Paramedic or Medical Student: The Stress is Equal

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Maximilian Kraft (26) is a paramedic and second-year student at the Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine. Read an interview where he shares his story. Text by Layla Mohamed.


Tell us a little bit about your work before you came to Prague...
Photographs: Archive of M. K.

I finished secondary school at the age of sixteen, and went to work as a pediatric nurse at a children's hospital for three years. It's an amazing experience to work with children. Neonatology was my favorite part. It was very moving for me because you can really make an enormous change at that stage of life.

Then, I went to a medical rescue college for three years while working at the children's hospital. That's how I started my training to become a paramedic. I've been a paramedic since 2010. I also did some additional teaching certification, so I could teach paramedics while I worked. I always had students with me during my shifts. I did advanced cardiac life support certification, as well. I try to do some courses for students here at LF2, like the ECG course for in conjunction with AIMS and the basic cardiac life support course at the Noc Fakulty event.

I still work for the Bavarian Red Cross at my hometown in Germany. They're in charge of ambulance services. I work about four shifts a month, whenever my schedule permits me to be back. In fact, this month I have done nine shifts for them – so it really depends on the schedule I have at the time. But I find that it is easier to work under pressure. I work for them for twelve hours, sleep for a few, and then wake up to study for my exams at LF2.

What are your favorite and least favorite parts of work as a paramedic?

My favorite part is working with my best friend. All the days that we work together are exciting days. Working with someone who has your back, somebody that you can rely on, is a perfect environment. I never worry about myself because I know that together, we can work through any situation.

My least favorite part is how boring it can be. Most of my shifts are work nights. Friday and Saturday nights in particular are the most boring, because you expect to be practicing emergency medicine. Instead, it is mostly inebriated people who need taking care of. It is difficult dealing with such patients because they are incoherent and unable to respect us. They can be physically and verbally aggressive at any moment.

Did you always know that you wanted to study medicine?

No, I didn't but I figured it out while I was working as a paramedic. My work during that time was interesting, but I needed something different, something more. From one day to another, I decided I didn't want to work as a paramedic anymore. I had two options: to study medicine, or to become a diving instructor.

How did you find out about our faculty, LF2, and know it was the right one for you?

I found the faculty through the internet. It was highly recommended, and because of my work at the children's hospital, the history of LF2 as a faculty of pediatric medicine appealed to me. Compared to the other faculties, it has a better range of the pediatric specializations, like neurology, hematology, oncology, etc. Prague is only 350km away from my home city of Ingolstadt, in Germany.

How do you compare the stress of being a paramedic with the stress of being a medical student?

Being a paramedic, you have to work in the heat, cold, rain, snow. It is interesting but it is very intense work in situations where you are under a car or a train trying to save somebody' life at the scene of an accident.

The stress of being a medical student is equal but the quality of stress is different. Here, you know when the stress is coming during exam periods and you can expect it and in that way, plan for it. When I am working as a paramedic, I can't plan for anything. I start at 7 pm and I leave at 7 am and during these twelve hours, I have no idea what could possibly happen.

What is your favorite part of studying at LF2?

My favorite part is studying in such small groups. For example, in Physiology or Czech class, we're only ten or twelve students. You know your classmates well and you have a great relationship with your professors and teachers. You have e-mail contact and give each other feedback. If you don't attend the lesson, they ask about you, they are concerned. It is a familial setting. I feel it encourages learning more. Compared to Germany, professors here expect higher grades to pass, so you need more information, but the quality of education is also high.

How do you like living in Prague?

Prague is an amazing city, filled with great history and culture. I like the city life and constant events, but I also like that when it is time to study, LF2 is not in the middle of a busy area. The new Žížala building is in a quiet area very close to Motol hospital.

What do you hope to do after you graduate?

I hope to become a pediatrician. I want to work in an environment where I can help the victims of bad circumstances.

You're coming to the end of your second year at LF2. What advice would you give to the new students who are starting their study at LF2 in October?

I would say to them, you should expect to be studying in a very familial environment. You are never alone and it is amazing. You will know the people you work with very well, and you can be comfortable with that knowledge that you are in this together and you are all helping one another.

When I first started studying here, I was afraid I wouldn't be able to make it because I am studying in English when my first language is German. So I would also want to tell students coming from abroad, who never studied in English, that they can do it, and that they will adapt to it easily. Studying in English is a great experience that will prepare you for your future as a medical professional as well.

One last piece of advice is to keep an open mind in all situations. In the first year, we were very stressed all the time. We were worried and not used to the intense level of medical studies. But now we know that everything is possible if we are calm, if we continue to be studious, if we work hard. So just know that in the beginning, it may be difficult to adjust, but you will learn and you will adapt and that is how you will succeed.

Created: 9. 6. 2016 / Modified: 13. 6. 2022 / Mgr. Petr Andreas, Ph.D.