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Anybody In The Medical Field?

Hello. I could be described as being 'in the medical field'. What's the matter?

Terry Oadal M.D.
 
RitalinKid said:
I may need a small piece of medical advice.
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I always love these questions.... Do you have a funny shaped mole? Or not understand panic attacks? That's usually the direction they head in. :p In more serious matters, feel free to PM me if you have a private question. I'll answer it if I can and point you in a good direction if I can't.
 
This reminded me that I wanted to ask Mehastings (others are welcome to answer as well).some things. I've been a bit interested in becoming a paramedic and I've taken a few first aid and disaster response classes with Red Cross. I am currently taking a time out to decide what I want to do with my life and this is a possibility, any advice you want to give would be appreciated. Sorry if this puts you on the spot.

Some questions I have- What schooling does a paramedic require? is there a steady job market? what do you like & dislike about the job? Do different states have different requirements? How much control do you have of your schedule?
 
I am a neurophysiology technologist/scientist but thanks for thinking me a doc! Feel free to PM me whenever about anything.
 
Ronny said:
This reminded me that I wanted to ask Mehastings (others are welcome to answer as well).some things. I've been a bit interested in becoming a paramedic and I've taken a few first aid and disaster response classes with Red Cross. I am currently taking a time out to decide what I want to do with my life and this is a possibility, any advice you want to give would be appreciated. Sorry if this puts you on the spot.

What schooling does a paramedic require? is there a steady job market? what do you like & dislike about the job? Do different states have different requirements? How much control do you have of your schedule?
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You are not putting me on the spot. I answer questions like yours constantly at my second job with a local community college. I coordinate the teaching assistants, review sessions & practical skills labs for an EMT Class. I proctor/grade written tests and act as a proxy when the Instructor Coordinator needs to leave for some reason. I also run the practical portion of their tests and lecture occasionally (CPR/Defib, environmental emergencies, HAZMAT, Mass Casualty Incidents, Air Ambulance Operations & Ambulance Operations are my specialties) and I help run the state exams each semester.

First off, I should say that I'm not a Paramedic. I'm an EMT. The difference is that I don't have the training to give as many drugs as a Paramedic can. I also can't intubate a patient (shove a tube down their throat). Being a Paramedic requires a significant ammount of training, which I am not willing to undertake. I love my job, but it isn't the career I intend to retire with, so it's hard to rationalize going through all that work. I had considered it for this fall, but decided to wait and go to grad school next year instead.

Becoming an EMT requires about one semester of school followed by a number of add on classes and some third riding before you are ready to work. I advise working as an EMT for a MINIMUM of one year before going to medic school. Inexperienced EMTs become lousy medics. Medic school is usually 12 straight months of class. Fall semester, January Term, Spring Semester and Summer school. Then, you need to do about 600 hours of clinical training in a hospital and on an ambulance. Then you will need to do more third riding at your place of employment before they let you out as a crew member. Most people work fulltime while in medic school, putting a lot of stress on personal relationships. Be prepared for that. I suggest NOT doing an accelerated program (8-10 hour days 6-7 days a week). They make for weaker medics.

Job stability is great. Our "key demographics" are growing because the baby boomers are getting olderand the number of people living below the poverty level is growing. There are 38 (I think) states that accept the National Registry EMT, mine is not one of them. The other 12 states all have their own programs. There are differences between the different states, but the basics of pre-hospital care are all the same. I have just over three years in with my company and it has taken me until about 8 months ago to get the schedule I want in the divisions I want to work in. Most places will try to work a schedule out for you, but it often takes a while before you get things "just right". You need to be prepared to work on weekends and holidays though because most places require it.

For more details on how I feel about my job, check my blog. I started writing a post and it got WAY too long to post all of it here. I put it there instead.
 
Thanks for all the information, it's great. I will look at your blog as well. I always wondered if and what the differences were between an EMT and paramedic.
 
I visited your blog and left a comment there :)

I will pick up Bringing Out the Dead this summer.
 
I checked out your blog too, mehastings - really interesting post about what you do for a living. You certainly have my admiration as it's not something that I could ever do - not only because of the horrific situations you must deal with, but because the blood and digestive juices would send me crawling up the walls. That being said, I'm planning to recertify my first aid certificate after working on a construction site last week. A fellow cut his hand badly and while it didn't need stitches, it started me thinking that I don't really know enough about what to do in minor situations like that.

Not to steal RK's thread but who else has first aid training of any type (be it by profession or by short course)?
 
Kookamoor said:
I checked out your blog too, mehastings - really interesting post about what you do for a living. You certainly have my admiration as it's not something that I could ever do - not only because of the horrific situations you must deal with, but because the blood and digestive juices would send me crawling up the walls. That being said, I'm planning to recertify my first aid certificate after working on a construction site last week. A fellow cut his hand badly and while it didn't need stitches, it started me thinking that I don't really know enough about what to do in minor situations like that.
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Thank you. I teach first aid and I honestly think it is one of the most important things a person can know (much more important than CPR in my opinion). I encourage everyone out there (especially you parents) to take first aid and child/infant CPR.
 
We're both taking a first aid course over the summer (as it's an essential requirement for Rescue Diver). I have done it before, as has Phil, but they are now both out of date.
 
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