Becoming an EMT

Post Reply New Topic

Can an person with autism like me become an EMT?

It's more a question if YOU can become an EMT.

Can you deal with people who are in a panic because they are bleeding to death?
Can you deal with people fighting near the ambulance beause you're not prioritizing their relatives in a large accident?
Can you deal with screaming people and loud noises from the sirens?
Can you deal with touching people to administer first aid and be touched by people who want's to hold your hand while their life is slipping away?

Pretty much what Ichinin said...to which I would add:

Can you deal with severely injured or dead children?
Can you deal with major trauma decisively in the midst of chaos?
Can you deal with bodily fluids you didn't even know existed?
Can you deal with combative elderly dementia patients?
Can you deal with combative psychiatric patients?
Can you deal with combative alcoholics & addicts?
Can you deal with grief?
Can you deal with bizarre shifts and compulsory overtime?
Can you deal with the death of a co-worker and friend (1,937 fire and EMS personnel died in the line of duty last year)?
Can you deal with driving Code 3 traffic when every other driver on the road appears to be insane or mentally ret*d?
Can you deal with the job at hand while your own house & family might be at risk (hurricanes, tornadoes; 57 firefighters lost their homes in the Camp Fire in California)?
Can you deal with infectious disease?
Can you deal with a pandemic like that of 1918?
Can you deal with the constant demands for training recertification, and CEU's?
Can you deal with pay on par with pizza delivery drivers (except that they get tips)?
Can you deal with Paramedics, nurses, and doctors who quite erroneously define EMT as "Empty Minded Truckdriver"?

It can happen; I was a National Registry Paramedic & firefighter. Best job in the world.
Never allow a diagnostic code from the DSM-5 to define your life.

It may be a good fit for some of us. Emotional distance and hyper focus can be an asset for an EMT.