Quote: (08-01-2013 10:31 AM)WesternCancer Wrote:
Does anyone have any data on becoming a paramedic, or what the lifestyle/job is actually like?
I believe you have to become an EMT first, which is easy as hell. Community colleges offer the program. EMTs make like $12-14 hr. I believe they make you have a year or two experience before you can apply to paramedic school. Paramedic school is 18 months and not easy.
It depends on what you want to do. Ride around in a truck all day shuffling people to the hospital. You definitely learn some really cool stuff about patching people up, making them stable enough to get to the ER. I think the shifts are pretty cool, giving you plenty of time off.
In my opinion it's not worth it at all. The pay isn't great at all, and where do you advance to? Supervisor? No thanks. Nursing school is just a tad longer with a larger pay rate, and the sky is the limit for where you want to take your career.