Anyone a paramedic?

[Polska]

I am thinking of getting into this field as firefighting is too damn competitive to get into. This job on the other hand would be easier to get into. It's a couple of years of school and the pay I've heard is alright. Plus the benefit of helping people is a big perk for me. The only thing negative I've heard is that the burn out rate is relatively high after 5 years. Any medics that can give me some pros/cons of this profession?

[Red Ketchup]

I'm not a paramedic (just a fire dept EMT), but work with them daily as we run medical calls with them.

I can tell you that here in Canada they are overworked and seriously underpaid for the work they do. The burn out rate is extremely high, and so are work related injuries. I don't know about the other provinces, but in Quebec their pension plan is awefull and their union representation pityfull.

Preaching for my own parrish I'd say tough it out and stick to firefighting

Red

[Tesla]

I did that for 7 years of my life (in my younger years). Honestly, I was so burned out after just 5 years that I couldn't care less about my patients anymore. The pay is horrible, the benefits are non-existent and the hours are long. Oh, and the doctors treat you like you're an idiot.

[RangersLTW]

Man I am going to school to be a paramedic right now. What do you want to know? I can tell that the pay is crap but you can bridge over to nursing with only a year as a paramedic, that is what I am doing.

[Polska]

I'm not a paramedic (just a fire dept EMT), but work with them daily as we run medical calls with them.

I can tell you that here in Canada they are overworked and seriously underpaid for the work they do. The burn out rate is extremely high, and so are work related injuries. I don't know about the other provinces, but in Quebec their pension plan is awefull and their union representation pityfull.

Preaching for my own parrish I'd say tough it out and stick to firefighting

Red

I've heard about the burn out rate. What is the average pay for a medic in Quebec? I read that in Ontario it's around 50k a year. Don't know if that is accurate though....

[Polska]

Man I am going to school to be a paramedic right now. What do you want to know? I can tell that the pay is crap but you can bridge over to nursing with only a year as a paramedic, that is what I am doing.

Bridge into nursing... that's interesting... how much more school do you have to do to become an RN?

[RangersLTW]

One year its like two semesters and then clinicals.
www.darton.edu

[CSAR]

Skip it altogether and get your RN degree.

[RangersLTW]

Why then you can do so much more with both. Better pay and more training. After you get all your core classes it takes two years to become a RN. So why wouldn't he want to go to paramedic school and then to RN, just a little more school with a better outcome.

[CSAR]

a little more school with a better outcome.

Wrong - a little more school with the SAME outcome. Why spend the extra time, energy, & money if the overall goal is to be an RN?

[Ernst]

I started paramedic training here in CA, and met people on the job. I realized that in reality paramedics are overworked, underpaid, and deal with stuff no one should have to. I decided it was a career best left to others. Scary classes, though-- mainly because some of my frighteningly inept classmates went on with it. After seeing the idiocy those few were capable of, I'd rather drive myself to the hospital, even with one arm missing and a concussion. My friend the RN makes lots of money, and rarely works overtime (she has to stay if the next person doesn't show-- it's the law).

[Odpierdol_sie!]

I know its a different school of thought in the UK. Generally you find that Firefighters is the rough boys club of the Emergency services.
Police are the pen pushers on a power trip, the Paramedics the educated softies who want to make a difference to people lifes.

Its not terrible pay in the UK and the hours arent stupidly unreasonable, but its not a job i would want to get in to at all.
Them guys get no thanks from anyone. I trully take my hat of to them.

Im Currently looking to move back home to Ireland. In dublin fire fighters have to be paamedics and crew the ambulances on a rota system, again for that reason id probably head to Cork or Galway..

Fair play to you bud if you wanna be a paramedic, id enjoy the knowledge id gain from the training, but i so couldnt do it as a job. I joined the brigade to rescue people, put fires out, cut up cars and to generally break stuff that does not belong to me.

Best of luck with what ever do.

[Red Ketchup]

I've heard about the burn out rate. What is the average pay for a medic in Quebec? I read that in Ontario it's around 50k a year. Don't know if that is accurate though....

They make 40-50k depending on their level of training.

I was so burned out after just 5 years that I couldn't care less about my patients anymore.

I can believe it, I come across burned out paramedics now and then... some just go thru the motions, some just don't give a damm anymore.

Red

[green22]

I'm not a paramedic (just a fire dept EMT), but work with them daily as we run medical calls with them.

I can tell you that here in Canada they are overworked and seriously underpaid for the work they do. The burn out rate is extremely high, and so are work related injuries. I don't know about the other provinces, but in Quebec their pension plan is awefull and their union representation pityfull.

Preaching for my own parrish I'd say tough it out and stick to firefighting

Red

I totally agree. Im a career ffighter and we run all that EMS crap too. Those medics get there asses handed to them every shift. In my area they work 24 on 48 off, but its 24 of call after call and you can forget about sleep. In my opinion they are def. underpaid. they make less than us. they all look a hot mess and are burn slap out by 10 years. Dont give up on fire dept, its the best job in the world.

[KatsMeow]

It might be easier and faster to get your LPN and bridge into the RN program