I am 34 year old female that has already been through the fire academy and emt. I have worked at a private ambulance service, in the hospital in the ER and at a volunteer fire department.

I am trying to decide rather to go to paramedic school and get hired on as a firefighter or nursing school. I am not a wimp but I have seen what new rookies go through their first year at the fire stations. It seems to me that they can never do anything right no matter how good they are and also they get their chops busted over everything. I know this is part of the ritual that goes with being in the Firefighter brotherhood, but sometimes I think I am a little too old for this.

Is this the way they try to weed people out or just a ritual that everyone new goes through? Any sugestions from anyone that started in my age group as a firefighter.