basic to medic in 3 months

[jonpw52]

Do you guys feel its too early for a basic to go to medic school in 3 months after becoming one?


________________

I NEED MEDICS, MEDICS!!!

 

[medic417]

No. In fact it means you waited 3 months to long to get started. Anything to be learned working as a basic can be better learned working as a properly educated Paramedic.

 

[terrible one]

I feel it's too short but everyone has their own opinon on this subject. Try searching, basically half on here say you don't need experience and the other say you do. It's really opening a can of worms.
Good luck

 

[atticrat]

Short answer, Yes! Many programs wont let you in without being a basic for X amount of time, usually one year. There is no substitute for experience, hands-on patient contact, and working with medics. A huge part of being a Paramedic is clinical judgement, and critical thinking, and that takes time to develop. Youre going from being a "technician" to being a "clinician", big difference.

That being said, I know that it can be done. There are people who are basics for like fifteen minutes and turn into good medics, there are also people who are basics for years and years who will never be able to develope past basic.

One mistake I've seen people make is this, "I did great in my Basic class and passed the test with a 98. I'm going into medic class right now, how hard can it be?" The difference is like night and day!

If it's something you want, Go For It! Don't base your life's decisions on advice you got from the net.

 

[Shishkabob]

I feel it's too short but everyone has their own opinon on this subject. Try searching, basically half on here say you don't need experience and the other say you do. It's really opening a can of worms.
Good luck

Actually, the only ones I've seen saying <1 year is too short are people from the archaic system of California that requires 6mo-1year to begin with.



No, it's not to short to start. I waited less than 5 months, and only did a handful of shifts as an EMT, before I started medic school and did just fine.

But it really depends on the person. If you feel ready, go for it. If you don't, then don't. However the only true way to know if you're ready is to do it.

 

[emtstudent04]

It usually depends on the school you are attending or going to be attending on how long you have to be a Basic for. Some are 6 months all the way up to a year it just really depends on the program your trying to get into. I think if your a highly skilled Emt-B and you soak things up very well 3 months could be suitable, but i would think atleast 6 months min. if not a year.

 

[firecoins]

Do you guys feel its too early for a basic to go to medic school in 3 months after becoming one?


________________

I NEED MEDICS, MEDICS!!!

So which NYC medic program are you considering?

 

[46Young]

I waited two years, thinking that I would need to gain experience. It wasn't necessary. Stonybrook has a rigorous program, as does LaGuardia, which has an EMS degree program. If you do NY Methodist, then I highly recommend doing human biology/A&P and pharmacology, both at the college level prior to enrolling into medic school. These courses are the foundation of a medical education. Schools like Methodist give you only two weeks of watered down A&P, and a few days to a week of pharmacology, covering mostly NYC 911 medications and touching on some common home meds such as insulin, coumadin, etc. I find NYC area medic schools to structure their program towards NYC 911 operations and protocols. LaGuardia and Suffolk CC (I think) have degree programs. That would be your best bet. North Shore's program is decent as well, but their buses are kind of slow, except for 46Y.

In any event, when you go to medic school,you can bridge the experience gap by doing ride alongs on busier buses. For Methodist in Brooklyn, if you want experience and volume, you would do 12X, 41Y, or 48W. If you want slow, you do 51V or 51W.

Living in NYC you're at an advantage compared to most of the country. As you may know, all ALS is double medic, and get only ALS job types. It makes for a steep learning curve. In most other areas, the ALS buses have to run everything, and may be slow. On one shift in the city you may get three to four legit jobs. In other areas, you may run a bunch of minor nonsense and get maybe one good job if you're lucky.

 

[46Young]

So which NYC medic program are you considering?

Did you do St Vincent's program off of the Horace Harding in Queens?

 

[reidnez]

I'd be in medic school right now if I could, but all the programs in my area require at least 1 year working as an EMT. Right now I'm stuck at the "finding a job as an EMT" part :sad:.

I think if you can hack it, why not? I don't see any reason to put artificial constraints on yourself. If you can go to medic school, do it.

 

[terrible one]

Actually, the only ones I've seen saying <1 year is too short are people from the archaic system of California that requires 6mo-1year to begin with.

Seeing as CA represents a large portion of this board then it would make sense if half say yes and half say no. Maybe it is CA way of getting around having to teach less than other programs.

 

[medic417]

Seeing as CA represents a large portion of this board then it would make sense if half say yes and half say no. Maybe it is CA way of getting around having to teach less than other programs.

Well based on California having the second to only New Jersey as worst EMS system maybe it just proves it is a bad ideal.

 

[firetender]

Don't get me started!@

People tend to write off the intricacies of performing well at a basic level.

They take time to master. To even become aware of them takes time and because no one really teaches about the subtleties, there are a lot of people out there in EMS who focus on the bells and whistles and miss the basic preparation, planning, crowd control, set-up and on and on. The end result is chaos, catch-up and CYA. All while intervening in life and death situations.

Absence of knowledge and practical experience in these matters means you're essentially integrating the basics into an advanced formula when it should be the other way around. There's a lot of people out there thrust into advanced when they should be perfecting the basics. Personally, I don't want to be (because today I'm more likely to be your patient than your practitioner) the subject of your OJT.

One other thing; psychologically and emotionally the job is challenging. I'd prefer my Rookies to have energy to face the many conflicts therein and work through them (a skill NO ONE teaches!) rather than have it all go in to drip rates, only to come back to first haunt and then burn them out.

I have spoken.

 

[medic417]

People tend to write off the intricacies of performing well at a basic level.

They take time to master. To even become aware of them takes time and because no one really teaches about the subtleties, there are a lot of people out there in EMS who focus on the bells and whistles and miss the basic preparation, planning, crowd control, set-up and on and on. The end result is chaos, catch-up and CYA. All while intervening in life and death situations.

Absence of knowledge and practical experience in these matters means you're essentially integrating the basics into an advanced formula when it should be the other way around. There's a lot of people out there thrust into advanced when they should be perfecting the basics. Personally, I don't want to be (because today I'm more likely to be your patient than your practitioner) the subject of your OJT.

I have spoken.

Any skill mastered as a basic can be more easily and properly mastered once properly educated. Perfect practice makes perfect, imperfect or uneducated practice makes mistakes.

 

[firecoins]

Did you do St Vincent's program off of the Horace Harding in Queens?

I St Vincent's program at St Vincent's Hospital on 12 and 7th in Manhattan.

 

[jonpw52]

So which NYC medic program are you considering?

i'm considering St. Johns in queens right of the 7 train. Easy commute from Manhattan.

_________________

I NEED MEDICS, MEDICS!!!

 

[Kthanid]

Personally, I don't want to be (because today I'm more likely to be your patient than your practitioner) the subject of your OJT.

If he is the only guy around or you have the choice of say a guy who did first aid or the 3 month course guy, do you still 'not want to be the subject of the 3 month guys OJT"?

 

[firetender]

If he is the only guy around or you have the choice of say a guy who did first aid or the 3 month course guy, do you still 'not want to be the subject of the 3 month guys OJT"?

The best of what's available will be fine, and believe me, if that's not acceptable, I'll treat myself! If I'm not conscious then I won't argue because Someone else is in charge.

 

[firecoins]

i'm considering St. Johns in queens right of the 7 train. Easy commute from Manhattan.

Cool.

Why not BMCC right in Manahattan? Or LaGuardia which is closer?

 

[mcdonl]

Hybrid Solution

If the back of my shirts said "Boss of the world" I would have a hybrid solution.

ALL EMT's WOULD GO THROUGH ALL LEVELS OF EDUCATION and then you earn your license level with time in the field. I do not like any program that forces you to TREAT PATIENTS but denies you education. Seems counted intuitive.

OR Like Medic417 said

Any skill mastered as a basic can be more easily and properly mastered once properly educated. Perfect practice makes perfect, imperfect or uneducated practice makes mistakes.