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EMSWORLD.com | MAY 2016 49 » Variety: Saving lives gets so monoto- nous, doesn't it? Seriously, it's OK not to feel the same adrenaline surge answering calls as you did your first year. Maybe it's time for a change, especially if 9-1-1 is becoming not just less interesting for you, but more frustrating or even unhealthy. » Extended practice: During one of my first shifts as a medic in the hospitality industry, I encountered a young man who asked about a rash on his palms. Somewhere in an underused, rarely accessed part of my brain, a neural connection between "pal- mar rash" and "syphilis" fired, leaving me wondering if I might heroically diagnose a disease that had been mentioned perhaps once, and with very little emphasis, during my entire paramedic program. I immedi- ately contacted our medical director and asked if I was on the right track. He said no, but encouraged me to keep thinking beyond ordinary protocols in an environment where sufferers of nonemergent illnesses would continue to seek my advice. I figured I'd better learn a little more about chronic conditions and even OTC meds. » The challenge: At one of my nontradi- tional jobs, I operated without the support system we usually have in EMS—hospitals, well-integrated medical control and even partners. On my way to work, I'd relish the prospect of running "my hotel" or "my boat" for the day. It helps to have a positive sense of self when you're on your own, as long as you don't start thinking the job is about you. Let's take a look at the first three nontradi- tional EMS opportunities worth considering. Entertainment Growing up in Framingham, MA, Jonathan Hall liked amusement parks as much as any kid, but he never thought he'd eventually help run one. Hall, who supervises EMS at Six Flags New England in Agawam, MA, says 9-1-1