Too small for the job?

[Midge]

I was Just wondering if there is such thing as being too small for this job.
I am an EMT student now and loving every minute of it! Although lots of people have told me I am too small to become an EMT.
I am quite small but I do go to the gym every day.
What do you guys think?

 

[EmtTravis]

One of the medics I work with is 5'1 and maybe 95lbs and she is one of the best medics at our company.. I wouldnt say your to small.

 

[katgrl2003]

I used to work with a girl that is 4'10". She trained me, and was one of the best EMTs I know.

 

[feldy]

no...i see a lot of emts and medics who are on the smaller side. If you lift properly then you will be fine.

 

[mcdonl]

Never seen one who is too small but I have seen MANY who are too big. Large patients require lift assist anyway, emergency moves are probably going to have FD there... Also, you HAVE to be small if you ever want to be a life flight medic.

 

[Aidey]

As long as you can lift properly and "your share" there shouldn't be any problems with your size. Going to the gym every day doesn't mean much if you spend all that time running, and none of that time lifting weights.

 

[emt seeking first job]

It depends on the agency.

One guy I vollie with, got rejected by FDNY for his weight.

He passed the fitness tests, yet, they told him to come back when he lowered his weight.

IMHO, just apply and deal with it as it comes.

 

[firetender]

On the plus side, you're portable, so if anyone needs an extra medic, someone can grab YOU!

(Certified non-sexist by NOW)

 

[medic417]

The problem comes in when to short it may make your partner end up in an awkward spot as you lift a patient unequal. This could result in injury. I have worked with some very good short Paramedics but at times it put me in a bad spot as they could not lift high enough safely. Often it fell to me to lift the cot into the ambulance as they could not raise it up high enough to push it into the ambulance.

Not saying it can't be done but just want you to have a true ideal of the extra challenge you have before you, being in shape does not always make up for the vertical challenge.

 

[Veneficus]

I was Just wondering if there is such thing as being too small for this job.
I am an EMT student now and loving every minute of it! Although lots of people have told me I am too small to become an EMT.
I am quite small but I do go to the gym every day.
What do you guys think?

i guess it will be left up to me to ask, just how tall are you?

 

[Midge]

Thanks guys this makes me feel much better!
I am 4'11 and just 100 lbs
When I go to the gym I do strength training, and am now dead lifting 120 lbs

 

[CowboyMedic]

i guess it will be left up to me to ask, just how tall are you?

+1 for taking one for the team

real world scenario with height being an issue could be a pt carry on a backboard down a stair case. I recommend you be at the top and your taller partner at the bottom of the pt. Besides that the only other thing I can think of is you struggling to maybe reach over a severely obese pt depends on how your rig is set up.

if ya do what you love and ya do it well aint nobody going to knock you for being short

 

[lightsandsirens5]

One of the medics I work with is 5'1 and maybe 95lbs and she is one of the best medics at our company.. I wouldnt say your to small.

Same here.

 

[46Young]

I'm well over 6'. One of my old EMT partners was 4'10". I'm long limbed. She was build stockier with shorter limbs. One day I noticed that when standing side to side, with our arms freely hanging, our hands ended up in exactly the same area. This made for easy lifts. We used to have the old two man cots that needed to be lined up on the pins and deadlifted from the ground.

+1 on having the taller partner take the bottom of the LSB. Also, whoever is at the bottom of the stair chair absolutely needs to choke up on the handles to raise the chair as high as possible to save the back of the partner on top. I had useless partners that would take the bottom of the stair chair, and just hold the handles with their arms fully extended. That left me hunched over and praying that I wasn't going to throw my back out on the way down. I would also get my feet caught between the chair and the step, since said partner would let the chair hit each step on the way down rather than actually carry the pt. This was way before they had the Strykers with the treads on back. Still, the treads don't work well going up the stairs.

I had a small partner that would actually do sort of a hang power clean with the chair handles and be supporting the chair at the bottom at shoulder level with his arms in what would look like the contracted position of the DB hammer curl. That was awesome. Hardly any lower back involvement at all.

You should also be strong enough to carry maybe a 200# pt on a burrito sheet with your partner down a narrow hallway to the cot. Doing a head to toe from a home NH (I forget what they're called) bed is also required. Even more difficult is the dialysis chairs. But at least there you can get some help.

If you're calling for lift assists for everything, then something's obviously wrong.

 

[emt seeking first job]

just one piece of advice to add....

I would phase out the use of "Midge" as a name when you work.

Use your proper name, whatever it is. Do not let people call you "Midge."

That way, you do not draw attention to your height.

I am 6'5", if I could, I wish I could donate 4"........

 

[atropine]

as to you question, you can do this job, it just depends if your employer wants some sort of physical agility test or not that is going to be your major issue. the privates not so much, however if your looking for a career in the fire service it may be harder to obtain.

 

[Midge]

I would phase out the use of "Midge" as a name when you work.

Use your proper name, whatever it is. Do not let people call you "Midge."

That way, you do not draw attention to your height.

I am 6'5", if I could, I wish I could donate 4"........

The name midge is coincidence and not related to my height at all! but good tip anyhow!

Thanks everyone for the advice!

 

[emt seeking first job]

The name midge is coincidence and not related to my height at all! but good tip anyhow!

Thanks everyone for the advice!

I am sorry. I meant no offense.

Is it short for something?

If it is, I would use it off duty only.

I had a friend who growing up was "Chip"...then after college, he phased that out until efforyone called him "Cliff" or "Clifford"


I did not even know that was his name....

 

[Midge]

No offense taken!
Its not short for anything, just what my family calls me, out of endearment I guess lol.
Haha I think Chip is commonly used as a nickname for Clifford

 

[lampnyter]

if you can dead lift like 100 lbs and up you should be ok.