# Staying at emt level



## arctic2 (Sep 13, 2016)

I've noticed there are a few people who stay at the emt basic level for years. I worked with an emt who has been an emt basic for 20 years. I'm just curious as to why some people are content with staying at the emt level? There's nothing wrong with it in my eyes. It just looks like everybody works as an emt for a year and jumps into medic school or jumps into medic school right after emt.


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## NomadicMedic (Sep 13, 2016)

It's traditionally a pretty low paying, entry-level job.  Many people who are drawn to EMS are Type A personalities. Those people, by nature, want to do more and lead the scene.  That's not something you can normally do as an EMT basic.  If you want to learn more and do more, it's a natural progression to move to paramedic school after working as an EMT. 

 I also know people who have been EMTs for 20 years, and are entirely content to stay at that level of care.  

I think it is also system dependent. If you work for a BLS transport agency, such as one of the fire departments in Sussex County Delaware, there's no reason to become a paramedic.  You make 20 bucks an hour and drive the ambulance. Good work if you can get it.


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## akflightmedic (Sep 13, 2016)

I worked with a very classy, smart paramedic who was on the tail end of his career...approaching retirement as in 5 years or less to go. With already 20 years in service and several years volunteer prior to that, he let his paramedic lapse and reacquired his EMT. He spent his last few years on the job very happy with very low stress...started on happy note, ended on happy note.


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## EpiEMS (Sep 13, 2016)

Some systems make it pretty easy to do this -- look at Boston EMS, they have EMT-level officers. FDNY used to have something similar, too, I think?


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## pogoemt (Sep 13, 2016)

As said before, I think it depends on the system, around here the city fire requires you to get your medic within 3 years of getting hired, if not then you gotta show yourself out. County fire requires you to get your medic to be promoted to driver/engineer.


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## NomadicMedic (Sep 13, 2016)

pogoemt said:


> As said before, I think it depends on the system, around here the city fire requires you to get your medic within 3 years of getting hired, if not then you gotta show yourself out. County fire requires you to get your medic to be promoted to driver/engineer.



That has to be one of the most misguided promotional requirements I've ever seen.


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## pogoemt (Sep 13, 2016)

DEmedic said:


> That has to be one of the most misguided promotional requirements I've ever seen.



I think the reason they do it is because fire is the dedicated ALS provider in our area and it encourages ff's to get their medic.


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## NomadicMedic (Sep 13, 2016)

pogoemt said:


> I think the reason they do it is because fire is the dedicated ALS provider in our area and it encourages ff's to get their medic.



A horrible idea. Enjoy this: http://emtlife.com/threads/but-im-a-pilot.34774/#post-499081


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## VentMonkey (Sep 13, 2016)

I've had a few EMT's that _*I *_wished had stayed basics, does this count?


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## pogoemt (Sep 13, 2016)

DEmedic said:


> A horrible idea. Enjoy this: http://emtlife.com/threads/but-im-a-pilot.34774/#post-499081



Wasn't my idea *shrugs*


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## JohnTheEMT (Sep 16, 2016)

As many have pointed out, it all really depends in the area you work for. For example in Los Angeles county it makes perfect sense to get your paramedic if your a firefighter or plan on going with a FD than getting it for a private ambulance that isnt the sole 911 als provider. I have been a EMT for the past 3 years and will be at that same level of care until me and my wife have enough saved up that i can go part time and go to medic school without any children. Besides i would like to have a lot of experience under my belt and master my skills. Some EMTs go to medic school after 6 months being new to the field and some wait 20 years to get their nursing degree. It all depends if life allows you to and what you enjoy the most.


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## Specialized (Sep 21, 2016)

I've met a few of these EMT's out there. Simply put, they are amazing people who know how to help us newer EMTs.


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## Fry14MN (Sep 25, 2016)

I personally thought I would go to Medic school a year or so after completing my EMT-B but I've found I want to specialize in Behavioral Health and have decided to get my BA in Addiction Studies along with my EMT-B. My partner is finishing up her Law Enforcement degree and EMT-B. She is also staying at the EMT-B level and getting her BA is Law Enforcement/Criminal Justice. 

I really just think it depends on you personally. Is staying an EMT for 30 years bad? Of course not. Is going to Medic school right away bad? Not at all. It all depends on you.


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## WolfmanHarris (Sep 25, 2016)

Interestingly, the pay difference isn't huge between Primary Care Paramedics (PCP), our BLS and Advanced Care Paramedics (ACP) our ALS. As a result many medics here stay BLS throughout their careers. My service pays for ACP and I'm entering the upcoming class where with only 8years on the job I'll have one of the highest seniorities. People settle down, have families and don't always have the time (or if work isn't paying for it the money) to commit to another year. Certainly it's more common for those looking to advance to also have gone ALS but it's not a prequisite.


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## EpiEMS (Sep 25, 2016)

WolfmanHarris said:


> Interestingly, the pay difference isn't huge between Primary Care Paramedics (PCP), our BLS and Advanced Care Paramedics (ACP) our ALS. As a result many medics here stay BLS throughout their careers. My service pays for ACP and I'm entering the upcoming class where with only 8years on the job I'll have one of the highest seniorities. People settle down, have families and don't always have the time (or if work isn't paying for it the money) to commit to another year. Certainly it's more common for those looking to advance to also have gone ALS but it's not a prequisite.



Do services get reimbursed more for ALS transports in your neck of the woods?


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## WolfmanHarris (Sep 25, 2016)

EpiEMS said:


> Do services get reimbursed more for ALS transports in your neck of the woods?



No reimbursement: Ontario. We're funded entirely from the public purse. 50% of operational expenses come from the province, 50% from the Upper Tier Municipality (County, Region or City). Capital expenses come from the municipality though province may provide grants. A $45 co-pay is collected for all transports but this goes back to the provinces general treasury not the service. Almost all services are municipal 3rd but a couple are contracted out.


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## FFPRN16 (Sep 25, 2016)

WolfmanHarris said:


> Interestingly, the pay difference isn't huge between Primary Care Paramedics (PCP), our BLS and Advanced Care Paramedics (ACP) our ALS. As a result many medics here stay BLS throughout their careers. My service pays for ACP and I'm entering the upcoming class where with only 8years on the job I'll have one of the highest seniorities. People settle down, have families and don't always have the time (or if work isn't paying for it the money) to commit to another year. Certainly it's more common for those looking to advance to also have gone ALS but it's not a prequisite.



What is the difference in the scope of practice between a Primary care paramedic and a advanced care paramedic? Not familiar with Canada's EMS


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## EpiEMS (Sep 26, 2016)

WolfmanHarris said:


> No reimbursement: Ontario. We're funded entirely from the public purse. 50% of operational expenses come from the province, 50% from the Upper Tier Municipality (County, Region or City). Capital expenses come from the municipality though province may provide grants. A $45 co-pay is collected for all transports but this goes back to the provinces general treasury not the service. Almost all services are municipal 3rd but a couple are contracted out.



Makes sense given a national healthcare system. So, what if the patient, in the clinician's opinion, does not need EMS transport? Can you guys initiate refusals?



FFPRN16 said:


> What is the difference in the scope of practice between a Primary care paramedic and a advanced care paramedic? Not familiar with Canada's EMS



High level, my understanding is that the Canadian PCP (who will have a lot more education - 2 years, in most provinces), typically has the same or similar scope to the National Scope of Practice Model AEMT, while the ACP is closer to the U.S.'s Paramedic scope of practice (per the same model). However, this differs by province. Here's Toronto's EMS website for an example scope of practice. For an additional reference, here's the Paramedic Association of Canada's scope of practice model.


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## WolfmanHarris (Sep 26, 2016)

EpiEMS said:


> Makes sense given a national healthcare system. So, what if the patient, in the clinician's opinion, does not need EMS transport? Can you guys initiate refusals?



Nope. Despite education standards Ontario is only just starting to change our regulatory framework to reflect the reality of
911. Soon we should start to see assess treat and refer programs (treat and release) and transport to alternate destinations (including non-transport w/ referral to walk-in or urgent care). 

Right now my service is in Phase 1 of a multi-phase 5+ year research project that will explore this. Current phase is to track all EMS patients through their hospital stay and discharge to develop a clear picture of what happens with our patients after offload and develop predictive criteria for which patients are likely to benefit for alternative pathways to care.

In this area the province of Alberta is at the head of the pack. I especially want to highlight their assess treat and refer program for palliative and end of life patients. It's a phenomenal, collaborative, compassionate program. I don't have the detailed documents available on my phone but here's a pamphlet and a Google search should find some of the directives. https://myhealth.alberta.ca/HealthTopics/Palliative-Care/Documents/peolc-ems-atr-brochure-final.pdf

Alberta is also doing assess treat and refer for stable SVT that converts w/o complications and a few others. 

For scope of practice the links above pretty much cover it with the exception that Toronto does things differently since they rolled out the first ALS in Ontario back in the 70's. Nowhere else has Lvl 2. 

Scope doesn't tell the whole story though. While there are differences in drugs/interventions between a PCP and ACP the education is such that they're speaking the same language.


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## EpiEMS (Sep 26, 2016)

Really interesting stuff! Canada's system clearly has some advantages over ours (much as I'm loathe to admit it ).


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## MackTheKnife (Nov 26, 2016)

DEmedic said:


> That has to be one of the most misguided promotional requirements I've ever seen.


Kind of like some hospitals requiring RNs to get their BSN in X years, and others not. Makes for an interesting debate.


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## gotbeerz001 (Nov 27, 2016)

pogoemt said:


> I think the reason they do it is because fire is the dedicated ALS provider in our area and it encourages ff's to get their medic.



As a fire engineer, I agree that it is a bad idea. Forcing people to get a medic license never really benefits anyone. 


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## gotbeerz001 (Nov 27, 2016)

MackTheKnife said:


> Kind of like some hospitals requiring RNs to get their BSN in X years, and others not. Makes for an interesting debate.



Nope. Not at all, really. The requirement you describe at least falls inline with the chosen profession and will benefit the employee in the long run. 
Last I checked, starting IVs was not in the curriculum for a Commercial Driver License. 


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## NomadicMedic (Nov 27, 2016)

gotshirtz001 said:


> As a fire engineer, I agree that it is a bad idea. Forcing people to get a medic license never really benefits anyone.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Like telling an airline pilot they have to learn commercial carpentry if they want to keep flying, even though they will probably never build a house, except in class.


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## MackTheKnife (Jan 31, 2017)

DEmedic said:


> Like telling an airline pilot they have to learn commercial carpentry if they want to keep flying, even though they will probably never build a house, except in class.


Fail to see the correlation. FFs respond to medical emergencies. Perhaps being trained would help. Airline pilots and carpentry? Not a good analogy.

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## bwat16 (Apr 26, 2017)

Depends on everyones personalities, no two people have the same intentions.


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## MackTheKnife (Apr 28, 2017)

bwat16 said:


> Depends on everyones personalities, no two people have the same intentions.


Or risk levels.

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## Martyn (May 8, 2017)

I have been an EMT for 6 years, now with my third company and just been promoted to county BLS supervisor so I am happy to stay as I am. I have all the responsibility I need lol.


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## Medic27 (Aug 10, 2017)

I don't have the desire to become a paramedic yet even if the course was offered, I want to take the EMT-A class as well. I feel the need to get 3-4 years of experience and gain some invaluable field knowledge before doing that.


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## MackTheKnife (Aug 19, 2017)

Medic27 said:


> I don't have the desire to become a paramedic yet even if the course was offered, I want to take the EMT-A class as well. I feel the need to get 3-4 years of experience and gain some invaluable field knowledge before doing that.


No desire? Yet you say your want to get experience before doing it. What's the ground truth? Remember, you don't have to be a nurse before you become a doctor.

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## Old Tracker (Aug 19, 2017)

I've been a Basic for about a year and a half, going through paid for AEMT class now.  That is as far as I have any desire to go.  I'm fixin' to be 68 years old in a couple of months and don't see the point in paying tons of money getting some sort of a degree to be a P without too much chance to recover the investment before I get to decrepit to work. Your mileage may vary.


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## Tigger (Aug 19, 2017)

Medic27 said:


> I don't have the desire to become a paramedic yet even if the course was offered, I want to take the EMT-A class as well. I feel the need to get 3-4 years of experience and gain some invaluable field knowledge before doing that.


This is not particularly needed. A decent paramedic program and a little bit of time getting used to the operations side of the job are what you need.


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## Tigger (Aug 19, 2017)

MackTheKnife said:


> Fail to see the correlation. FFs respond to medical emergencies. Perhaps being trained would help. Airline pilots and carpentry? Not a good analogy.
> 
> Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk


Forcing people to go through a program that is not related to their promotion makes zero sense. Did you see the part about promoting to "driver," as in the person that operates the fire apparatus? How is that education remotely in line?


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## hometownmedic5 (Aug 20, 2017)

If you work in a place where you have career potential as a basic, and you are accepting of the fact that you'll always be medically subservient to even the newest medic(or A for that matter), then fine. Staying a basic makes sense. 

I don't think that is representative of the industry. I think a much more accurate representation of this concept is the people who simply get trapped. They get their basic, work a few years(always thinking about medic, but always ready with an excuse) and then BAM! They wake up one day with a spouse, kid(s), schnauzer, mortgage and no time or money to go to school. By the time it's a real possibility, they have been so far removed from the classroom they can't get back into it. They're "too old", "too tired", and whatever other excuse they can come up with. 

I went to medic school(round one) at 22 with four years on the job(and none of the maturity needed to make it work. Round two was at 28 with a firm commitment to make it work and I did. In between was a motorcycle accident with a protracted recovery, a few years in the merchant marine and so on. 

I tell the new kids coming up to decide whether or not EMS is a long term idea or a stepping stone to something else. If it's a long term thing, don't wait. Get some time behind you, figure out if you can do the job, and then get into a medic program without delay.


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## MackTheKnife (Aug 20, 2017)

Tigger said:


> Forcing people to go through a program that is not related to their promotion makes zero sense. Did you see the part about promoting to "driver," as in the person that operates the fire apparatus? How is that education remotely in line?


Tigger,
 If we look at this with the narrow focus of promotion, I see your point and agree. Looking at the big picture (in a very broad view), having all people trained on a truck that are not just FF, but EMS responders as well is a force multiplier. Of course my thinking is affected by my military experience where everyone has a specialty but "every Marine a rifleman, every soldier a trigger-puller, etc." 
For what it's worth, I enjoyed being solely EMS when I was running as a medic. We were separate from the FFs. After I left, they merged. I don't know if they make FF get medic-qualified or not (Norfolk, VA).
Enjoy our conversations!

Al


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## Tigger (Aug 20, 2017)

MackTheKnife said:


> Tigger,
> If we look at this with the narrow focus of promotion, I see your point and agree. Looking at the big picture (in a very broad view), *having all people trained on a truck that are not just FF, but EMS responders as well is a force multiplier*. Of course my thinking is affected by my military experience where everyone has a specialty but "every Marine a rifleman, every soldier a trigger-puller, etc."
> For what it's worth, I enjoyed being solely EMS when I was running as a medic. We were separate from the FFs. After I left, they merged. I don't know if they make FF get medic-qualified or not (Norfolk, VA).
> Enjoy our conversations!
> ...


As in EMTs? There is no good reason (and plenty of bad) to have more than one (if that) paramedic on non-transporting apparatus.


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## MackTheKnife (Aug 20, 2017)

Tigger said:


> As in EMTs? There is no good reason (and plenty of bad) to have more than one (if that) paramedic on non-transporting apparatus.


I see your point if the truck is non-transporting. And playing devil's advocate on myself, too many medics on a truck would lead to dilution of skill sets. You know, the monkey skills! LOL.

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## jmd41 (Aug 20, 2017)

I just signed up for medic school after running as a volunteer ff/emt-b for the past couple of years. My decision was largly influenced by the fact that most fire departments in my area heavily prefer to hire medics.


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## VentMonkey (Aug 20, 2017)

jmd41 said:


> My decision was largly influenced by the fact that most fire departments in my area heavily prefer to hire medics.


Excellent decision on how, and why to become a paramedic. I am sure you will be an awesome _fire (*insert merit badge here*) medic_.


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## Akulahawk (Aug 21, 2017)

Why do some people stay at the EMT level? Sometimes it boils down to simple economics. If you stay an EMT long enough, you might find yourself making more money as an EMT than you would if you became a Paramedic. I once worked with a guy who was an EMT for around 20 years and he was making a LOT more money than I was. Great. Good for him. I asked him why he didn't go for Paramedic and his simple answer was that when he was younger, he couldn't afford it, and when he could afford it, when he was done with school and started working as a Paramedic, he would be making less because he'd be a 1st year Paramedic and it take him around 6-7 YEARS before he would match his current income. 

So what this should tell you is that if you want to stick with EMS, and advance within the profession, you should start your advance early before you get to the point where it becomes economically non-viable to advance.


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## akflightmedic (Aug 21, 2017)

Or....you may find the guy who at the end of his career gives up his paramedic patch and takes an EMT role.  When I was 19, I was working at the county with this guy who was in his 50s...awesome dude, been with the county for decades and was a kick *** EMT. Best I ever seen. In my head, I was quite dismissive of his "lack of ambition" to advance himself....little did I know. He had been a paramedic since before I was born, he just decided to give up the patch, take a less challenging yet still rewarding role to cruise through his retirement years and there was no loss of pay or benefits for him to do so!

Smart feller, right there.


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## hometownmedic5 (Aug 21, 2017)

Akulahawk said:


> Why do some people stay at the EMT level? Sometimes it boils down to simple economics. If you stay an EMT long enough, you might find yourself making more money as an EMT than you would if you became a Paramedic. I once worked with a guy who was an EMT for around 20 years and he was making a LOT more money than I was. Great. Good for him. I asked him why he didn't go for Paramedic and his simple answer was that when he was younger, he couldn't afford it, and when he could afford it, when he was done with school and started working as a Paramedic, he would be making less because he'd be a 1st year Paramedic and it take him around 6-7 YEARS before he would match his current income.
> 
> So what this should tell you is that if you want to stick with EMS, and advance within the profession, you should start your advance early before you get to the point where it becomes economically non-viable to advance.



This is a very good point also, and a point that rings true for me as well. I received a twenty five cent raise when i went from B to P, because I had been a basic for many years and had maxed out the BLS pay scale but was now a brandy new first day medic worth what every other first day medic was worth at the time...


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## EpiEMS (Aug 21, 2017)

Akulahawk said:


> you should start your advance early before you get to the point where it becomes economically non-viable to advance.



This is a very good point! The only caveat is that it depends on the NPV of your earnings stream...that is to say, if you plan on not working many hours per week (or per year), for example, you may not be benefiting enough from the increased earnings to recoup your investment & actually get some returns.


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## DrParasite (Aug 21, 2017)

akflightmedic said:


> he just decided to give up the patch, take a less challenging yet still rewarding role to cruise through his retirement years and there was no loss of pay or benefits for him to do so!
> 
> Smart feller, right there.


More like he worked for a stupid system.

While I can understand what and why he did it, the system he worked for should have restructured his pay to be at an EMT's level, and he should have taken a pay cut.  If you aren't working a a paramedic, you shouldn't make paramedic pay.  Otherwise there is no incentive to maintain your paramedic cert.

I did work with an EMT who had been at the agency for almost 20 years, and if he got his paramedic, it would be a definite pay cut, because he would be a new paramedic.  All he did was drive the CCT unit, which had a nurse a paramedic, unless he got pulled into communications or was moved to fill an open spot elsewhere. 

We did have one paramedic supervisor (who functioned more in an administrative role than clinical/supervisory) who let her paramedic lapse and went down to EMT because she didn't need her paramedic cert to do her job.... But if you don't need your paramedic cert to do your job, no need to maintain it.


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## Tigger (Aug 21, 2017)

jmd41 said:


> I just signed up for medic school after running as a volunteer ff/emt-b for the past couple of years. My decision was largly influenced by the fact that most fire departments in my area heavily prefer to hire medics.


Do you want to be a paramedic?


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## Medic27 (Aug 22, 2017)

MackTheKnife said:


> No desire? Yet you say your want to get experience before doing it. What's the ground truth? Remember, you don't have to be a nurse before you become a doctor.
> 
> Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk


It's true, but it's my desire. Although you don't have to become a nurse to become a doctor, you have to do premed consisting of chemistry, organic chemistry, calculus, physics, biology, biochemistry and much more. Have a great basis and understanding in this then you can take the MCAT and excel to medical school. Although it's not necessary for a paramedic it's the concept and idealogy of walking before running. That's my opinion.


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## MackTheKnife (Aug 22, 2017)

Medic27 said:


> It's true, but it's my desire. Although you don't have to become a nurse to become a doctor, you have to do premed consisting of chemistry, organic chemistry, calculus, physics, biology, biochemistry and much more. Have a great basis and understanding in this then you can take the MCAT and excel to medical school. Although it's not necessary for a paramedic it's the concept and idealogy of walking before running. That's my opinion.


I see your point, but hear this. If your goal is to eventually become a paramedic, why delay? I'm an RN and a paramedic. I talk frequently with CNAs who are planning on becoming an LPN, and then going in to become an RN. Prereqs notwithstanding, why delay your goal? Experience is a good thing, but not necessarily for school. It is more costly and takes more time. We will eventually go to a paramedic baseline and do away with EMTs as medics can do both BLS and ALS. The converse is not true.

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## DrParasite (Aug 23, 2017)

MackTheKnife said:


> I see your point, but hear this. If your goal is to eventually become a paramedic, why delay? I'm an RN and a paramedic. I talk frequently with CNAs who are planning on becoming an LPN, and then going in to become an RN. Prereqs notwithstanding, why delay your goal? Experience is a good thing, but not necessarily for school. It is more costly and takes more time.


because a paramedic who has a few years of experience under their belt working as an EMT tends to be better providers, because they understand the basic skills of performing a patient assessment?  I would also say that having some experience as an EMT makes paramedic school, particularly the hands on stations easier.

a Prereq to get into nursing school by me is to be a CNA, or at least have the CNA certification.  prereq for PA school is patient contact hours.  MDs spend 4 years in undergrad, followed by 3 years of medical school, of which a year or so is hands on, and then they have an internship (which included strict oversight) followed by residency (which is structured similarly to school, you have oversight, are evaluated, and can be corrected if needed).  If you are the paramedic with an EMT partner, than once you get your P card, if you get paired with an EMT, it's all on you (and yes, some places have less stringent credentialing processes than others).

Where I came from, you needed to be an EMT for at least a year before they would even consider your paramedic school application; most schools wanted 3 years, preferably working in a 911 system.  And unlike some places who accepted everyone, we actually had criteria for acceptance, and a process, so it wasn't a guaranteed thing, and often students would apply two or three times before they got in.

If you were a zero to hero medic, good for you.  I know many zero to hero medics who aren't in EMS anymore.  Some didn't like it, some couldn't cut it, and one got car sick working in the back of the ambulance (still not sure how he passed his clinicals).

Personally, I think having a requirement that you work in a 911 system (or IFT system if you plan to be an IFT paramedic) for a few years before you take it to the next step ensures you know what you are getting yourself into when you take the plunge to paramedic school.


MackTheKnife said:


> We will eventually go to a paramedic baseline and do away with EMTs as medics can do both BLS and ALS.


Don't hold your breath on that one..... In fact, the science says that an all ALS system makes for poorer paramedics (dilution of skills and all that). 

so I don't see the industry as a whole doing away with EMS, although I do see them making both courses longer and contain more content.


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## hometownmedic5 (Aug 23, 2017)

I haven't been keeping strict records, but over the years it seems to me I have come across just as many shake and bake medics who were rock stars as I have long time basic who went medic and couldn't adjust. I think it depends on the person.


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## EpiEMS (Aug 23, 2017)

This kinda smacks of anecdotes (which is not the plural of evidence) to me...
What we can say with some confidence is that there is a "significant association between both EMT-B exam score and length of EMT-B certification and first-attempt success on the cognitive portion of the national paramedic certification examination". However, I have yet to see any info about people dropping out of the field.



MackTheKnife said:


> We will eventually go to a paramedic baseline and do away with EMTs as medics can do both BLS and ALS. The converse is not true.



Not sure if I agree entirely - I think we will see something more like Canada's model, where we have degreed (2 year) lower level BLS (or ILS) practitioners and then bachelors degreed ALS providers. Yes, this is closer to an all-paramedic model, but doesn't exactly mean all-ALS.



DrParasite said:


> because a paramedic who has a few years of experience under their belt working as an EMT tends to be better providers, because they understand the basic skills of performing a patient assessment? I would also say that having some experience as an EMT makes paramedic school, particularly the hands on stations easier.



So, I think the latter sentence is verifiably true (see my reference above). However, the first sentence doesn't necessarily grok - I am not convinced that experience as an EMT is any better than no experience, except insofar as *comfort* on scene is concerned.


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## Medic27 (Aug 23, 2017)

hometownmedic5 said:


> I haven't been keeping strict records, but over the years it seems to me I have come across just as many shake and bake medics who were rock stars as I have long time basic who went medic and couldn't adjust. I think it depends on the person.


Another reason I want to wait is the responsibility and maturity, not for me... for future patients as well, I don't feel quite ready to become a paramedic for school difficulty, funds, and maturity.


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## akflightmedic (Aug 23, 2017)

Medic27 said:


> Another reason I want to wait is the responsibility and maturity, not for me... for future patients as well, I don't feel quite ready to become a paramedic for school difficulty, funds, and maturity.



Kudos for recognizing that fact. I was a paramedic at age 19...I was VERY immature then, only I didn't know that until now (after living a few years...right?)


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