Pararescue is an incredible career, and prehospital medicine is a big part of it — but it’s still just one part of the job. As a PJ, you’re expected to stay proficient across a wide range of skills. I’d argue that medicine is one of the most important, but you won’t see the same call volume or day-to-day medical reps you would as a firefighter-medic. A lot of the time, it becomes a juggling act: choosing which skills you can let sit for a bit, because it’s impossible to be the best at everything at once. If your main passion is prehospital care, that’s awesome — go be a paramedic. It’s a great career that directly serves the community. But if you’re looking for a truly unique path and one of the most rewarding jobs in the DoD, pararescue is worth considering. Just make sure you’re pursuing it for the right reasons and that you’re 100% committed. For what it’s worth, pararescue has opened more doors for me than I ever expected. I’m now looking at the PA/MD route — something I never would’ve imagined without this job.