Can I do it?

Blood

Blood

Forum Crew Member
Messages
36
Reaction score
2
Points
6
I have been browsing these forums for a little while and people seem to offer good advice.

I am about to begin college to get my AAS as a Paramedic but I am worried I might not have what it takes. I really want to do this and its something I know I will enjoy but I was wondering if I would struggle.

I am a very quiet and soft spoken person and people tend to tell me that I move slow/have slow reaction time. I don't realize that I do but people say it quite often. I am not slow mentally or anything and am decently above average intelligence.

Sorry for the wall of text, just wondering what you guys think I should do.

Thank you for your time :D
 
Blood said:
I have been browsing these forums for a little while and people seem to offer good advice.

I am about to begin college to get my AAS as a Paramedic but I am worried I might not have what it takes. I really want to do this and its something I know I will enjoy but I was wondering if I would struggle.

I am a very quiet and soft spoken person and people tend to tell me that I move slow/have slow reaction time. I don't realize that I do but people say it quite often. I am not slow mentally or anything and am decently above average intelligence.

Sorry for the wall of text, just wondering what you guys think I should do.

Thank you for your time :D
Click to expand...

You can do anything you set your mind to. You may have to work harder than some, not as hard as others.

There will be good days and days you will want to quit.

Success doesn't depend on what you can do, but what you are willing to.
 
Being a Mexican jumping bean does not equate a good or bad medic. There are good medics that are easy going , and others that tend to be a little more jumpy in how they work. And Dito to what veneficus said.B)
 
Thank you guys :D I was worried that I might have to move really fast constantly.
 
On a very busy day, I usually only do about 2 hours worth of real work. Don't worry about it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Blood said:
Thank you guys :D I was worried that I might have to move really fast constantly.
Click to expand...

It depends where you end up working...ive run 28 calls in 24 hours before. luckily not all of them were transports, but that still didnt leave much time for eating, let alone sleep.

As for the being quite part, dont worry about it, it will come with time. When i started medic school i was the same way, it really opened me up and taught me to be confident and assertive.
 
I don't mean to shake your confidence, but even with a low call volume, I still think you have to be "fast" sometimes.

By no means does that mean rushing or making impulsive decisions and providing sloppy care. However, when you're dealing with emergencies, there are many situations in which "a good plan now is better than the best plan later," in my opinion. Although truly critical calls are rare, all EMTs/medics (even in the slowest departments), will need to make split-second decisions and take action immediately.

This doesn't mean you can't hack it as a medic if right now you're "slow," it just might be something to consider. I'm curious - when you say you're slow, do you mean just physically? Or in making decisions, etc? Can you elaborate?
 
LucidResq said:
I'm curious - when you say you're slow, do you mean just physically? Or in making decisions, etc? Can you elaborate?
Click to expand...

I don't have trouble making decisions fast but I guess it takes me a while to get things done. I tend to pay more attention to detail and it causes me to work at a slower pace than most people. I am only 20 years old and I had some bad luck which made me drop out of school so the only jobs I have had are fast food and factory work. I would always have trouble getting things done fast enough. Others would catch on and not have trouble but I just couldn't. For example: When I would have to wash dishes at work I took like 2-3 times as long as other people because I made sure I followed the directions and everything was perfectly clean.
 
There are positives and negatives to such an attention to detail. Although striving for perfection is obviously a good thing, I think someone with such attention to the minute could get caught up in tunnel vision, which is not good. You need to be able to look at the big picture.

If you spend 20 minutes perfectly splinting your patient's fractured arm while they suffocate from the asthma attack they're suffering due to anxiety, and you fail to notice their agitated boyfriend in the background getting ready to clock you in the face, you've put everyone in a bad situation (even if that splint is beautiful).

It's probably just something you'll need to be conscious of and focus on not getting caught up in. Never forget to take a step back and look at the big picture.
 
LucidResq said:
There are positives and negatives to such an attention to detail. Although striving for perfection is obviously a good thing, I think someone with such attention to the minute could get caught up in tunnel vision, which is not good. You need to be able to look at the big picture.

If you spend 20 minutes perfectly splinting your patient's fractured arm while they suffocate from the asthma attack they're suffering due to anxiety, and you fail to notice their agitated boyfriend in the background getting ready to clock you in the face, you've put everyone in a bad situation (even if that splint is beautiful).

It's probably just something you'll need to be conscious of and focus on not getting caught up in. Never forget to take a step back and look at the big picture.
Click to expand...

I don't always make sure everything is perfect and I don't usually tunnel vision. I'm sorry if I'm confusing or contradicting myself. Pretty much I just take longer to do things than most people. Not always extremely longer.
 
I was also wondering something else. Is there a medical/physical requirement for Paramedics like there is for Police Officers and in the Military? I've been looking and can't find anything.
 
There are practical requirements, such as the ability to be able to lift heavy patients and squat in awkward positions and such, that almost every job will demand of you.

The specific requirements vary by agency. Some require physical aptitude tests, some do not.
 
Sounds good. I don't have any problems when it comes to strength, sometimes I do with running long distance but thats pretty much it. I'm more worried about the medical though. Sometimes I have problems with depression and I need medication for it. I had to get a waiver for the military and was wondering if it would be a problem here. I am also near positive I have ADD but I have never been diagnosed or even brought it up to a doctor.
 
requirements,,,,

if your trying to get in with the fire department theres usually a physical and agility test....which for you sounds like something you may have to practise for.

As far as does the job require you to work fast.....well sometimes yah. If someone is having a heart attack and needs an AED or compressions theres not a whole lot of time to be slow and look at directions and take 2-3 times longer than others normally would....seconds count.

I wouldnt steer you away from paramedicine but like some of the other people on the board have said you will most likely have to practise alot more so that it becomes seconds nature to you that way you WILL become faster with muscle memory and re-application of often used techniques.

As for the confidence thing.....some people grow out of it some dont and for some their job or experiences MAKE them grow out of it. You have to be ready to be put in situations where you need to think fast and act accordingly your still young and can learn those abilities just be open to it AND PRACTICE!
 
Thank you guys for the quick and positive responses :D
 
Blood said:
Sounds good. I don't have any problems when it comes to strength, sometimes I do with running long distance but thats pretty much it. I'm more worried about the medical though. Sometimes I have problems with depression and I need medication for it. I had to get a waiver for the military and was wondering if it would be a problem here. I am also near positive I have ADD but I have never been diagnosed or even brought it up to a doctor.
Click to expand...

ADD and Depression may cause you some issues should you decide to go with 911 services. One of the biggest part of our job is attention to detail. We also deal with stress on a daily basis and in some instances it can be quite overwhelming especially on an MCI. If the anti-depression drugs you take make you drowsy or too much of a relaxed state it could affect your performance. I am not trying to discourage you and this is my opinion only.
 
I have ADHD well-managed by medication. I have had almost zero issues with employment, besides the fact I secretly constantly want to change jobs (wow! being a cop sounds fun!). A huge factor for me has been being upfront about my medications and such with my employers. Since I take an amphetamine-based medication for ADHD, I *always* come up positive on drug tests and have to go through a pain-in-the-butt process to prove I'm really prescribed these meds for a genuine condition. It helps if you tell them ahead of time that this is going to happen.

I also consulted with my psychiatrist prior to the whole job application stuff, so he was aware and was prepared to send a letter or do what was necessary to help prove I was taking these medications for legit reasons.

Just some stuff to consider if you're medicated. I don't think well-managed depression should be an issue in this job.
 
LucidResq said:
I have ADHD well-managed by medication. I have had almost zero issues with employment, besides the fact I secretly constantly want to change jobs (wow! being a cop sounds fun!). A huge factor for me has been being upfront about my medications and such with my employers. Since I take an amphetamine-based medication for ADHD, I *always* come up positive on drug tests and have to go through a pain-in-the-butt process to prove I'm really prescribed these meds for a genuine condition. It helps if you tell them ahead of time that this is going to happen.

I also consulted with my psychiatrist prior to the whole job application stuff, so he was aware and was prepared to send a letter or do what was necessary to help prove I was taking these medications for legit reasons.

Just some stuff to consider if you're medicated. I don't think well-managed depression should be an issue in this job.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice :D Nice to hear from someone who deals with the same problem. As far as the depression goes it was only bad at some times and I got medicine to get through it. For example: when my uncle committed suicide.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top