Is A Career As A Paramedic Right For You

There are lots of different careers in medicine that can be interesting and rewarding. One that appeals to a lot of people is working as a paramedic. Paramedics aren’t doctors, and usually only need a degree in paramedicine rather than having to complete medical school, however because they mostly deal with emergencies they do often end up being the people who save patients’ lives.

• Where Do Paramedics Work?

The majority of paramedics work from ambulances. Some more experienced paramedics can also become flight paramedics, who work from air ambulances. These are helicopters that respond to calls in remote areas, or to emergencies where an ambulance would not be able to get there in time.

Flight paramedics tend to be paid slightly more, with their salary at healthcaresalariesguide.com listed as on average around $58k in the US. However, there is more pressure on them as they generally only deal with serious emergencies, whereas ambulances can deal with a mixture of things during the day ranging from people with injuries that don’t need urgent treatment but who need to get to the hospital, such as sprains, and people who are very sick.

• What Is the Work Like?

Generally, paramedics respond to 911 calls. This means there can often be a lot of emphasis on speed of treatment, and being able to quickly diagnose whether somebody needs immediate treatment prior to getting to the hospital.

Many conditions can have similar symptoms, for example a heart attack can resemble a lot of other things, and so the paramedic tends to have to make fast decisions and will generally do the preliminary treatment for the worst thing a person may have (for instance administering aspirin for a suspected heart attack, which won’t do any harm if this isn’t what is happening but can save their life if it is).

• Stressful but Rewarding

As you might imagine, dealing with emergencies can be hugely rewarding, and a paramedic will save countless lives in their career. However, there are some downsides to the work too.

Being a paramedic can be highly stressful, and of course, they sometimes have to attend accidents and disturbing scenes which can have a lasting impact on them. In this interview with a paramedic from Texas, he admits that he has had to seek therapy at times to help him get over things he has seen.

To be a paramedic you have to be prepared for hectic situations where you will have to remain calm, comfort the people you are treating, and also make quick decisions based on your training. It is not a job where you can afford to have an off day or lose focus.

That being said, if you are passionate about helping people and want to make a real difference in medicine without having to go through the long and expensive process of becoming a doctor, choosing a career as a paramedic may well be a great choice for your future.