What it Means to be an EMT
By: Kirti Chamkura
Laura Torrez is an EMS Director at Elite EMT Academy and has been in the field for 19 years and has graduated over 2000 students, me being one of them this past summer. In her interview, she talks about how EMT certification gives you insight into the medical field and sets you up for success as a future healthcare professional.
One way it sets a student up for success is the nature of unpredictability and accountability. EMTs deal with various settings from violent home situations, high call orders, mental disabilities, and high-risk environments in pertinence to their own safety. How do we separate our feelings while having to think critically, assess, treat, and protect ourselves from potential stressors? Laura says, “ We call resident’s baby doctors and yet they’re scared even to touch a patient. As an EMT we learn to get in there.” The extensive knowledge that comes with being an EMT could be accredited to the exposure but rather stems from the adaptability of having to be aware of our surroundings and ourselves. You are not always given all the information nor do you have time to be detailed in your examination. Why is an experience like this the perfect segue into a clinical setting?
Laura says the biggest life skill is learning responsibility. You have to be confident in your actions and your skills and understand the gravity of the situation that is your patient's life. You also have to be responsible for yourself and your well-being to do right by every patient and their respective healthcare experience. You also have to be responsible for professional documentation to ensure even the most complex situations leave nothing left to question. It's not just healthcare and that is the biggest takeaway from being an EMT. It is a holistic, immersive experience that never ceases to surprise and scare you, all at the same time. But it should be seen as a challenge, not a threat. How are we supposed to adapt to this ever-evolving field if we do not practice how to not stay stagnant? To manage the delicate balance that is the lives of others and the quality of our own is a narrow line worth walking if it means we all get to help people in the language of our passion.
It is not unusual to lose perspective of how chaotic, vulnerable, and difficult life can be, and being an EMT takes you out of your bubble and throws you so far that you do not know how to land. Despite the hardship, Laura emphasizes, “ you are not alone and have a bond with your EMTs and patients alike so use it.” Utilize it as your strength and know that being unsure and hesitant is not being cowardly, but human. An EMT is the ideal medium to humanize medicine and has truly impacted the lives of many.