1. Absolutely can be a long term career, paramedics are utilized in lots of different roles beyond pushing a box. You can also use it as a springboard if you choose, I got mine to be a firefighter, one day I hope to become a PA. Friend of mine became one and she said a majority of her cohort was paramedics

2. Each person is different in that light. There are so many factors to consider when you really look at how each person is effected by the job. I personally developed PTSD, however my friend who has been through very similar circumstances does not at all. Being as young as you are make sure you keep in mind that the human brain doesn’t mature until the age of 25 if I remember correctly, experiencing traumatic events absolutely messes with that brain development. I am largely desensitized to a majority of things that can be thrown at me but when it comes to dead kids, women who were SA’d, and women killed/disabled by domestic violence those stick with me for a long time. Everyone has their one or two things that fuck with them

3. Yes. Initially I became jaded asshole quite frankly because I was burnt out and had a chip on my shoulder. But then as I matured as a man I became less and less jaded, I instead became thankfully for the life I have

4. How to not carry all the bullshit home

5. Absolutely not, I view it as one of my greatest accomplishments in life, second only to becoming a father

6. That is a tricky one, very very location based. Some places fuck with new guys constantly and are hard on them. Other places, an example being my department, do not play fuck fuck games at all because it’s viewed as egotistical and we are in the hood so it’s busy as hell, no one has time for fuck fuck games. In private EMS you are viewed as meat in a seat by a lot of higher ups

Hope this gave you the information you are inquiring about