One more year of work or school?

[Dragoon]

I'm not sure if the is more suited for this forum or the Non-EMS Discussion forum being that I think it straddles both.

In April I will have been working for my current employer (a hospital based 911 and private provider) for two years. I have had plans to start paramedic school in the fall after completing the prerequisites to be a degree student earning an AAS in Applied Sciences. I had planned to quit working full time then and become a PRN employee so that I could focus my efforts on school.

As I was doing my taxes I found out that after three years of service I am vested in my employers cash balance retirement plan where I am credited with 5% of each years pay with interest on top of it. They just changed it from 5 years to be vested.

So now I not sure what to do. Do I stick around for another year for the cash retirement fund or do I pull chocks and go to school? Working full time and going to paramedic school is not an option for me. The only reason I am able to do it now is that I have been doing the eye dropper plan; taking one, sometimes two light classes at a time. Some of the things I have considered are: I'm not happy with my management and they don't appear to be unscrewing themselves; morale is down and frustration is up as I like to say. I don't see myself sticking around for the long haul with them. But, I am employed, getting a good paycheck (it beats out most of the other EMS providers in the area) and I have benefits (that I contribute to). I also enjoy the area I am working in. Not a big thing I know but it does make it more tolerable. At times.

So I am not sure if I should put my plans for school on hold and gut it out at work for another year just for the money, or to leave the money behind and go to school, getting it done and coming out a year later a better provider, and ultimately better paid. I'm 29 years old too so I feel like the clock is ticking for me with thinking about retirement in addition to all the other adult responsibilities one has.

I have some time before I have to make a decision and would like hear what other think.

[spenac]

Once you are a Paramedic pay level should go up. If your plans are to remain in EMS I would say it is better to get started now rather than wait.

[Dustdevil]

Not sure what exactly that money would amount to after taxes, but it can't be significant. What exactly do you mean by them crediting it to you? Do they just cut you a cheque? Put it in your retirement account?

Regardless, you have to decide how bad you need that money. If you can afford to quit working to attend a year or two of paramedic school, then it doesn't sound like a few thousand dollars is an overriding concern for you. Certainly not enough to keep you from furthering your career.

The fact is that, the longer you wait to continue your education, the longer it will take for you get the most from paramedic education. Every year you work is another year of bad habits and mistaken notions that your instructors will have difficulty beating out of you. This commonly results in a poorer quality of graduate than the student who had no field experience at all. The "experience" you are getting is of no true value to you as a paramedic student. And it appears that you don't particularly need the bonus money you are talking about. Not to even mention the frustration and dissatisfaction you are experiencing at your current job. So no, I cannot think of any real good reason for you to stick around. It's time to elevate your game and go be a professional with a real future, not just an ambulance driving pawn to be abused by your employer. Best of luck!