# How can I prepare to be a paramedic in high school?



## Imistty (May 16, 2013)

What classes should I take? Please add any info that can help. Thanks.


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## DesertMedic66 (May 16, 2013)

A&P, Biology and chemistry. Pretty much any science classes your high school offers.


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## STXmedic (May 16, 2013)

DesertEMT66 said:


> A&P, Biology and chemistry. Pretty much any science classes your high school offers.



This. Then go to college and take the college equivalents.


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## Ecgg (May 16, 2013)

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.


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## medic741 (Jun 1, 2013)

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


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## VFlutter (Jun 1, 2013)

medic741 said:


> 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.



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.


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## medic741 (Jun 1, 2013)

Chase said:


> 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.
> 
> ...



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 (Jun 1, 2013)

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.


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## VFlutter (Jun 1, 2013)

medic741 said:


> More knowledge is always better but would not recommend going to ALS school right after graduating from EMT class straight out of high school...



Why not?




medic741 said:


> and it says you're an RN/EMT-B so how can you judge what was taught in Paramedic school??? just asking...



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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## Clipper1 (Jun 1, 2013)

medic741 said:


> and it says you're an RN/EMT-B so how can you judge what was taught in Paramedic school??? just asking...



Reading the posts on this forum can also give examples of what is not taught in Paramedic school.


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## ExpatMedic0 (Jun 1, 2013)

Chase said:


> 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.
> 
> ...





medic741 said:


> 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



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 (Jun 1, 2013)

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.


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## Clipper1 (Jun 1, 2013)

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.


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## Ecgg (Jun 1, 2013)

medic741 said:


> 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...



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.


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## ExpatMedic0 (Jun 1, 2013)

Ecgg said:


> 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"
> 
> ...



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.


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## jefftherealmccoy (Jun 1, 2013)

Chase said:


> 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.



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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## chaz90 (Jun 1, 2013)

jefftherealmccoy said:


> 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.



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.


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## Ecgg (Jun 1, 2013)

jefftherealmccoy said:


> 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.



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 (Jun 1, 2013)

Ecgg said:


> 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?
> 
> ...



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.


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## Fire51 (Jun 1, 2013)

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.


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## Ecgg (Jun 1, 2013)

jefftherealmccoy said:


> 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.



Those that graduated college with minimum mandatory hours will gain said medical experience in the course of their job. The medic that graduated a certificate program will not gain college education in the course of their job. Over a few years the experience will come in and college graduate medic will out perform. Intubations and IV numbers are not #1 things of what makes someone a solid provider.

During your clinicals you probably encountered MD interns and residents who you may laugh "omg this guy sucks at intubations and he is MD????" or "this guy sucks at running this code, or starting an IV and he a Doctor?" Experience and skills come with on the job training and exposure. College education can only be gained by going to college.


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## jefftherealmccoy (Jun 1, 2013)

Ecgg said:


> Those that graduated college with minimum mandatory hours will gain said medical experience in the course of their job. The medic that graduated a certificate program will not gain college education in the course of their job. Over a few years the experience will come in and college graduate medic will out perform. Intubations and IV numbers are not #1 things of what makes someone a solid provider.
> 
> During your clinicals you probably encountered MD interns and residents who you may laugh "omg this guy sucks at intubations and he is MD????" or "this guy sucks at running this code, or starting an IV and he a Doctor?" Experience and skills come with on the job training and exposure. College education can only be gained by going to college.



Again, I disagree.  I don't think a college grad will out perform me over the course of their career.  I busted my *** studying in college.  I learned a lot, and will continue to learn.  That has nothing to do with the fact that I didn't earn a degree.  I am not saying I will be better off than a college grad 5 years into their career, but I am definatly not worse off than them either. 

Would a graduate from my medic school out perform a graduate from any nearby medic school that first month or year that they're placed on an ambulance by themselves?  Yes.  They have the experience to keep level headed when the :censored::censored::censored::censored: hits the fan and the skills needed when stuff gets hard.  That is much more important to me than book smarts.


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## ExpatMedic0 (Jun 1, 2013)

Do you think a 1000-1300 hour vocational Paramedic program certificate, often completed in 1 year, is better than a Paramedic with a bachelors degree? 

 A degree which more than likely ensures they have Biology, A&P, Chemistry, and sciences, which more than likely took longer to complete than the entire Paramedic program combined....  a 4 year degree vs a 12 month medic program.

If it was your family and you had to pick between 2 strangers to respond, both Paramedics with 3 years experience, would you pick the one with the 4 year degree in Paramedicine or the one with a 12 month vocational certificate?


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## Ecgg (Jun 1, 2013)

jefftherealmccoy said:


> That is much more important to me than book smarts.


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## chaz90 (Jun 1, 2013)

We need to transition from being a vocational tech position to one that has an academic foundation. How do we do that? By requiring degrees and building experience on top of a strong background in University level basic sciences. To move forward and be considered a real part of healthcare we can no longer afford to survive solely on the apprentice model vocational system.


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## VFlutter (Jun 1, 2013)

jefftherealmccoy said:


> 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.



We will have to agree to disagree. 20 years of experience does not impress me. It is not uncommon for people to do the bare minimum and be mediocre at their job for 20 years. Doing something the wrong way for 20 years does not make you an expert (unless your in EMS). Personally I would rather have the medic who passed college algebra calculating my drug dosages over the paramedic who took a vocational course 20 years ago to keep his plush fire job. 




jefftherealmccoy said:


> 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?



Why can't you have both? 20 years from now when you are burnt out from EMS and trying to support a family do you want a piece of paper saying you're a college grad so that you can pursue other careers and education or do you want to rely on the fact that you were a good medic and hope that will get you an interview?



jefftherealmccoy said:


> 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.
> 
> 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.



So you went to college for 3 years and did not get a degree of any kind? I would want my money back...

You will get real patient interaction on the job and will become more comfortable with it over time. You will not get the foundational education you receive in a degree program on the job nor with experience.


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## Akulahawk (Jun 1, 2013)

jefftherealmccoy said:


> Again, I disagree.  I don't think a college grad will out perform me over the course of their career.  I busted my *** studying in college.  I learned a lot, and will continue to learn.  That has nothing to do with the fact that I didn't earn a degree.  I am not saying I will be better off than a college grad 5 years into their career, but I am definatly not worse off than them either.
> 
> Would a graduate from my medic school out perform a graduate from any nearby medic school that first month or year that they're placed on an ambulance by themselves?  Yes.  They have the experience to keep level headed when the :censored::censored::censored::censored: hits the fan and the skills needed when stuff gets hard.  That is much more important to me than book smarts.


Actually, yes. Over the course of their career, a Paramedic with an actual degree will out-perform you. That Paramedic will be more likely to think outside the box and be able to apply those medications you have on your shelf in different situations than you will, simply because they know their medications and physiology a whole lot better than you do. 

I have a degree and 2 years experience (including >3000 hours internship _prior _to graduation) in Sports Medicine. I'm also a Paramedic. I earned that after graduation. Guess what? I passed Paramedic without seriously cracking the book open. EMT was ridiculously easy. I'm now in RN school. I haven't learned a whole lot of _new_ information, rather I'm learning to apply it _differently_ and most of the new stuff is pathophys, pharmacology, and time management. 

As a new grad Paramedic, I was a whole lot better at figuring out what needed to be done and why it was needed than most of my peers. I also tended to think outside the protocol box and come up with my own care plans... which usually closely mirrored certain protocols. Since I knew those well, I also knew when I had to call for orders and what to ask for, and why. 

I attended one of the best Paramedic programs in the state and, at the time, the #3 Sports Med program in the country. Without having such a good education going into my Paramedic program, I'd have been just like you. A protocol follower that thinks that being able to do tasks well is the end-all of paramedic performance.


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## jefftherealmccoy (Jun 2, 2013)

Chase said:


> Why can't you have both? 20 years from now when you are burnt out from EMS and trying to support a family do you want a piece of paper saying you're a college grad so that you can pursue other careers and education or do you want to rely on the fact that you were a good medic and hope that will get you an interview?.



I guess i'm just banking on the fact the I'm gonna retire doing what I do now.  Optimistic maybe?



Chase said:


> So you went to college for 3 years and did not get a degree of any kind? I would want my money back....



I was on track to recieve a bachelor's in EMS administration when I got the job I was getting my degree for.  Could I go back some day and finish up? sure.  Do I need to?  No.  Got my dream job already. 




Chase said:


> You will get real patient interaction on the job and will become more comfortable with it over time. You will not get the foundational education you receive in a degree program on the job nor with experience.



My point is this exactly.  A medic with a degree from a program does the minimum hours, with rural departments, will get used to it over time.  A program with legit calls that goes above and beyond in hours is going to pump out paramedics ready to be self sufficient.  And if it's a well run program, with the proper pre-requisits (anatomy, physiology, math, science ect.) they'll have the knowledge they need make their own judgements about patient care.  Continueing education goes without saying here as well.  You can have a phd in emergency medicine and I hope you still study throughout your career.  I haven't stopped studying and don't plan to. 



Akulahawk said:


> Actually, yes. Over the course of their career, a Paramedic with an actual degree will out-perform you. That Paramedic will be more likely to think outside the box and be able to apply those medications you have on your shelf in different situations than you will, simply because they know their medications and physiology a whole lot better than you do..



How is a medic going to understand a medication better than I do?  I have the same requirements as anyone else in knowing what they do and how they do it.  





Akulahawk said:


> I have a degree and 2 years experience (including >3000 hours internship _prior _to graduation) in Sports Medicine. I'm also a Paramedic. I earned that after graduation. Guess what? I passed Paramedic without seriously cracking the book open. EMT was ridiculously easy. I'm now in RN school. I haven't learned a whole lot of _new_ information, rather I'm learning to apply it _differently_ and most of the new stuff is pathophys, pharmacology, and time management.
> 
> 
> 
> As a new grad Paramedic, I was a whole lot better at figuring out what needed to be done and why it was needed than most of my peers. I also tended to think outside the protocol box and come up with my own care plans... which usually closely mirrored certain protocols. Since I knew those well, I also knew when I had to call for orders and what to ask for, and why. .




That's nice that you didn't have to crack a book.  I had to bust my butt to pass with an actual understanding of the material so I could apply it in my patient care. And I was only able to do that when I had a clear head and could actually remember my studies, which came from the experience I gained from clinicals.  

Did you have any experience as an EMT before you went to medic school? 




Akulahawk said:


> I attended one of the best Paramedic programs in the state and, at the time, the #3 Sports Med program in the country. Without having such a good education going into my Paramedic program, I'd have been just like you. A protocol follower that thinks that being able to do tasks well is the end-all of paramedic performance.



Woah woah woah.  Let's not take personal jabs here.  I'm not saying that your education isn't worth every dime you paid for it.  I just came from a school that idolized another because they offered a Paramedic Bachelor degree.  Now students from the latter ride in my ambulance and I would rather have a fresh paramedic from my school over a medic from theirs any day.  Dispite the fact that students from my school have less pre-requisits to get into the program, and you don't HAVE to graduate with any type of degree, they out perform students from the school that requires a bachelor's degree when you graduate the program.


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## Akulahawk (Jun 2, 2013)

For some better readability, I'll respond in red below...


jefftherealmccoy said:


> I guess i'm just banking on the fact the I'm gonna retire doing what I do now.  Optimistic maybe?
> That's great. Hopefully you manage to stay injury-free and are able to retire as a Paramedic. Have you started a retirement plan?
> 
> 
> ...


You did know that MD's graduate from medical school... and they're not that good at being Doctors, yet their heads are full of knowledge. There's a reason why they have residencies. There's a reason why New Grad nurses are usually given 3-6 months orientation.

Do I stand by my statement? Absolutely. Without an adequate, and broad education based in the sciences, Paramedics won't know how to step outside the protocols. They won't know they can improvise a new care plan for those times that there is no protocol covering _that_ and therefore won't know how to ask OLMC for orders specific to that patient and along those lines of that care plan just devised. Instead, they'll try to fit a patient to a given protocol... and therefore are known as "cookbook" medics. They follow the recipe. Well educated medics are more like chefs. Sure, they know the cookbook, but they also understand how to deviate from the recipe to fit the circumstance, and they can articulate why. They'll get the experience as they go along. As that happens, they'll surpass you.

But go ahead. Stay stuck in the notion that psychomotor skills are the best measure of a Paramedic's performance.


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## Ecgg (Jun 2, 2013)

Seems like that fire department got the right man for the job.


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## ExpatMedic0 (Jun 2, 2013)

jefftherealmccoy said:


> Woah woah woah.  Let's not take personal jabs here.  I'm not saying that your education isn't worth every dime you paid for it.  I just came from a school that idolized another because they offered a Paramedic Bachelor degree.  Now students from the latter ride in my ambulance and I would rather have a fresh paramedic from my school over a medic from theirs any day.  Dispite the fact that students from my school have less pre-requisits to get into the program, and you don't HAVE to graduate with any type of degree, they out perform students from the school that requires a bachelor's degree when you graduate the program.



The thing is, American Paramedicine is one of the only health professions which does not require a degree yet. Professionally, we all pay the price for this in a variety of ways. I don't want to sound like a broken record, but I have been working abroad as a Paramedic for 3 years now. Internationally, the rest of the western world is requiring a bachelors degree for Paramedics. My last company was Australian, they now require a certain percentage(majority) of Paramedics to hold a Bachelors in EMS, Health Sciences, or Paramedicine. Soon, %100 of employees will be required. The place I just got at interview at states, "AAS or BS degree in EMS or Paramedicine strongly preferred" I spoke with HR and they will only accept non-degree candidates after they are unable to fill slots with degree candidates, regardless of experience or alphabet soup cards. Both these companies required years of experience before I could even apply. 

Our American EMS education has been largely based on self-study and interdisciplinary work after our vocational training, followed by field experience you get on the job.  The education itself is often not education, but "training,   a Paramilitary vocational style type academy training. All this needs to be ditched in favor of higher education. What I don't get is, why are vocational certificate paramedics afraid of earning a simple AAS degree at a community college? You already have %60 of the course work from Paramedic school. With the low prices of community college, and the ability to compelte degrees via distant learning while continuning to work fulltime,  I just don't get it.


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## Carlos Danger (Jun 2, 2013)

ExpatMedic0 said:


> Do you think a 1000-1300 hour vocational Paramedic program certificate, often completed in 1 year, is better than a Paramedic with a bachelors degree?
> 
> *A degree which more than likely ensures they have Biology, A&P, Chemistry, and sciences, which more than likely took longer to complete than the entire Paramedic program combined*....  a 4 year degree vs a 12 month medic program.
> 
> If it was your family and you had to pick between 2 strangers to respond, both Paramedics with 3 years experience, would you pick the one with the 4 year degree in Paramedicine or the one with a 12 month vocational certificate?



Not to mention more likely to foster a basic understanding of research, cultural, political, and historical perspectives, etc. And better preparation for managerial and educational functions. 

My BSN program involved reading a lot of literature and poetry, and doing a lot of writing, mostly about how the historical or cultural themes in the assignment relate to present-day clinical scenarios. Many people look at a program like that and say "why do a BSN when it's all fluff, and much of it doesn't even involve nursing? What a waste". But, the critical thinking that was developed from all the reading and writing has been extremely valuable to me. The program faculty used to say "writing is thinking". The degree program also included courses in advanced health assessment, leadership & management, research, ethics, healthcare policy, and professional communication. Anyone who doesn't think that those things contribute to your development and performance as a professional, is absolutely kidding themselves. 

There is much more to being a _professional_ than just having a really solid grasp of the minimum knowledge needed to do the job.


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## Carlos Danger (Jun 2, 2013)

Imistty said:


> What classes should I take? Please add any info that can help. Thanks.



Here is what I would suggest:


Take science classes while in HS; especially biology or anatomy, if available


Take a basic EMT course


Graduate high school


Work or volunteer as an EMT-B for a short while (6-12 mos)


Go to paramedic school. Preferably a degree program, or do a "regular" paramedic program, and then start working on your degree right after paramedic school.

Good luck.


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## Akulahawk (Jun 2, 2013)

Halothane said:


> Here is what I would suggest:
> 
> 
> Take science classes while in HS; especially biology or anatomy, if available
> ...


For someone starting out in EMS, I'd suggest this as well. Furthermore, there's nothing wrong with seeking out higher education. If there aren't any EMS Bachelor's programs near you, go ahead and go for a BSN. You'll be able to apply what you learn in the BSN program to your practice as a Paramedic. It will also give you many more career options later on.


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