How can I prepare to be a paramedic in high school?
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DesertMedic66
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A&P, Biology and chemistry. Pretty much any science classes your high school offers.
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This. Then go to college and take the college equivalents.
As many science courses as you can feasibly take (various bios, chem, physics) and study.
Drivers Ed Class if your HS offers it get your permit and driver’s license (never drink and drive don’t get a DWI)
Watch your diet and do some strength training
Find a volunteer ambulance service and become a dispatcher or any other position they offer. Some may pay for your EMT-Basic class.
This book becomes your best friend
Take a CPR class (there are free ones you can find)
Get EMT-Basic Certification and start working.
Enroll into a college straight after high school and get your bachelor’s degree either in nursing or go into medicine.
Drivers Ed Class if your HS offers it get your permit and driver’s license (never drink and drive don’t get a DWI)
Watch your diet and do some strength training
Find a volunteer ambulance service and become a dispatcher or any other position they offer. Some may pay for your EMT-Basic class.
This book becomes your best friend
Take a CPR class (there are free ones you can find)
Get EMT-Basic Certification and start working.
Enroll into a college straight after high school and get your bachelor’s degree either in nursing or go into medicine.
If you're living in a rural area find a HIGH VOLUME agency. Get as much EMS experience as you can. Paramedic school will teach you the A/P and sciences you need to know. Taking those classes won't hurt but get as much EMT experience as you can.
Start with an explorer post if you can't become an EMT yet and ride with an ALS provider if possible. Find someone who you trust/respect in your area who will mentor you through the process, that is invaluable, and learn as much as you possibly can. And figure out if you like it, EMS isn't the dream everyone sees it to be but it is the most rewarding life choice I've ever made. Enjoy the journey, there's nothing like it.
-Matt
Start with an explorer post if you can't become an EMT yet and ride with an ALS provider if possible. Find someone who you trust/respect in your area who will mentor you through the process, that is invaluable, and learn as much as you possibly can. And figure out if you like it, EMS isn't the dream everyone sees it to be but it is the most rewarding life choice I've ever made. Enjoy the journey, there's nothing like it.
-Matt
VFlutter
Flight Nurse
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Uh, No
You need a much better understanding of basic sciences and A/P then the average paramedic program provides. IMHO, A solid education is much more important than experience.
Take advanced placement classes if possible to get college credit while still in High School then finish up a degree at a community college. Try to find a paramedic program that is an associate program. Take all the science classes you can.
Uh, No
IMHO, A solid education is much more important than experience.
Take advanced placement classes if possible to get college credit while still in High School then finish up a degree at a community college. Try to find a paramedic program that is an associate program. Take all the science classes you can.
Despite having college A/P, sciences found the quality of my paramedic program to be excellent and at par for what we need to know. More knowledge is always better but would not recommend going to ALS school right after graduating from EMT class straight out of high school...
and it says you're an RN/EMT-B so how can you judge what was taught in Paramedic school??? just asking...
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NomadicMedic
I know a guy who knows a guy.
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Agreed. The "a&p" taught in most paramedic classes is a joke. Bio, Chem and a full a&p series, with lab, should be the base prerequisite for paramedic. Anything less than that is just a waste.
And while EMT experience is good, limit you time as an EMT so you don't learn bad habits. Work as a basic just long enough to learn how to take a BP in a moving truck and decide if you want to commit to paramedic school.
And while EMT experience is good, limit you time as an EMT so you don't learn bad habits. Work as a basic just long enough to learn how to take a BP in a moving truck and decide if you want to commit to paramedic school.
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VFlutter
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Why not?
I have multiple paramedic friends who went through various programs. I have helped them study and helped with assignments. Most of the A&P and science content is an absolute joke.
Did you happen to use the Brady Paramedic Textbook?
And being on this forum for a while seeing multiple discussions about this topic.
But take it with a grain of salt. I don't know much about A/P or science and I get by just fine.
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Reading the posts on this forum can also give examples of what is not taught in Paramedic school.
ExpatMedic0
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Uh, No
IMHO, A solid education is much more important than experience.
Take advanced placement classes if possible to get college credit while still in High School then finish up a degree at a community college. Try to find a paramedic program that is an associate program. Take all the science classes you can.
I am gonna have to agree in part with both of you.
1. Yes, Matt is correct, to function at the bare bone minimum and pass the minimum requirements to be certified as an entry level paramedic; Paramedic school will teach you the A/P sciences you need to know. Not according to me, but according to the NREMT, CAAHEP, and CoAEMSP.
2. Yes, Chase is also right, and frankly I would follow that advise. If you want an AAS or a BS in Paramedicine or EMS, your going to need everything Chase is talking about. Even if you choose not to complete a degree, all Paramedics should be required to take at least A&P1 as a pre-rec before entering Paramedic school. Plus, later in your career if you decide you want to become a manager or something or compete for a hard to get slot on HEMS, the degree is going to help tremendously. Or if you decide EMS is not for you any longer, you got options and most of the pre-rec's to move on towards PA school for example
I would see if your high school has a program with the local university or community college to help you get a head start. We do in my area and its called "Head Start or Running Start" I can't remember, anyway you can start knocking out some of your college credits or preparing for it while your in high school.
Also, as Matt mentioned, check out EMS Explorers. Maybe they have a branch near you, I did that when I was 17 and it helped me decide I wanted to get into EMS.
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abckidsmom
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I got my start in EMS in high school. I recommend what all of the others said about focusing on maths and science.
One thing that really helped me get comfortable with all of the scenario based testing I've had to do throughout my career was participating in an EMT competition team as a junior member of our rescue squad. We had a couple of under 18 yo EMTs, and the rest of the team was non-certified. We drilled, and drilled, and drilled. Competitions included random EMT questions on anatomy topics, random skills, etc, and we learned a lot about being intimidated and performing well anyway.
This was what I did for "fun" in high school, so be advised that you might turn out to be a total dork, too. But at least you might be a decent medic, and have some neat trophies in the attic.
One thing that really helped me get comfortable with all of the scenario based testing I've had to do throughout my career was participating in an EMT competition team as a junior member of our rescue squad. We had a couple of under 18 yo EMTs, and the rest of the team was non-certified. We drilled, and drilled, and drilled. Competitions included random EMT questions on anatomy topics, random skills, etc, and we learned a lot about being intimidated and performing well anyway.
This was what I did for "fun" in high school, so be advised that you might turn out to be a total dork, too. But at least you might be a decent medic, and have some neat trophies in the attic.
There are a few things to remember about taking college classes. Your HS counselor can also advise you further on this.
Many states now have a time limit for finishing an Associates degree. The science and math classes are also only good for 5 or 7 years, depending on the state, toward a degree. If you take a couple of college classes now and don't obtain a degree using them within the next few years, you may have to repeat them. This happens to some who keep telling themselves they will go back to college to complete the Associates degree for Paramedic. But, some are led to believe you have to work a few years first as an EMT and later life sidetracks them to where they don't get back to college. That is a waste of time. What they don't tell you is that you could work and go to school to be a Paramedic. That way all the stuff you are doing as an EMT will make more sense.
You don't need college to be a Paramedic in most states in the US. You can become one an then decide later if you want to go on for something else and then start taking college courses. In HS you need to keep your GPA up and take classes which do look good on a transcript for college if you decide to go that route. Your advisor can also help you with this. A lot of people give being an EMT and Paramedic a trial run and some move on to something else totally different. Nothing wrong with that either.
Many states now have a time limit for finishing an Associates degree. The science and math classes are also only good for 5 or 7 years, depending on the state, toward a degree. If you take a couple of college classes now and don't obtain a degree using them within the next few years, you may have to repeat them. This happens to some who keep telling themselves they will go back to college to complete the Associates degree for Paramedic. But, some are led to believe you have to work a few years first as an EMT and later life sidetracks them to where they don't get back to college. That is a waste of time. What they don't tell you is that you could work and go to school to be a Paramedic. That way all the stuff you are doing as an EMT will make more sense.
You don't need college to be a Paramedic in most states in the US. You can become one an then decide later if you want to go on for something else and then start taking college courses. In HS you need to keep your GPA up and take classes which do look good on a transcript for college if you decide to go that route. Your advisor can also help you with this. A lot of people give being an EMT and Paramedic a trial run and some move on to something else totally different. Nothing wrong with that either.
Yay paramedic A&P. Taught by medics who never even took college level A&P.
Paramedic instructor: "We can skip this, you don't need to know this mambo jumbo for the exam"
Paramedic student: "Okay...but can you explain it please?"
Paramedic instructor: "I will Google it and get back to you"
Do not get me wrong we are trained and drilled for very small subset of emergency medicine. Which you can perform without having college education.
However take 2 semester of college level AP and come back in a year and tell me paramedic AP was excellent.
ExpatMedic0
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One thing I liked about my Paramedic program was we did not really cover much on A&P. Our program was 1300 hours long and it was required we all took A&P1 as a pre-rec before being accepted into the paramedic program.
jefftherealmccoy
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Sorry but I have to disagree with you here. Knowledge is important, but experience tops it. Do I want a green paramedic straight out of school or a 20 year paramedic going on my family? I'll take the latter.
And don't only go into a program because of the associate degree. Again, do you want a piece of paper saying you're a college grad, or do you want to be a good paramedic? My paramedic school didn't offer a degree but we went way above and beyond the required hours for national registry with departments that had much higher call volume than those from a university that offered a degree. I entered the field much more compitent than anyone coming from the other program. For example- When I left my program I had 35+ intubations in the OR and 1 field intubation. The graduates from the Univeristy I mentioned- Lucky if they had 2 OR intubations.
The experience you gain from Medic school is what's gonna make you most comfortable in the field.
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20 years of experience is quite often 1 year of experience repeated 19 times. There are certainly 20 year medics I very much admire, but there are also many that have refused to learn anything since they graduated school. Some people seem to get stuck in a rut and refuse to change their practices beyond "the way it's always been done."
I don't always want the medic who finished school yesterday responding on my family, but on a very general level I'm more apt to trust someone who has been a medic three years and is still enthusiastic over a 20 year dinosaur medic.
I think we can agree both formal education and experience are important. Why would you compare straight out of school paramedic with a 20 year medic? Do you honestly believe that is fair comparison to make?
Additionally stating "paper saying you're a college grad, or do you want to be a good paramedic? " is dismissing the value of proper formal education. How are you able to state that without having a college degree?
Why do all other health care providers such as doctors, nurses, rt attend college?
I am sure you would want a doctor who never attended college to work on your family? Correct?
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jefftherealmccoy
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I agree that comparing a 20 year medic and a 1 month medic is unfair. But as a new medic I promise that I could smoke any of our seasoned medics on physiology, pharmacology, etc. but my ability to draw from experience is severly limited. Therefore I am much less equiped than any of them.
And as college is important, (I went to 3 years of it in order to get where I am) a degree is much less important than where and how you get your education.
The college where most of the guys on my department got their paramedic cert have a paramedic bachelor's program. Is someone that got a batchelor's degree in that program a better medic than someone from the one I went to? Hells no. For the reason's I stated before. They did the minimum mandatory hours of clinicals with rural departments that don't see very many calls, the minimum amount of intubations/IV's, and a whole lot of book work. You put someone in their last semester of the program in charge of a call and they freeze up. All that knowledge is good, but a program that offers real patient interaction, and lots of it, is much more valuable than a program that offers a degree.
Take your science classes and try to get into EMT program, some places that I have been told will allow you to take the class before turning 18 which will help. Also if you have a volunteer department join it will help you so much. That is what I did and it has helped me a lot. Keep your head up and work hard for your career dream and it will happen.