Do you have to have a degree to become a Paramedic?

[hurt88]

I'm assuming you don't need a degree to become a paramedic but what does it all consist of. I am looking at my local college and they have a major of EMS. Did you guys just take the Paramedic classes or did you complete an entire EMS degree?

IF not the degree, did you do the classes and then take a certification test or what. Sorry I'm a little confused with all of this. I'm starting my EMT class next Monday and these are some things i've been thinking about for future reference.

Here's a link to my colleges EMS program.

EMS Program

 

[firecoins]

I did a certificate program. I had a college degree when i took my medic.

This will be a flame thread.

 

[Phlipper]

In most states you can take a continuing education course for the EMT-B, then the EMT-I, then the EMT-P. No AAS degree is required here in the Southeast. Here in NC I just did the EMT-B and am now working on the EMT-P (this school no longer does the EMT-I, they just roll it into the P) and my degrees are in Industrial Engineering and Computer Science. Nothing medicine related at all.

As I understand it, if you're going to work in management or teach EMS you'd be better off getting an AAS as you go thru the certifications. If you have no aspirations for grad school or teaching or a supervisory position you could forgo the degree.

Different strokes. I want to teach eventually so I am going back for another undergrad in EMS, perhaps an MA in Health Services down the road.

 

[JPINFV]

In most states, the answer is "No," which is a shame. However a few states require degrees, so forgoing a degree could hurt you if you decide to move to one of those states.

 

[Phlipper]

Remember that there are rewards in getting edumacated that are far bigger than just qualifying for a certification. I encourage everyone to get at least an AAS. I don't care if the degree is in Underwater Basket Weaving, it will likely open up a whole new world for you. Never underestimate post secondary education.

 

[medic417]

Education? You don't need no stinking education!!!!!!!!!!!

Sadly most areas no difference in pay whether you take the 10 week class or the 4 year degree.

 

[AtlantaEMT]

My school has an associates for paramedics. I don't know if having one woudl affect your ability to get hired vs someone without one but I think once hired you could move up the corporate ladder much faster. I am curious if someone wanting to become a certified paramedic if they need to go through a college level Anatomy and Physiology 1&2 class?

 

[looker]

EMT/Paramedic field is for the most part non degree required field. While it appears couple of state have degree requirement for the most part you're not required to have it.

 

[hurt88]

Thanks everyone I didn't think it was required in order to move up from EMT-B but I wasn't sure. I plan on taking the entire EMS Program here if I am not employed after takeing my EMT class for Basics. As I understand it most places pay for you to move up to Paramedic..or at least some I have heard of doing that, so I am hoping that is the case

 

[rhan101277]

I would get one, its good for the profession. I have a certificate but I just need a few general courses for the degree. I will get it soon, but will start working in the field first.

 

[Akulahawk]

Some places do pay for you to go to school, some (and possibly most) won't. The process behind getting a degree of some sort generally leads you to learning how to think critically and problem solve. A degree can also open some career doors that might not have been open to you previously. If your program doesn't have the typical core classes for healthcare, you might want to consider taking them or adding those into your education.

If you're going to stay in EMS for a long time, consider majoring in something OTHER than EMS, especially AFTER you get an AA/AS from the program you're looking at. Look at Business, Business Administration, Public Health Administration, or something like that. Why? Because long after you're out of EMS (or off the ambulance), you've still been educated in something you can use for management careers!

 

[MrBrown]

In most other developed countries yes, in Australia and New Zealand you require a Graduate Degree (ie above a Bachelors) to become an Intensive Care Paramedic (ALS).

However, in the US, no.

 

[hurt88]

Well going for the degree will most likely by my choice in the long run as I have already completed some of the other classes for this and once I complete all the required Paramedic classes I will actually only have 3 more classes left to finish it all off and graduate....I don't wanna get ahead of my self though because I haven't even started the EMT-B classes yet but Monday it all begins and is coming on fast so I'm pretty excited and little nervous but ready to get started with everything.

 

[46Young]

Regarding the paramedic certification, in some states if you take an extended hiatus and let your cert lapse, you only need to do a refresher course to recert. In others, after a certain amount of time, typically 1-2 years, you need to repeat the entire course, clinicals and all.

What I find strange is that even with a degree you would still need to repeat the entire program. Sure, your GenEd stuff is still valid, but you still need to repeat an entire paramedic program even though you have a degree.

On the average, an EMS AAS should better prepare you for the job. The thing is, if you have no intention of earning any additional degrees or promoting to an EMS supervisory position, then there's really no financial benefit or career benefit in choosing a cert program over a degree program.

Anyway, I say do the degree program if possible. You may change your mind about returning to college someday. Employers may require degrees at some point in the future, you never know.

 

[medic417]

Most services that promote from within do not seem to care if you are a medic mill wonder or a Masters degree Paramedic. They promote on the good ol boy club system in many cases. The better services actually seem to understand that often it is better to hire someone with no EMS background to run the departments.

 

[46Young]

Most services that promote from within do not seem to care if you are a medic mill wonder or a Masters degree Paramedic. They promote on the good ol boy club system in many cases. The better services actually seem to understand that often it is better to hire someone with no EMS background to run the departments.

True. It's been proven many times over that competency as a director or supervisor has little to no correlation to one's profeciency as a field provider.

A friend and former co-worker was recently promoted to the position of EMS Liason at his hospital. He was hand picked for the position. He was told that they were required to post the position, interview applicants, etc. This was just for show. As a condition, he was required to quickly get his EMS AAS and then a four year healthcare degree, on their dime. He's going to do healthcare admin, I think. He says that a four year degree is a standard requirement in many places for the position.

If any branch of EMS is going to be the one to start a trend in requiring higher educational standards, it would be hospital based EMS, with fire based EMS in second. Hospitals generally encourage education, and present opportunity for career development within their health systems. Fire depts are trending towards requiring degrees for career advancement, or at least giving significant weight in scoring to education, making it prohibitively difficult to be promoted without degrees. I've seen no such trends in muni third service EMS, and certainly not the privates.

 

[emt seeking first job]

funny story , sort of relates....

My girlfriend is an MD from another country.

She had a sub-specialty which entailed a two month full time course of study.

She could have just taken USMLE but deided to go to a Carribean School because it was a way to sort if prepare for it and support herself rather than just sit and study on her own.

She ended up getting a residency from a connection she made while doing rotations from that school. So she never finshed the carribean medical school.

In order to practice her sub specialty in the USA, she needed not one but two fellowships, toatal of four years.

She will start her new job in Sept.

Was she a better doctor in the foreign country or in the USA ?

TRANSLATION:

Just go with what you got and make the most of it.

 

[emt seeking first job]

True. It's been proven many times over that competency as a director or supervisor has little to no correlation to one's profeciency as a field provider.

A friend and former co-worker was recently promoted to the position of EMS Liason at his hospital. He was hand picked for the position. He was told that they were required to post the position, interview applicants, etc. This was just for show. As a condition, he was required to quickly get his EMS AAS and then a four year healthcare degree, on their dime. He's going to do healthcare admin, I think. He says that a four year degree is a standard requirement in many places for the position.

If any branch of EMS is going to be the one to start a trend in requiring higher educational standards, it would be hospital based EMS, with fire based EMS in second. Hospitals generally encourage education, and present opportunity for career development within their health systems. Fire depts are trending towards requiring degrees for career advancement, or at least giving significant weight in scoring to education, making it prohibitively difficult to be promoted without degrees. I've seen no such trends in muni third service EMS, and certainly not the privates.

I have been surfing names of management level people at the larger NYC Area privates, many are paramedics with some sort of other degree.

 

[46Young]

I have been surfing names of management level people at the larger NYC Area privates, many are paramedics with some sort of other degree.

http://www.northshorelij.com/NSLIJ/CEMS+Administration

Not them. Some of N.S.'s supervisors got degrees in Emergency Management and promoted into higher paying admin jobs in other areas of the health system.