Paramedic Personality Traits

Although little evidence has clearly demonstrated that paramedics must have a particular personality trait or be a particular personality type in order to be successful as a paramedic, it has often been hypothosized that paramedics are generally a certain “type” of personality.

It has been believed by so many that this golden “type” of personality that all paramedic must inherently have, that many Ambulance Service around the world select trainee paramedic candidates on the basis of a 4-6 hour personality test/psychometric evaluation. If you are about to apply for an Student Ambulance Paramedic position and you are about to undergo psychometric evaluations/personality tests, you may wish to review my Passing Paramedic Personality Tests page.

So what are the “ideal” paramedic traits?

1. Honesty

2.Integrity

3.Desire to help people

4. Confidence

5. Strength in oneself (whatever that means)

What are the actual paramedic traits that most paramedics who appear to last in the job have?

1. Risk taking personalities (most Ambos will either ride motor bikes, climb mountains, or do some other form of high risk taking activity on their days off)

2. Enjoy excitement and easily bored (I know, it seems to go against most of our work-load that is very mundane and routine, but most paramedics have a tendency to search fo excitement, and find that they get bored easily if they do too many similar things in a day).

3. A genuine desire (or at least willingness) to help others and do what is best for their patients  

4. Ability to fake confidence (you don’t have to be confident, so long as you can appear confident, that will do fine)

5. Discipline and ability to get up at all hours and do the job (irrespective of how much you want to roll over and go back to bed in Winter).