Full Circle

Find a comfortable place to sit, close your eyes and think back to the time when you first joined the ranks of EMS. If you have just a few years in EMS, this should be easy. For some of you old dogs, this could be more challenging, so feel free to look back at old photos, newspaper articles or, if you are really old-school, clay tablets (just kidding). Once you have retrieved those files from your memory, focus on how your career has progressed. More specifically, think back to those people who had a significant impact during your career. Think about the ones who consistently encouraged you or helped you make some of those tough career decisions, and those who nurtured you and helped your dreams become realities.

When I think back to the many folks who had an influence on my professional development during the last 32 years, each and every one fits into the categories listed below. Each one chose to step into a new or expanded role beyond the scope of their work as a field provider. In some cases, those roles came with additional compensation, but many did not. Do a quick run through this short list and see if any are in your future.

Tutoring
Tutoring is typically one of your earliest opportunities career-wise, because this can come while you are still in school. If you are one of those lucky few for whom book learning comes easy, especially in areas like medical math or pharmacology, offering your services to help others who may be struggling in class can be satisfying, as well as beneficial to those you help. The opportunity to tutor will continue even after you complete the course. Many students struggle with the didactic portion of EMS courses and often continue to struggle because of a lack of tutors. Academic-based EMS education programs routinely provide this service and will put your name on a list for both immediate and future access. Tutoring may or may not be a compensated role.

Preceptor/FTO
Preceptor and field training officer (FTO) are different titles, though both are basically synonymous with being a field instructor. The primary difference is that preceptors usually work with students, while field training officers often evaluate new hires or help remediate problems with existing employees. You usually can't apply for these roles until you have a minimum of one recertification cycle under your belt. Both can be very satisfying professionally, but for different reasons. It's fun to precept students and help polish their craft as they work to make the transition to being "entry-level competent." As an FTO, you provide an incredibly valuable service to your organization as you help new hires get objective evaluations relative to their continued employment, or, in less fortunate scenarios, become unemployed and avoid a mismatch between employer and employee. The role of FTO is also important when an existing employee suddenly begins to struggle in one area or another. Developing and implementing problem-solving strategies that salvage employees often takes some real doing, but, again, is satisfying when your efforts are successful. Regarding compensation, precepting is usually not compensated, although it can be. FTO is almost always a paid function.

Skill Evaluator
This is another role that is typically unavailable until you have that first recertification behind you. As a skill evaluator, you are obviously working with an organization that provides education and training. Whether you are assisting with primary or continuing education, you gain valuable experience relative to the attainment and measurement of competencies. This can be invaluable if you are considering moving further down the road in the area of instruction, as it usually involves work at the formative level when you provide instruction to improve performance, and, you get the evaluation experience as well. Skill evaluators are almost always compensated for their work.

Test Team Member
At most programs, you should expect to work one or two years as a skill evaluator before being allowed to move onto a test team. Once you make the move, expect to evaluate simple skills like splinting or IV therapy before being allowed to evaluate the more sophisticated stations like oral boards. This role comes with a lot of responsibility, since the determination of pass or fail can mean the difference between getting a patch and a job, having to take the course over, or, in the worst-case scenario, getting out of the profession entirely.

Mentoring
In all honesty, I can't say how many calls or years of experience you need before you can move into this realm, but lots of experience is clearly important, as is the desire to take someone under your wing. Unlike skill evaluation, which you can do every now and then during a course, mentoring is usually a longer-term commitment, frequently from three to six months and occasionally even longer. This is typically a noncompensated role (though not always). In my opinion, it should remain unpaid. Because it is more broad-based, mentoring is unique and involves more of a relationship than the other roles mentioned above.

Instruction
Moving into education is one of the most important and far-reaching ways to give back to the EMS profession, because it is exponential. The 25 students you teach in an EMT class may touch thousands of lives the first year they hit the streets. Quality instruction provides a direct link to quality medicine. It usually takes a few years in most of the other roles mentioned above and, more often than not, a degree to become an educator. While job satisfaction is high, the pay is less than stellar, but motivated, quality instructors are essential to keeping our profession healthy and growing.

If any of these roles sound appealing, take time to look into what it takes to make the transition from student to helper or teacher. Give to others just as others gave to you. It's a full circle. Until next month