Becoming Paramedic

I have never imagine, dreamt or planned to become a paramedic. But having to be one, have taught me valuable lesson and made me who I am today.

How it all started?

It started at December 2016 when I was enlisted into Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) to serve National Service (NS) in Singapore. It is compulsory for every male Singaporean and Singapore Permanent Resident (PR) to serve for 2 years after you are the age of 18. The first 3 months was the basic training filled with intense physical training, non-stop grilling by the instructors and being in a foreign environment. It was both physically and mentally draining with nothing close to what I have experienced before. By the end of the 3 month, I was selected into a medic vocation.

Everyone in the medic vocation have to undergo 6 weeks of additional medical training before we are posted to the different division. We need to learn the basic medical knowledge and protocols, followed by practical skills such as applying different types of bandages, inserting an Intravenous (IV) line and the process of managing patients. After 6 weeks of training, I was posted as a front line paramedic* at a fire station, Alexandra Fire Station, where I will spend for the rest of my NS. This is where my journey began as a paramedic.

Second day as a front line paramedic outside of Alexandra Fire Station

How is it like being a paramedic?

Becoming a paramedic is a very daunting and yet fulfilling vocation. You have the ability to save someone's lives or the opposite. We are constantly working with high pressure and required to remain calm when others were panicking. It is often that you will be caught in an unwanted situation of either the patient to do not want you to attend to them or you do not want to attend to the patient.

Team photo outside of hospital

In some ways, referring paramedic as a job downplay what paramedic really do. Superficially, we respond to those who have a medical emergency case and ensure that they are stabilised before getting them to a doctor. We also gather necessary information while taking them to the nearest government hospital.

The truth is, there are much more emotional involvement required to be a paramedic. We not only treat the patient, we care about them. We don't only give them medical support but emotional too. To do it as a job is easy, to make it a vocation is necessary.

What I've learn?

Due to the geographical location where I was stationed, I often received elderly case complaining of breathlessness, unable to move and chest pain. These elderly often live alone and only have volunteers as their only point of contact to help them with daily needs. Most of them either do not have any family members or they are no longer in contact with them. It is an eye-opening experience to see it first hand. Every time I went to these kind of cases, I will try to imagine how is it like living like them. And honestly, I can't.

At first, I feel helpless as there seems to be nothing that I can do with it. I will ask for necessary information about their medical condition. "Where is the pain coming from?", "What is your medical history?", "Do you take any medicine?". I will then take their blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen saturation level in the ambulance while waiting to arrive in the hospital. Even though I am filled with curiosity as to what happened to them, I don't find it appropriate to ask as I am afraid it might lead to awkwardness and upsetting them instead.

Team photo with safety rain coat after attending to a car accident case

After pondering case after case, I finally decided to ask them about their day instead. Surprisingly, they responded with excitement which often lead to them talking about their lives and families. When listening to their stories, I realised how lonely they must have been living alone with no one to share their stories with. At the same time, I felt so happy to be able to let their stories out and making them feel heard even though it was just a few minutes.

This have made me understand the power that we all have inside us. A simple act of care, small gesture of concern and the power of a listening ear can make all the difference. We often downplay our ability to impact on other people's lives. We assume that it requires certain resources, some special skills to do so. But through the many cases I have went, I have realised that the best thing I can give is not through the medical knowledge that I was taught but through compassion, care and concern that we all innately have. Yes, of course my medical knowledge is important to provide the best service to my patient. But it is the care and concern that have made them live a happier life.

I believe that we all can make an impact to the people around us. You don't have to be a paramedic, politician or superheroes, you just have to be you. It doesn't have to start with a thousand, a hundred or even ten , just start with one people around you and you will be surprised how much of impact you have done. We don't have to depend on others or wait for the right time in order to make a difference. We just have to believe that each of us can, and do it with our best ability.

*Paramedic title is use here as an easier reference to a medical personnel in the ambulance which I was. However we are commonly referred to as 'medic' internally where we will be assisting the senior paramedic who is a profession in it and have undergone much more extensive training.

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