Any Paramedics on here?

[v8will]

I'm nervously waiting to see if I've passed my interview for a work based 2 year Paramedic in training contract.

I've had plenty of time to think about this career move and I'm 99% certain it's the right move for me but I'm interested to here any experiences/perspectives especially if working in non Ambulance service roles (oil rigs, far east etc) or things like rapid response (car or bike) or air ambulance etc

Exciting times ahead (hopefully!!)

[rog007]

v8will said:

I'm nervously waiting to see if I've passed my interview for a work based 2 year Paramedic in training contract.

I've had plenty of time to think about this career move and I'm 99% certain it's the right move for me but I'm interested to here any experiences/perspectives especially if working in non Ambulance service roles (oil rigs, far east etc) or things like rapid response (car or bike) or air ambulance etc

Exciting times ahead (hopefully!!)

Good luck with the result. If you're not 100% sure at this stage you want to be a Paramedic, then it may have come across at interview, so be prepared for the worst. It is a vocation and you really do have to want to do it and to like people to be able to care for them regardless of the situation that caused their injury/illness. Have you been out on a Friday night on a few shouts to see what it's like? If not, I'd certainly recommend it. With regard to other sectors, once your qualified and have some experience you should be able to transfer easily if there are vacancies. Good luck again.

[v8will]

rog007 said:

Good luck with the result. If you're not 100% sure at this stage you want to be a Paramedic, then it may have come across at interview, so be prepared for the worst. It is a vocation and you really do have to want to do it and to like people to be able to care for them regardless of the situation that caused their injury/illness. Have you been out on a Friday night on a few shouts to see what it's like? If not, I'd certainly recommend it. With regard to other sectors, once your qualified and have some experience you should be able to transfer easily if there are vacancies. Good luck again.

Thanks, a few more weeks of nervously waiting on the Postman...

The 1% uncertainty only stems from the potential implications if I failed the course. Every other angle has been considered.

Just interested to hear as many experiences as I can.

[Ruskie]

I'm a Paramedic. I work on the DMA and RRV (Just finished a 6 month secondment) I can try and answer any questions you have.

RRV- The role off RRV paramedic is not for everyone. You have to be very happy to spend 12 hours alone, personally I don't mind it at all. The biggest frustration is lack of patient contact, you see the patient and within 5-10 mins the DMA is there and you hand over to them. On the flip side in busy times you can be waiting for over 30 mins for back up. Bearing that in mind you have to be comfortable looking after someone poorly on your own, whilst dealing with concerned family, managing an airway, giving drugs etc. The driving is good fun and enjoyable, especially late at night on roads you know well.

If you have any specific questions fire away.

[v8will]

The Postie has been very kind this morning. I'm through the interview

[JumboBeef]

v8will said:

The Postie has been very kind this morning. I'm through the interview

Good luck! What will your course actually involve, and is there a job at the end of it?

[v8will]

JumboBeef said:

Good luck! What will your course actually involve, and is there a job at the end of it?

Still a few hurdles before I get the job but if all goes well...

16 weeks basic training, all residential and it's a modular course so all must be passed to progress. That includes 3 weeks advanced driver training.

1 year work placement as a trainee Paramedic, doing the job under supervision.

After that, the real hard work begins with months of advanced classroom theory, exams, practicals and hospital placements (Theatre, A&E etc)

Providing I get through all of that then I can apply for HPC registration and once that is gained I'm qualified to work as and call myself a Paramedic. After that the learning/training doesn't stop and I will be assessed throughout my career.

It's a 2 year training contract with no guaranteed job at the other end but realistically that shouldn't be an issue.

It's a big opportunity for me as very shortly the only way into the job will be via a Paramedical science degree and at 30 years old with a family, that would be difficult for me.

[ShampooEfficient]

Congrats and good luck!

[K77 CTR]

V8Will, congratulations for getting through not an easy process. Which service is this with? I know Ray-luxury yacht on here has also recently gone through a similar process although I think he is doing the FdSc approach.

It's a job with highs and some very lows, it's tiring, rewarding and on occasions hilarious and you'll make some great friends from it.

[v8will]

Ruskie said:

I'm a Paramedic. I work on the DMA and RRV (Just finished a 6 month secondment) I can try and answer any questions you have.

RRV- The role off RRV paramedic is not for everyone. You have to be very happy to spend 12 hours alone, personally I don't mind it at all. The biggest frustration is lack of patient contact, you see the patient and within 5-10 mins the DMA is there and you hand over to them. On the flip side in busy times you can be waiting for over 30 mins for back up. Bearing that in mind you have to be comfortable looking after someone poorly on your own, whilst dealing with concerned family, managing an airway, giving drugs etc. The driving is good fun and enjoyable, especially late at night on roads you know well.

If you have any specific questions fire away.

Thanks, off the top of my head...

How did you/ do you find the training side of things? I'm under no illusion the learning curve is very steep.

Any parts of the job you find unpleasant or stressful and how do you deal with it?

It's an ever evolving job, how do you see things progressing over the next say 10 years?

[Ruskie]

v8will said:

Thanks, off the top of my head...

How did you/ do you find the training side of things? I'm under no illusion the learning curve is very steep.

Any parts of the job you find unpleasant or stressful and how do you deal with it?

It's an ever evolving job, how do you see things progressing over the next say 10 years?

Training is quite enjoyable. Same as any degree you have to put the hours of study in to get the base knowledge you need to be good at the job. It is a very hands on Job backed up by your theoretical knowledge. As a Student Paramedic you never have any clinical responsibility during your training period and I spent my whole training period wanting exciting, new jobs. This changed instantly the day my registration came through as it literally changes over night to you having the clinical lead! I mentally ticked off jobs as I went along. First baby delivered, first fatality, first resuscitation. When I qualified, that list started all along.

My advise from the training side is take something fom every shift. Even if it's how not to approach a situation or you thinking I would do that different. Keep your head down and watch and learn. If you get a reputation as a know it all or being cocky people are less inclined to give their time and experience to help you. Definitely try and get to a busy station, small/medium city by a motorway is perfect. Mixture of rural, urban means lots of decent jobs, variety of travel times for managing patients.


The job is stressful, no doubt. Making clinical decisions at 5am when tired is tough but it's an occupational hazard. There is a real black humour with the job as a coping mechanism. A good sense of humour is a must. Counselling is rare, not because it's not available but because it is done in house with your mates on station and that's how people deal with it. I feel pretty desensitised to death and illness. It doesnt stop my empathy or caring but you need to detach to be able to perform the job well and make important clinical decisions. I don't mind sharing personal stories (anonymous obviously, drop me an email) but they are pretty horrific. As it stands now there's not much I haven't seen and not much that truly gets me but I have a solid 2-3 people I trust implicitly to discuss traumatic jobs with.

As for the future I have just returned from a union meeting, there is a big changes coming and a lot of cost cutting. For the moment the Paramedic role is safe but as you have said its ever changing. Clinically things are changing monthly, new guidelines, new drugs, new equipment.


Hope that has helped, fire away if you have any further questions I'm happy to answer them. The job is brilliant, it's a great buzz and I never get tired of helping genuine patients and hearing two simple words "Thank you ".

[JumboBeef]

OP, will you be paid during your training?

Can you move to a different area? (NI, right?)

[v8will]

JumboBeef said:

OP, will you be paid during your training?

Can you move to a different area? (NI, right?)

Yes and I'm taking a pay cut from my current job, not that money ever was a factor in choosing this direction.

I suppose I could move as HPC registration would allow that, TBH where I'm at is home though.

Ruskie, I'll fire something off shortly. Cheers for that

[JumboBeef]

v8will said:

JumboBeef said:

OP, will you be paid during your training?

Can you move to a different area? (NI, right?)

Yes and I'm taking a pay cut from my current job, not that money ever was a factor in choosing this direction.

I suppose I could move as HPC registration would allow that, TBH where I'm at is home though.

Ruskie, I'll fire something off shortly. Cheers for that

Ok, consider this (if you are happy to move)

http://www.scottishambulance.com/WorkingForUs/Tech...

In two years (or so, there is a gap between year one and year two), you will be a qualified Paramedic in a paid position with a guaranteed job.

[v8will]

Just an update.

Got the position and start training at the end of this month. Already excited, nervous etc.

Really can't wait to get stuck in, it'll be a long haul but worth it.

[Ruskie]

v8will said:

Just an update.

Got the position and start training at the end of this month. Already excited, nervous etc.

Really can't wait to get stuck in, it'll be a long haul but worth it.

Good luck!! Enjoy and try not to become too cynical too early!

[HoggyR32]

Ruskie said:

Good luck!! Enjoy and try not to become too cynical too early!

Well done! Top advice from that man ^ When I joined the fire service a few years ago I was told this. Best bit of advice I could have got.

[v8will]

Thought I'd update this.

I started training at the beginning of December and I've completed my driver training and my 1st lot of clinical training. Learning to read ECGs was a head scratcher for sure!

Still a long way to go though, I've also logged up about a dozen shifts on the road (an eye opener) 3rd manning with a regular crew.

Absolutely love it.

[Alx323]

Glad to hear it's going well for you mate, if you don't mind me asking how did you actually get onto the course? That is, did you have any relevant degree or experience before applying? Reason I ask is that I have been thinking about becoming a paramedic, and the trusts all seem to only want to take on people who have done a degree in paramedic sciences, and I'm not in a position to gain a degree like that at the moment. I'm guessing you already had a degree so they considered you for the role? As you mention it was a career change. Hope that makes some kind of sense, and good luck with it, sounds fantastic

[turbolucie]

Great news, and good luck with it all.

I've spent the past 5 years learning to read ECGs, and they're still squiggles to me! (I'm a med student)