Paramedic to PA

After years of prerequisite classes, and non-stop second-guessing myself, I am headed to physician assistant school. As I have hinted before, I have a great interest in medicine, and have contemplated which path forward would best suit me.

I weighed the pros and cons of a PA, an NP, a physician and an RN. It became analysis by paralysis. Now, with that decision made, the title of this post has been an often used search term. Who else has done this? Have they blogged about it? The internets fell woefully short of expectations on this one. Perhaps I am that "paramedic to PA" blogger. I'll give it a shot. 

The past six weeks have been a whirlwind of....well, nothing. I took an official leave of absence from my job as a firefighter/paramedic, and have spent the last month and a half experimenting with "retired life." I've camped, fished, hiked, hung out with dear friends--it's been fantastic. It's winding to a close now, with the first day of school this Friday. I'm thankful for the time off I've had.

Let's chat a little about that. I felt some time off was important in this career transition, partially so I could "get my head right" for school. Perspective will continue to come, I imagine. I have some initial thoughts. At the fire department, I was a field instructor on a busy, busy, busy ambulance. In retrospect, I was definitely burnt out and chronically sleep deprived. We worked 48 hours on, with 96 hours off. That first 24-36 hours off I was a recovering zombie. The gremlins that plague EMS plagued me. Compassion fatigue? Definitely. Lack of support from administration? Yes. Affected my home life? Yup. I didn't realize how short tempered I was to deal with--and thankful my wife is so loving and patient. The lynchpin holding the whole show together was my crew, and consequently the part of the job I miss the most. I don't think I'll ever get a chance to work with a better group of fellas. 

It is the rare paramedic that can be placed on a busy ambulance (the fellas said they did 32 calls in 48 hours last set) and have happy longevity in that position. It is reflected in our department, where the average medic stays perhaps five years on the "meat wagon." After that, many want nothing to do with EMS. They move to a slow station, a rescue house, or promote. It is, unfortunately, representative of EMS as a whole in this country. 

I don't miss being woken up in the middle of the night. I don't miss the constant stream of degenerates. I don't miss the frustrations of trying to do right for a patient without my organization's support. I do miss the fellas. Miss the station life. Miss the chances to actually save a life. They're few and far between. EMS is a drug, and I was that junkie who seemed to go longer and longer between highs....requiring a bigger high to tide me over. 

I'm looking forward to medicine where I don't have to ride from high to high--I can help a willing patient population consistently. There is advice about PA school to write down why you want to be a PA--the idea being that the experience is intense, and you will question your motivations. Well....

I want to be a physician assistant. It will allow me to have mobility with my career. It will allow me variation in my career. It will let me swim into the deep end of the pool of medical knowledge. It will challenge me intellectually. I will be able to care for patients on a deeper level. I will acquire the knowledge and skill set to make me an asset on international medical trips. It will offer (and require) me  to be a lifelong learner, avoiding stagnation. The eduction, combined with my background, will make me an asset for positions I desire in rural, international and austere locations. 

I hope to blog my experiences during school. I'll also put up some retroactive stories from my experiences at the fire department. Enjoy.