The Midlife Medic: Find Your "Next"

If you woke up tomorrow and found your job was no longer there, or that you could not do the work, what would you do?

I cannot remember the last time I considered a role outside of EMS, or even different from what I have been doing. All my marketable skills tie back to EMS and the work I've done there. My options are limited. I have no "next." The reality is that my strongest days may be behind me and one can only climb in and out of ambulances for so long.

As young providers we are resilient, enthusiastic and with that patch on we come dangerously close to believing ourselves invincible. Time and circumstance teach us otherwise on all counts. If you are careful and fortunate enough to escape injury, age remains the great equalizer. At some point double shifts are no longer a minor thing and a night of posting in an ambulance has you reaching for the.

Adventures for the midlife medic come with recovery time and the realization that this is not a job that you can do forever.

Today the world of EMS is more than taking the patient to the hospital. Taking care of the sick and injured remain at its core, but as this still-young career field evolves there are new paths and opportunities that play an integral role in the effective delivery of care on a much broader scope.

Are you prepared to work outside of an operational role? Do you have a secondary skill set or an interest in areas outside of patient care?

What are you going to do when you cannot lift that stretcher anymore? Many of us began and remain in the field because we love the work. We should think ahead and understand our importance to the new providers that will come after.

There is an absolute need for mentorship in this field that revolves around the human experience, things that have nothing to do with algorithms or dosages. Yet we lose priceless providers every year to injury or age, because there was either no mechanism in place for them to change their role or they were unwilling to consider it because they felt it was boring or beneath them. That it made them "less" than what they were.

Today's EMS has avenues in leadership, emergency management, education and communication. If you have ever had an interest in any of those areas, did you pursue it? Everything from awareness level classes to certifications to college degrees are available in each of these arenas. A few hours out of your week might pique your interest and help you find an inroad into another component of the work you already love. Do not assume that because you are a good provider you are good at anything else, it takes work.

Communication is both an art and a science, just because you can't lift a stretcher does not mean you can lift a mic. Dispatching requires training, patience and the ability to multi-task on a different level.

"Those who can't do, teach." There is some nonsense right there, because the reality is that "Most that can do, can't teach very well." Learning how to educate is as important as the material you're providing.

Emergency Management in today's world leads people to experience disaster planning, grant writing, and public health. These are not small skills and can carry you effectively through to a lifelong career in this field that you love. Look at the clock, look in the mirror and ask yourself what you have done to prepare for the next phase of your life or career.

Me? I talked to my husband, reworked my budget, quit my part-time job and enrolled in school to finish my Bachelor's—the next day.

I looked ahead, beyond the next class or next shift and realized that the only thing that could change was me.

It is one year later, I am four terms shy of my Bachelor’s degree. I spent time on myself and looked outside of my box and confronted unique midlife fears about becoming obsolete and feeling past my value. Now I am about to embark on the biggest adventure of my life and career as I take my family and my experience across the continent to try my hand at EMS in America’s last great frontier, Alaska, working as a battalion chief for Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-Su) Borough EMS in Wasilla.

I am far from where I started when I was 18 years old and as invincible as my patch. However I’ve also learned that I am far from being done, there is an entire field out there with room for growth and maturity.

What's your "next?"

Tracey Loscar, NRP, FP-C, is a battalion chief for Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-Su) Borough EMS in Wasilla, Alaska, and a member of the EMS World editorial advisory board. Contact her at taloscar@gmail.com or www.taloscar.com.