# Student getting into the EMS field.



## Anto (Nov 5, 2008)

What's up everyone!

I'm currently a student at my local community college & recently switched majors from Engineering to Nursing. I was interested in taking the EMT certification course and becoming an EMT-B while I go to school for Nursing, perhaps filling a Paramedic/RN field in the future. 
The course I want to take is an accelerated 4 week course - 9 hours a day, five days a week. I know EMT-B's don't make much, but money is not my main motivation (although a necessity). 

Any suggestions?


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## FF-EMT Diver (Nov 5, 2008)

Do a search or talk to your local DHR some places you can go to paramedic from RN fairly easily,

If your wanting to make some money while in school that program may be ok although of course the longer classes are better if your in school for nursing you will be continuing your ed fairly rapidly, 

Good luck and welcome to the board.


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## Ridryder911 (Nov 5, 2008)

Stick with getting your basics and general education. If you are really considering nursing as a profession, don't waste your time with EMT or EMS. They are nothing similar and in some instances being an EMT is looked down upon by some nursing professionals and instructors. 

Majority of those that do enter the nursing profession never work both fields nor return to EMS; however I am seeing more and more that have dual license returning back to EMS as the pay increases in the EMS arena. 

R/r 911


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## BossyCow (Nov 5, 2008)

With a background in Engineering and an interest in healthcare, I'd recommend looking into Perfussionist. They operate the heart lung machines during cardiac surgeries.


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## VentMedic (Nov 5, 2008)

BossyCow said:


> With a background in Engineering and an interest in healthcare, I'd recommend looking into Perfussionist. They operate the heart lung machines during cardiac surgeries.


 
Perfusionist is a great profession but is at least a Bachelors degree with only a handful of very selective programs in the U.S. Some programs are also Masters degree but Texas Heart still has a post-baccalaureate certificate. Respiratory Therapists often use their Bachelors in Cardiopulmonary Science to get a Masters as a Perfusionist especially if they are involved in ECMO. However, one does not have to be a Perfusionist to do ECMO in many places.

The insurance for a Perfusionist is also pretty steep and hopefully whatever group they work for will pick up the entire cost. Some cardiac groups may employ their own Perfusionists as oposed to using the hospital's. Jobs are also very competitive. 

However, the biomed/engineering market is wide open.

Your choice as whether to choose RN or EMT-P may also depend on where you want to live and who provides the EMS. In many areas of Florida as well as other states, you must be a Fire Fighter to do 911 EMS as a Paramedic. There is also no guarantee if you do find employment with a county or private service which does 911 EMS that they may eventually be consolidated into a fire department. You will then have to join the FD, if that is an option, and meet its requirements or be unemployed. Joining the FD may also present its own competitiveness with many of the better departments having thousands of applicants who may also have a Paramedic cert to get the extra points in hopes to increase hiring chances. 

If you want to do CCT, RNs with many years of ICU/CCU/ED experience are extremely valuable. The EMT-B won't hurt and may even be required to get a Flight or transport position if it is through an ambulance or EMS service. Some states also have PreHospital RN certifications that may require the EMT-B as a prerequisite. The PHRN or MICN would probably make the Paramedic cert unnecessary in those areas. 

Holding a Paramedic cert just for the sake of holding it would not be very impressive since many RNs, RRTs and numerous other health professionals were Paramedics before going to college for more education. Rarely does anyone mention it once they achieve their ICU or professional status in their selected professions. For some it would be like saying you were a nusing assistant before you moved on. Actually being a nursing assistant wouldn't be a bad idea if you want to go into the nursing profession.

Nursing has many advanced education, training and certification programs that can take you a long way in the field of medicine to open many doors.

If you are interested in emergency medicine and nursing check out the ENA website and read some of their recommendations.

http://www.ena.org/ 

The Critical Care nurses website is also good.
http://www.aacn.org/


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## csly27 (Nov 6, 2008)

Ridryder911 said:


> Stick with getting your basics and general education. If you are really considering nursing as a profession, don't waste your time with EMT or EMS. They are nothing similar and in some instances being an EMT is looked down upon by some nursing professionals and instructors.
> 
> Majority of those that do enter the nursing profession never work both fields nor return to EMS; however I am seeing more and more that have dual license returning back to EMS as the pay increases in the EMS arena.
> 
> R/r 911



Hi, just wondering why being an emt is looked down upon by other nursing professionals?


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## jochi1543 (Nov 6, 2008)

csly27 said:


> Hi, just wondering why being an emt is looked down upon by other nursing professionals?



x2, I'm curious. I have no desire to ever go into nursing, but I've got some friends whose acceptances to MD programs can only be credited to their experiences as paramedics before, so it was anything but a hindrance.


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## VentMedic (Nov 6, 2008)

jochi1543 said:


> x2, I'm curious. I have no desire to ever go into nursing, but I've got some friends whose acceptances to MD programs can *only be credited* to their experiences as paramedics before, so it was anything but a hindrance.


 
Their acceptance into medical school would not be accredited only to being a Paramedic but rather their GPA and academic background. Those that shadowed doctors through their daily routines and not just a sampling in the ED would have a higher chance at med schools. Many Paramedics barely know their medical director and have only a limited exposure to physicians in the ED. Some Paramedics are actually shocked at all of the paperwork and mundane tasks a physician must do and it may be a big turnoff or reality check for them. Even for PA school, EMT or CNA is suggested but not required if no other medical license is held to earn some extra money.  While some clinical experience is great, it may not present the same view needed to be successful in medical school.

If you have read some of the posts on this and other EMS forums, you will find that many of the routine tasks nurses and other medical professionals perform are shunned by those in the EMS profession yet they are a very important part of patient care. It is a totally different mind set when it comes to doing total patient care for 12 hours to many patients at one time. Bedside manner also plays an important role and many have also seen the limited patient contact some EMTs and Paramedics have with their patients. Too many in EMS show frustration if every call is not a "trauma" or a "code". Those that work in the hospital would prefer someone does not have a catastrophic illness or accident because hospital staff have an understanding that the recovery may be months if ever and the toll it will take on the patient and families. It is much more than a 15 minute adrenaline rush. 

Nurses and others in the medical profession may also see the minimal amount of clinical time an EMT student spends in the ED and the limited time practicing certain skills. 

Essentially, a lot of it is attitude and the other part is about the difference in clinical skills.


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## jochi1543 (Nov 6, 2008)

VentMedic said:


> Their acceptance into medical school would not be accredited only to being a Paramedic but rather their GPA and academic background.



No, trust me, a 2.1 GPA does not a successful academic record make, when the average GPA for med school matriculants is like 3.7. I wouldn't have said that if I weren't confident about it being the only thing that could explain the acceptance.


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## VentMedic (Nov 6, 2008)

jochi1543 said:


> No, trust me, a 2.1 GPA does not a successful academic record make, when the average GPA for med school matriculants is like 3.7. I wouldn't have said that if I weren't confident about it being the only thing that could explain the acceptance.


 
What med school?  Even St. George's has higher GPA recommendations.


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## jochi1543 (Nov 6, 2008)

VentMedic said:


> What med school?  Even St. George's has higher GPA recommendations.



North American ones, don't wanna post the names for privacy reasons. I can PM if you promise to keep it in confidence.


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## VentMedic (Nov 6, 2008)

jochi1543 said:


> North American ones, don't wanna post the names for privacy reasons. I can PM if you promise to keep it in confidence.


 
It doesn't matter.  If someone is barely a C student in their undergrad, they are going to be greatly surprised when they hit medical school.  Undergrad is where they should have been working on discipline to accomplish the work required in medical school.  If they lacked discipline or if they worked more as a Paramedic than on their studies, then being a Paramedic probably will not help them.   Hopefully they will have their priorities straight to finish medical school.  

We used to joke also about a couple of med schools that allowed anything in to keep quotas since being a physician no longer holds the same benefits it did several years ago.    Those that barely made it through are very noticeable in residency regardless of what they did prior to med school.  It is a very different way of thinking and performing with a new set of responsibilities than what a Paramedic is used to.


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## JPINFV (Nov 6, 2008)

I'm going to place bets that if the 2.1 GPA made it into an US allopathic medical school that it was probably Meharry. For the class starting in 2005, Meharry had an average GPA of 3.25, science GPA of 3.07, and MCAT subtotals of 8, 8, 9 (verbal, physical science, bio. Out of 15 with each section standardized for an average score of 7). For comparison, the average medical student admited had a MCAT score of 10, 10, 11, and most students had a GPA between 3.5 to 3.75. Around 150 accepted applicants had a science GPA below 2.5 and 150 with an overall GPA below 2.75.

Source of information: 2007-2008 MSAR.


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## jochi1543 (Nov 7, 2008)

JPINFV said:


> I'm going to place bets that if the 2.1 GPA made it into an US allopathic medical school that it was probably Meharry. For the class starting in 2005, Meharry had an average GPA of 3.25, science GPA of 3.07, and MCAT subtotals of 8, 8, 9 (verbal, physical science, bio. Out of 15 with each section standardized for an average score of 7). For comparison, the average medical student admited had a MCAT score of 10, 10, 11, and most students had a GPA between 3.5 to 3.75. Around 150 accepted applicants had a science GPA below 2.5 and 150 with an overall GPA below 2.75.
> 
> Source of information: 2007-2008 MSAR.



No, it wasn't a historically black school and neither of the 2 was a minority.


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## Anto (Nov 7, 2008)

Thanks guys, I appreciate all of your help. Although still going to school, I do want to pursue an EMT position. Although the pay is relatively low, and a few people have said it's a different breed of work, I still want to possess experience in the field.

Still working out the fine details for classes..


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