Paramedic as a Career choice anyone?

[medianewbie]

Sorry if this has been done before but Dd has suddenly decided she wants to be a Paramedic. She's 17, about to go into S6 (Scotland equivalent to upper 6th). Exams apart (she struggles), she is ASD & semi verbal under stress so I cannot see how this would be suitable career for her. Can any Paramedics comment please or suggest alternatives?

You could suggest that she joins St John’s/St Andrew’s Ambulance as a volunteer, learn first aid and CPR and gets to shadow and/become Event First Aider. This will A) help in her future life and useful knowledge to have/ good on CV, B) show commitment for healthcare career, C) help her decide whether she can cope with healthcare as a possible degree and career.

Thank you @FadedRed that's a great idea!

I think @FadedRed 's idea is a fantastic one! I am a paramedic (although I now work in a role outside frontline practice) and I can't in all honesty say I'd recommend the profession to new starters in the current climate. There's too much to go into here, but I'd be very happy for you to DM me if you'd like further details.

Join as a technician and get them to fund your training/degree.

Paramedic here, although also no longer in a front line role.
Its a tough job, you lose "normality", get exposed to all sorts of drama and sadness.
Becoming semi verbal under stress - sounds problematic. It can be very stressful, horrific, time pressured etc.
I'd recommend HCA in a hospital (acute stuff if poss) or nursing home, to test that kind of resolve.
Having done St John's as a teen, I'd not rate the "exposure" side.

@Asterales - thank you - I have pm'd you. x

I'm a doctor and ASD. I can't comment on being a paramedic but from my medical ASD experience:

Age 17 is the worst. How your ASD affects you as a 17 Yr old is not the same as when you are 27 or 37. Puberty for autistic girls is the pits. I was selectively mute at school and am now in a very talky specialty.

There are loads of ASD people in healthcare. Mostly not diagnosed but it's far from rare. It can be helpful as I don't get that emotionally involved compared to my ND colleagues. And a lot is following procedures accurately and pattern recognition.

If she really wants it she will find a way to make it work. My early supervisors thought I was nuts for picking the specialty I did but I knew my own strengths and weaknesses.