously I'm kidding...about being sick of it. But I do believe that the one thing that was harder for me starting in my 40s is that I had a very limited tolerance for compromise, an almost manic desire to excel, in a system that had very little respect for either.

As an adult you need to be prepared for the fact that school aint like what you remember. The kids...and they are kids for the most part...dress differently, don't show respect in the same ways, value "coolness" over academic excellence...etc. I came to let those things go, but never found a "happy place" in my head for them.

And besides..did you really have so much fun in medic school? Or is that what we're supposed to say...I'm truly curious....

Dwayne

[Kaisu]

Hey Dwayne.. welcome back...

I truly had a great time in medic school - up till about a month or so ago - I'm getting burned out and ready to have it all over with...

At first, I was so thrilled to be learning all this great new stuff.. I couldn't believe they were letting me ask people all these personal questions and get to watch them negotiate some really intense human experiences. I loved the classroom - the cretins grumbled about me because I kept asking questions and was so totally engaged.. and they just wanted to get through the material and go home - but screw 'em - I wasn't in school for them - I was there for me and for the people I would be taking care of.

I am just plain tired. I think after graduation (next month hopefully) I am going to sleep for about a week straight.

so to answer your question - yes for the most part I truly enjoyed it and never took the privilege of being there and doing this for granted. I am still very grateful that I get to do this.

[Scaramedic]

Kaisu and Dwayne I'm willing to bet you lost the 'fun' of Paramedic school about the time you hit cardiology or pharmacology.

I'm getting burned out just doing the pre-reqs for my BSN. I really can't wait to get into the program, but I am sure that will wear off in time also.

[EmtUS]

My opinion is go for it! When I was 28 I started in EMS, and many told me I was too old! But also keep in mind that the service I work for employee a 68 year old guy, who actually had a TI while patient loaded and driving. Some how he passed a DOT physical and was allowed back to work a week later. Just recently he "spaced out" and left a patient sitting in the hallway at the hospital.

I guess my point is, if you are wanting it, you are healthy enough to do it, then you should absolutly do it. But also be able to recognize your limits. Now I feel like a complete crap head for even saying that. Because the truth is all those things should apply and be in effect for everyone in the EMS profession, reguardless of their age.

I say do it! Good luck!

[Dustdevil]

Word. And first off, kudos to you for being determined to re-enter from the ground up, instead of coming here looking for shortcuts. That speaks volumes about your mature and serious character, and gives me confidence in your outlook for success.

Unless you are just a cantankerous and stubborn old fart, your maturity and life experience will be big assets to your professional development. Unless you have been chronically unemployed for the last four decades, you should have a lot more experience in the workplace than the younger guys. This makes it easier for you to adapt to new scenarios in the workplace, knowing how to get along with people and how to survive the workplace politics. You probably have a better understanding of the meaning of professionalism, and possess the ability to recognise the importance of work ethic. It also helps you to relate to and deal with your patients in different phases of the lifespan.

The downside is that, if you have been out of the educational process for a long time, it can indeed pretty hard to get back into the student mindset. Simple EMT school is no big deal. That's not education. That's just a silly three-week first aid course. That won't be any problem for you. But if you intend to actually re-enter as a professional, then again, you may be looking at a difficult, but not insurmountable road. It's tough being surrounded by a bunch of eighteen-to-twentysomething kids, who are still thinking like students, when you are struggling with concepts you haven't considered in decades. Again, your maturity and determination will get you through it just fine, but it will be frustrating and yes, hard on you. And your family.

Unless you are looking to get on with some fire department who has an age cap, your age should actually be a positive thing in your favour when you go job searching. It certainly is when I am doing the hiring. While I have no problems with younger people in EMS at all, I do generally give points for the more mature applicants, because they generally are more serious about their intent. Most middle aged adults -- especially those re-entering the field -- are not just casual tourists, just trying out a new hobby for the fun of it, before they move on to something else. They're not just using EMS as a cheap thrill or a stepping stone to the fire service like so many kids are. Older adults are more likely to stay with me for a longer tenure, which is a positive thing for my operation. Why would any employer not want that? There really are no negatives to your age, as far as your potential employer is concerned. I mean, your wife probably isn't having any kids anytime soon, so you're not going to be taking time off for that, or being chronically late because of taking kids to school, etc... Simply put, your life should be at a much more stable place at your age than the average twentysomething. Of course -- and this should go without saying -- maturity does not automatically come with age, so none of this may apply to you, lol. Not all fiftysomethings are mature, and many are losers. But I think you are going to be an asset to your employer. Just remember that your [potential] maturity is the one ace you hold over other applicants, so be sure that it shows in all of your dealings with anybody. That means not trying to fit in with the silly kids in class. That means dressing like an adult in class and at interviews, not like you saw everybody else dressing. That means presenting yourself physically and verbally as a mature, intelligent, responsible adult. That may sound obvoious, but seriously, EMS is pretty much a kids game, so it's sometimes difficult to keep yourself from falling into that culture. Let your maturity set you apart from the crowd. It commands immediate respect.

Can you tell us more about your plans? Do you want this to be a career for you? Do you plan to be the best you can be, and immediately pursue a paramedic degree too? Or are you unsure of what you want to do, or how far to take it? Do you intend to just test the waters and take it slowly instead of seriously immersing yourself? Is this going to just be a part-time gig for you, are you just looking for something to do?

My number one advice is to go big or go home. If you don't have plans from day one to go for a paramedic degree, then just forget the whole idea. The market is flooded with half-arse, half-wit EMTs. And, as already mentioned, it's just a three-week first aid course, so it certainly doesn't make you a medical professional. If EMS appeals to you, than being the very best provider you can possibly be, getting the most education, and then offering your patients the most you can give them, is the only professional way to go. And if you don't yet know if that's the way you want to go, then don't waste your time or money. Or ours.

Best of luck, Bro! Welcome to the jungle!

[videopro]

Hi again. I wanted to let the comments accumulate and evolve abit before returning and replying. Well, here I am, i'm back!

I must say, this is really very encouraging! Much of my deep held opinion has been confirmed by your many and thoughtfully written comments!

Ok, I do owe you more detail now about myself, especially to you that wished to know more. Ask and you shall receive.

First, to the member who stated I probably already know the profession does not pay particularly well.... oh yes! I know that is a fact. In 1977 I earned a whopping $5 per 12 hour shift, $5 bucks extra if I got a call between 8p-8a! It was as close as to a volunteer deal as you can get. I was the paid per call car of a small ma' and pa' shop. And yet still, it all had nothing to do with the money, I would have done if for free.

At the time I worked a full-time job as a hospital steam plant engineer. That was from 8a-5p, Then when I got off work I picked up the ambulance and parked it in my driveway at home and took calls starting from 6pm to 7am, leaving just enough time to commute back to my day job starting in the morning. That was 5 days a week. At the end of my Friday overnight shift, I drove the ambulance back to our station Saturday morning and worked a 24 there until Sunday morning, when I got my one day a week off.

For eight years.

Sometimes people would say, 'wow, you sure don't get much rest with that schedule', to which I would reply, yes, that is true, sometimes I only get as little as 3 hours sleep...

In MARCH!

I left the profession in late 1985 after the paid per call car was turned full time and conflicted with my much better paying engineer job which had it's own set of hard to replace skill sets from the hospital's perspective. So that's where I stayed.

In a sense I left with a large feeling of an unfulfilled mission.

You see, then when I was younger, patient treatment was largely 'technical' and my energy and approach embraced that. I treated, packaged and delivered an 'object' to the ER, hopefully with the best ultimate outcome possible.

Very infrequently did I view the patient as 'her children's mother', or a wife's 'lifetime partner and best friend', Sure, there were those calls that put that notion there unavoidably front and center, but it wasn't part of my 'treatment asset' as it were. And it wasn't going to be without a few decades extra years of life experience under my belt. Now, a renewed sense of wanting to give-back while leaving some permanent good results with just a few or even many who get to go home to their families, because I played a part in helping them do that.

So, you see, for me it's time to step back into a higher level of commitment to the human condition after years of either bean-counting, shuffling papers, or writing computer code, all of which left me wondering, ok, what next?

I live mostly on investment income now so I would not be fully depending on it for a living. I plan to use that 'breathing space' to more fully immerse without the pressure of making a living and learn to become the best with all the contemporary skill and see where I can take that to it's most useful end.

And, oh yes, i'm also fully aware of the rampant politics that roils back and forth among the EMTs, the Fire Department personnel, the ER, physicians, etc. etc. All the various players. Been there done that and I doubt very much has changed in the respect. But now, I think I can just put that all in a better place with a larger balanced perspective to it all and just do what I know is best.

It's been great to read each and every one of your replies. I hope to read even more.

Thanks to everyone!

[deartiger2]

I guess I got lucky then, from an older student perspective. My EMT-B class was as ya'll are describing; 58 students and most of them 18-20 somethings (3 weeks? My class was 4 months and over half flunked out! We graduated with 23.). My paramedic class, however, is small. We have 7 students now and will be down to 5 come May; 2 are leaving to go to nursing school. We range from 19 to 50 years old. We are starting Pharmacology/Cardiology today. I've noticed that we have formed a bond with our small group. We help each other study, and every one of us got upset when we thought one of the group might have failed out of A&P II last week.

So yeah, I can honestly say that I'm having fun with this. My son is even talking about going to EMT-B class now. I'm glad to see that I still have an influence on his life, even at his "old age" of 23.

[itku2er]

As a OLDER person here I say GO FOR IT. You are only limited by what you dont allow yourself to do. Some times you just have to take the bull by the horns and go with it.

I would encourage you to go on and dont stop at a B level go all the way to Paramedic.

Age is just a number.

[Dustdevil]

...3 weeks? My class was 4 months and over half flunked out!

Wow, you seriously had a bunch of nimrods in that class, lol! You rarely ever see the older students flunk out. And I don't think it has as much to do with intelligence as it has to do with simple maturity and commitment. Kids have neither. They just spent the last twelve years of their lives learning that school is not a commitment. It's just something you show up and receive credit for without any real effort. Given my druthers, I wouldn't even accept a student into my EMT class that didn't already have a year of college behind him.

And although your school dragged it out for four months (as most community colleges do), if you add up the hours, it still comes out to only three to four weeks of instruction. And many schools do run it on a forty hour week, with completion in less than a month.

No matter how far down the calendar you drag out an EMT class, it's still just a simple three week first aid course.

[Scaramedic]

Given my druthers, I wouldn't even accept a student into my EMT class that didn't already have a year of college behind him.

Given your druthers you wouldn't have an EMT class (or level for that matter) to begin with. :wink: