# Phlebotomy? A good class to take before my advanced EMT?



## Dan216 (Apr 4, 2013)

The title pretty much says it all! I'm looking at maybe taking a phlebotomy technician course this summer before I take my advanced EMT course. 

Do you guys think it would be a good idea to take it so I can go into my advanced class with a little knowledge before hand? Or would it be a waste of time/money? Thanks!


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## Aidey (Apr 4, 2013)

No. It would be a waste of time and money.


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## mycrofft (Apr 4, 2013)

Get a day job as a phlebotomist.


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## Milla3P (Apr 4, 2013)

mycrofft said:


> Get a day job as a phlebotomist.



This.


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## adamjh3 (Apr 4, 2013)

What's your overall plan?


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## Wheel (Apr 4, 2013)

adamjh3 said:


> What's your overall plan?



I think an answer to this would help. What do you want to be when you grow up?


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## ExpatMedic0 (Apr 4, 2013)

I had a job which included phlebotomy when I was an EMT-Intermediate. I believe its part of your scope of practice and training as an EMT-A right?


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## rwik123 (Apr 4, 2013)

Blood draws aren't technically under the AEMT scope but I do them in my area.


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## Sublime (Apr 4, 2013)

Aidey said:


> No. It would be a waste of time and money.



This. Don't waste your time / money unless phlebotomy is your end goal.


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## 1stresponder (Apr 4, 2013)

Most of the ER's in So. Cal require phlebotomy before you can be hired as an ED Tech.  (meaning you need phleb and EMT to get the job).  So it is as stated. "What do you want to be when you grow up?"  Tech in a hospital or Tech on a rig? You won't be doing blood draws on a rig.  Iv's are not the same.  So, guess it depends.  I have CA CPT-1 Phlebotomy and can't see its use on an ambulance.  I guess the only upside is that you get practice finding veins and I have seen many nurses struggle on this one trying to set an IV.  Still, I don't think it is enough reason to go through the time and money.


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## Dan216 (Apr 4, 2013)

Thanks for all the responses you guys. My end goal is to be a Paramedic. Looking at taking an EMT Advanced course in the fall, and thought a phlebotomy course may be good practice for it.


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## adamjh3 (Apr 4, 2013)

If you're already an EMT I'd pass straight over AEMT and phlebotomy and jump right into medic school. There's nothing that you'll get as an AEMT that you won't get as a medic. And even if you want more time in the field before medic you can challenge the AEMT after your medic clinicals


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## AzValley (Apr 4, 2013)

adamjh3 said:


> If you're already an EMT I'd pass straight over AEMT and phlebotomy and jump right into medic school. There's nothing that you'll get as an AEMT that you won't get as a medic. And even if you want more time in the field before medic you can challenge the AEMT after your medic clinicals



I concur with this.  Seems like you will be wasting time going another route to me.


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## wanderingmedic (Apr 4, 2013)

AzValley said:


> I concur with this.  Seems like you will be wasting time going another route to me.



I also agree. Just go get your medic! 

If you are in the Southwest or Midwest I would highly suggest PERCOM! (i'm a poet and i'd bet you didn't know it)


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## ExpatMedic0 (Apr 5, 2013)

Ya I went, FR, EMT-B, EMT-I,EMT-P. In retrospect it was really unnecessary. I would jump directly into medic school if I was you, or instead of wasting time and money on EMT-A take A&P instead.


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## joshrunkle35 (Apr 5, 2013)

I went EMT-B to Paramedic (almost...I'm finishing the last 2 months of medic school right now). There are a lot of AEMTs in the class, but honestly, they don't necessarily get better grades than anyone else. There are plenty of labs at my school on IVs and most of my learning on how to do really good IVs in all sorts of locations and patients took place in a hospital clinical environment. Every nurse does it completely differently, and, after you're comfortable starting IVs, it's great to experiment with different techniques.

I had considered taking a phlebotomy class beforehand. Looking back, it would have been a complete waste of time and money.

The "leg up" that AEMTs really have is stuff like having a better understanding of scene command, ambulance operations, hospital transfers...basically they're generally a little more experienced...it doesn't mean that they have any better chance at passing or performing skills than you do. It does mean that they might be more experienced and might make a better medic on day one of their new job, though.

I'm just a student, but that's my current experience.


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## NomadicMedic (Apr 5, 2013)

I took a phlebotomy class while I was an  EMT and worked per diem. It was an easy way to make money while in school because I could set my own hours and doing lots of sticks certainly wasn't bad. It did help me get comfortable with sticking kids, too.


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## hogwiley (Apr 5, 2013)

I took a phlebotomy class at the community class because it was relatively cheap. 90% of what I learned has no real value unless I work as a phlebotomist or a medical assistant, and in order to be eligible to test for my phlebotomy certification I have to do an externship because I only have 25 live sticks and I need 30.(the class intentionally leaved us 5 short so we have to sign up for the externship to be eligible for certification).

If you have no intention of being a phlebotomist I probably wouldnt recommend it. Even though ER techs do blood draws, a phlebotomy class would be major overkill, since so much of the class is about lab procedures and tests that a tech doesnt need to know and will never use. Order of draw can be important and is probably ignored in some ERs, but thats something you can memorize without having to know or understand WHY a yellow top is drawn before a lavender.


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