Anyone in the health care industry or thinks they could help me? Considering becoming a paramedic.?
Asked by me*
I live in the Los Angeles area and am considering going to school to become a paramedic. I have not yet gone to school to become an EMT. I would like to know if anyone would recommend going into this field or not and why. If you have ANY information about this job, schools to go to, a typical day on the job, or anything else would be great. Thanks!

Best Answer:
Hey, I am a Paramedic from Canada so the situation is maybe a bit different, but probably not too much. There are some cons and some pros. I'll try to outline both for you. Cons... Unlike what you see on tv, most of the job is not glorious nor thrilling. 'News-worthy' calls are a rarity per ambulance. I would say probably close to 90% of 911 calls are not emergent. Much of the work involves dealing with the elderly, many of which are transfers to and from hospitals. Many of the 'emergency' calls done turn into transfers. The other regular clientèle are drunks and the homeless (depending on station of course). The burnout/quit rate of medics is VERY high. Some injure their backs (common problem), others just get sick of the work and (usually) become nurses/firefighters/cops. Talked to a buddy of mine who worked in NYC and told me the average medic lasts <3 yrs after graduating. Where I am it's closer to 5-7 years I would guess. You are (most likely) under-paid and/or over-worked when compared to Firefighters or Police in your area. Sadly, most paramedic education is non-transferable to anything else, and, as it's not a degree you end up with, generally you get ziltch for academic credit if you choose to move into a different field. On the same note, moving is pretty difficult too. While there is the NREMT in the US, as I understand you still need to apply for state registry on a case by case situation. International reciprocity is near impossible, or extremely difficult. Pros... You have a different day at work every day. At no time do you know what the next call you'll get dispatched to is all about until you're there. It is a very personable job. Being stuck with a person for 10-14hrs in a vehicle makes the community fairly tight-knit (although not so much as firefighters). Further, you are always meeting new people (however briefly). On occasion (as I said, <10% of the time) you do get to really make some major clinical decisions that can seriously impact your patients. This is done with the utmost of autonomy, unlike the in-hospital environment. There's a brief rundown, hope that helps. If I did it again, I would think about getting my RN and then transferring into EMS to give the most jobs opportunities and openings. This is pretty easy most places. If you want a taste, I would suggest you call your local EMS Dept and see if you can go on a ride-a-long, and ask as many questions as you can. Then make up your mind.

Commuinty colleges usually offer a semster long or year long for the basic EMT licences. I work in a ER in Illinois and it seems to be a physical job. EMT work in very bad conditions weather wise, physically, bad smells, stressful conditions, with little exersice, and very closely with nursing homes, hospitals, and public. In the state of Illinois you must b e at least 19 years old to work as an EMT. It is a competitve job and they seek the best of the best so getting a job is not guarenteed, I am an ED tech and many of the guys I work w/ wait long times to test and get hired as an EMT. Perhaps you could ask to go for a ride along to get a feel fot the duties. Pay I hear is not that great somewhere between 10 dollars and 15 depending on the area and experience. Education for this postion is ongoing at all times in the beginning you may shadow and ER physcian so that you may "act" as one when you come in contact w/ the hospital. A good memeory, and communication and written, and math skills are necessary. Overall, it is an exciting job, you learn a lot and meet all kinds of people. Good Luck, its a great choice for a job!
Answered by lela1026

The only paramedic school I know in LA is the one at Daniel-Freeman Centinela in Inglewood. The other way is to make the fire dept and then be sponsored to become a RA, EMT-P--but it is extremely competitive. Private paramedics (not FD) often can not get good jobs in LA because most paramedics are FD
Answered by Diane A