Drawing on extensive ethnographic research, this fascinating book highlights the challenges and contradictions faced by neophyte paramedics as they transition from a classroom setting into day-to-day clinical work placements. Supported by fieldnotes as well as interviews with students and paramedics, the book will be essential reading for any student on the path to becoming a paramedic. It will also be valuable reading for those within the service who wish to better understand the hidden cultural and social components that lie beneath the practice itself--