why we do what we do

?! Wow
 
I really enjoy not knowing what you are going to do when you start your shift. An office job would drive me nuts.
 
It's not a dumb question at all. It however is very hard to find anyone that has done this for awhile that is still passionate about it. The toll of long hours, poor pay, partners that don't really care drive a lot of people away from it and the ones that are passionate about medicine typically move on up the ladder where they find more money per hour, less hours, a safer more climate controlled environment, and co workers that act more professionally than your typical 19 y/o newb partner.

For me I started as a volunteer FF when I was 15 in a small rural community. One of our guys was a Paramedic and I started asking him questions. I went to school and got my EMT, then my medic. I hit a patch of burnout right at 5 years. I was recommended to step back and take a break and I did for 10 shifts (30 days stretch) during that period I realized (and I don't care what you say it's a calling for me) that I love not only medicine but the prehospital side of medicine. I came back to work invigorated, I took over as training officer and finished my instructor license. I now currently am training officer at my agency, I have my own EMS class, and I took over in house training for another agency part time.

One of the reasons I have not went to med school is because I am very passionate about EMS and I want to pass that enthusiasm on to our employees and too my students. I am certainly not a whacker, after 9 yrs I still don't even own a shirt that says EMS except for a uniform, I don't have crap on my truck, I tell people I work for the county and if I have to narrow it down I tell them I'm a plumber.

I spend on average about 90 hrs a week at an EMS job or teaching and during the down time I spend about 8-10 hrs of that or my off time studying or doing ems research. It seems to me that we try to suppress our young into not being whackers and at the same time we kill their passion and desire for clinical stuff. We need to educate them and guide them.
 
gotshirtz001 said:
View attachment 1927oooh the babes...
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ecphotoman said:
If speaking literally then yes, we do it for a pay check. We don't do it to get rich lol, we end up overworked, overstressed and underpaid.
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I have a plenty of money left over every month and work two days a week. So I don't buy that either. Others on here have the same setup. It is stressfull finding stuff to do when I am not napping though!
 
Chewy20 said:
I have a plenty of money left over every month and work two days a week. So I don't buy that either. Others on here have the same setup. It is stressfull finding stuff to do when I am not napping though!
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What state and county do you work in?
 
ecphotoman said:
We certainly don't go into ems to make money lol.
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...I did, among other reasons...and it worked too...
ecphotoman said:
If speaking literally then yes, we do it for a pay check. We don't do it to get rich lol, we end up overworked, overstressed and underpaid.
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I don't know about rich, but I'm very well compensated for what I do, have a great schedule that gives me plenty of time off (plus paid vacation time as well) and doesn't leave me overstressed or overworked.

Just saying'...the "woe is me" attittude that gets tossed around so often (not neccasarily by ecphotoman) and "it's a calling! a calling damnit!" line...there's more to it than that.
 
I love the job. It's funny, I'm not really a people person. I'm an introvert, I have social anxiety issues; yet when I'm in the field I feel at home. I know I'm good at what I do, and I enjoy being able to do something that makes me happy. It's true that I'll never be paid what I am actually worth. But, I'm a frugal guy who is always paying off things and does his best to avoid massive debt. Had I remained a cross country mover I would no doubt be making more money than I do presently. But, I wouldn't love what I was doing nor would I look forward to going to work. Those are important things to me, because I'd rather be happy doing what I love than unhappy but making money.
 
DesertEMT66 said:
For the babes, money, respect, and did I mention babes?
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You mean the babes in DHS, Sky Valley, Blythe, Mecca, Oasis, and Desert Center? No thank you haha.

I got into EMS to become a firefighter (still want to by the way) and found myself intrigued of the basics of being a EMT, it interested me and left me wanting to further my education to paramedic. For the record, I'm planning on medic school because I want to be a medic, not because I have to be a medic to get hired with a fire dept.
 
CALEMT said:
I got into EMS to become a firefighter (still want to by the way) and found myself intrigued of the basics of being a EMT, it interested me and left me wanting to further my education to paramedic. For the record, I'm planning on medic school because I want to be a medic, not because I have to be a medic to get hired with a fire dept.
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That is similar to my reasoning.

When I tried getting into the local fire academy, they told me that semester was filled, but I needed EMT and that was still open. I had no clue what EMT was. During class, medicine began intriguing me. I ended up going straight into medic school, where it started to become a passion (my wife would say obsession).

Ended up getting a job where I'm paid exceptionally well and have tons of time off, so I'm finding it very hard to justify going back to MD or PA (only MD would be a raise, but with tremendous loss in income until becoming an attending).

I stand by my comment earlier, though. I'm really not a fan of people. I love medicine because I love puzzles, and medicine provides some very complex ones. If I didn't have to pretend to be nice to people, this job would be perfect.
 
I have to agree with others here. I am compensated well for the actual amount of work I do. The amount of time off is tremendous if I actually took it off. Vacation time every year now is to the point I almost can't vacation enough to burn the time I'm given.

If we want more money and respect then we have to start treating this as a profession and not a stepping stone and also by embracing medicine and not half tailing something BC "I don't get paid enough"
 
I'm on track to clear 6 figures this year. While that money doesn't go as far in the San Francisco Bay Area as it does elsewhere, it is definitely a better gig than most.

But rich? No.
 
Chewy... You are the 1%'er of the EMS world, or at least you present your situation as such.

We all know you've got a cake job; in every topic (wage related or not) you bring it up.

Your experience is not relevant to the 99% of the rest of us outside of SAFD in the private sector.

Get some new material bud ;)
We all envy you and want to work 3rd service for an FD... You are the man...
 
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