California EMS

[spenac]

You could move to Texas. Much better pay, low cost of living, better protocols. Now have no clue how hard it would be for an uneducated canadian to get certified though :twisted: . If you decide schools are the way you could probably get away with one of the accelerated programs we all gripe about since you already are educated and experienced.

[iMac]

yeah rcc, you foregot to tell her if your a decnt looking girl they the fire guys will be nice too.

:twisted: and look at that, I'm single :wink:

[iMac]

You could move to Texas. Much better pay, low cost of living, better protocols. Now have no clue how hard it would be for an uneducated canadian to get certified though :twisted: . If you decide schools are the way you could probably get away with one of the accelerated programs we all gripe about since you already are educated and experienced.

It would be tempting but unfortunately you folks don't have the happiest place on earth in your neighborhood

I appreciate all the great replies, defenitely taking notes and respecting all the info posted. Flying down there mid december to take a look at houses, will know more what's going on once its done and over with. Will keep you posted, I might request some personal assistance with the local area *cough* so get your phones ready.

Thanks again everyone

[rccmedic39]

I don't want it to seem like it's all bad out here. I did know some damn good medics out here who really encouraged and helped me to move out of basic and onto medic. But if you're used to a system where EMT's can do actual patient care, the opportunities are few and far between.

[JPINFV]

^

The ironic thing is that the place to get the best patient care experience is actually with the IFT services. Nursing homes will do just about anything to avoid calling 911, so the IFTs regularly get calls for "non-emergent" (misnomer about 1/4 of the time) EMT-B transport to the ER which are actually quite serious. If I had a dollar for every time I transported a "congested" patient emergently, I'd be pretty well off. Also the CCT work is a good experience and gives excellent exposure to RNs and RTs. Of course the down side is that the majority of the calls will be hospital discharges and dialysis calls and very little trauma experience.

[JakeEMTP]

and very little trauma experience.

Meh, give me a good medical call anytime. I mean, for the most part, trauma calls consist of control bleeding, splinting, 2 Lge. Bore IV's, pain control, O2 and a diesel bolus.

[JPINFV]

I won't argue with that, but it's nice to have at least a little trauma exposure. Due purely to limited exposure, I'd have to say that the calls where I'm the weakest at is trauma calls, even if the treatment/assessment options are limited.

[iMac]

You guys are really discouraging! Here all we get is emerg calls where you are the one and only especially if you work rural EMS. When you work in the city you take the calls with a paramedic standing in the background for those calls where ALS care is required but the calls are calls.

From what I'm reading its sounding less and less like the system we have here. Appreciate the honesty but not what I was hoping to hear.

[AnthonyM83]

Don't work LA, unless it's at one of the two smaller fire departments where you can be a paramedic without a firefigthers, but it's apparently all part-time there. Can you commute to San Diego county or something like that?

Honestly, LA EMS is crap.

[iMac]

Right now I'm looking at the Newport Beach area. Nothing set in stone, just looking and yes I would commute if that meant working for a better service. Keep the info coming!