I was able to interview Robby May, the Advanced Life Support Coordinator for the Maryland Fire and Rescue institute based out of UMD. He became an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) at 16 years old then attended Hagerstown Community College and earned his Paramedicine degree. Similar to how nurses must stay updated on their training, Paramedics are required to keep their certifications up to date through Continuing Education Courses, which Mr. May oversees for Maryland.
I hope to attend EMT school next year, so we discussed my future role both inside and outside of the classroom. Maryland is one of the only states that trains teenaged EMT’s and Firefighters. While this is beneficial to some, the fail rate among high school students is alarmingly high. Mr. May, who has taught EMT classes, described how younger students do not realize how rigorous the coursework is when they first start. Many students are used to high school courses, where they only need to show up most of the time and do their work in class to get an A. EMT school is quite different. You may be able to scrape by the first month of school without studying, but you will fail out of the class sooner or later. It is a huge time commitment. Not only do you have mandatory classes for 9 hours a week, but you also have to study additionally to keep pace with the rest of the class. “For those 7 months, EMT class is your life.”
We also talked about the differences between EMTs and Paramedics, which are often confused. Mr. May explained that the main difference between the two is the scope of practice. EMTs can only perform noninvasive procedures, while Paramedics, who have much higher educational requirements, can perform about 75% of the same procedures a doctor can in a Trauma Bay or Emergency Department. “EMTs stick to the ABCs of medicine: Airway, Breathing and Circulation.”
During our interview, I addressed the psychological trauma portion of emergency medicine. When people find out someone works in this field, the first question they typically ask is “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen?” While this question is typically motivated by innocent curiosity, it can cause EMTs and Paramedics to relive terrible moments they had to bury to preserve their sanity. In this profession, you have to build walls to protect your mind. After so many years, employees will not have the same emotional response to tragedy as people in other professions. You see a lot more “fresh death” than other medical workers, and if you let it affect you, it will become impossible to continue working. Nothing about emergency medicine is controlled, while only so many things can happen in a hospital. Mr. May encourages
people not to ask that fateful question, because whatever the answer is, it’s not something anyone wants to think about.
Despite the gruesome experiences that accompany this profession, I learned that if you accept the terrible realities of emergency medicine and the grueling journey to certification, it can be a meaningful and fulfilling occupation.
Genevive Batman is a Senior at Allegany High School in Allegany County. She is a hazmat operative, exterior firefighter and EMS assistant for the Bedford Rd Volunteer Fire Department while also being a drum major in her school’s marching band. Genevive is also the skills group facilitator and youth representative for The Center for Mind-Body Medicine.
