Some of you may remember when I posted about a year ago that I was going to be starting medic school. Well I started a hybrid online/in person class in January and just passed the final HESI exam this morning. The test was a real bastard but luckily I was able to prepare enough for it.
Now on to 500 hours of clinical and field time. I estimate I'll be done around September.
Just thought I'd post in case anyone else was thinking of doing it.
Posts: 6584 | Location: Just outside of Boston | Registered: March 28, 2007
Clinical is fun. It gets miserable after about 200 hours, but it's a fun kinda misery.
But yeah...nursing school. I stopped working as a paramedic at the 12 year mark. $18.50 or so an hour. I made $10 more per hour teaching CPR for a community college. Paramedic pay is nuts. Should be a 60k starting pay. You have an insane amount of responsibility for like $14/hr. When I started as a medic in 2004 I made $10 an hour. Insane.
Congrats, though. I'm more proud of being a paramedic than any other cert I think I've ever earned. It's seriously hard work.
Knowing what one is talking about is widely admired but not strictly required here.
Although sometimes distracting, there is often a certain entertainment value to this easy standard. -JALLEN
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Posts: 11501 | Location: NC | Registered: August 16, 2005
I'll second RN school...or better yet go to PA school dude! Medic is a dead end job with little opportunity...I know, been a medic for thirty fuckin years! Fortunately for me it did open the fire service door and I'm an officer and will retire in a couple more years but RN or PA would be a much, much better choice.
________________________ Those who trade liberty for security have neither
The one I did was a hybrid online class, you take the classroom portion from home with a live lecture online. Local students go every other Saturday for the practical portion, distance students fly in for a 10 day boot camp.
Posts: 6584 | Location: Just outside of Boston | Registered: March 28, 2007
Congratulations. I stopped at the EMT level as that is what my fire department is lisenced at. I have had the pleasure of working with some of the best paramedics in the business. Remember you can't save all of them and it sure as hell isnt like TV. Some calls will chill you to the bone. Some calls you will remember forever good or bad. 8 years for me now 4 of which were spent living at my firehouse, on every call. Remember to take care of yourself emotionally and physically. It is the best job in the world as long as you don't let it consume you.
Good for you! Emergency medicine can be a very rewarding career.
My older son has been a paramedic for almost 14 years. Spent 10 as a Combat Medic, the last 3+ as a Flight Medic (Staff Sgt). He just took our regional firefighter exam and wants to become a paramedic/firefighter (more fire calls are medical than fire related, he loves emergency medicine). Two area departments are interested in him, fingers crossed.
Originally posted by ryan81986: I'm becoming a medic basically because it's a lot easier to get a full time fire job than as a basic. That's why I'm not choosing the RN route.
lol
Posts: 441 | Location: rocky river ohio | Registered: February 18, 2006
My older son has been a paramedic for almost 14 years. Spent 10 as a Combat Medic, the last 3+ as a Flight Medic (Staff Sgt). He just took our regional firefighter exam and wants to become a paramedic/firefighter (more fire calls are medical than fire related, he loves emergency medicine). Two area departments are interested in him, fingers crossed.
Originally posted by chongosuerte: Clinical is fun. It gets miserable after about 200 hours, but it's a fun kinda misery.
But yeah...nursing school. I stopped working as a paramedic at the 12 year mark. $18.50 or so an hour. I made $10 more per hour teaching CPR for a community college. Paramedic pay is nuts. Should be a 60k starting pay. You have an insane amount of responsibility for like $14/hr. When I started as a medic in 2004 I made $10 an hour. Insane.
Congrats, though. I'm more proud of being a paramedic than any other cert I think I've ever earned. It's seriously hard work.
In my neck of the woods, Alberta Canada, Paramedics start at $35 per hour and Fire/Medics are closer to $40 per hour to start. Fire/Medics are over $100,000 per year after 3 years.
Posts: 113 | Location: Grande Prairie AB | Registered: May 11, 2010
