i have a question... Paramedic School Without Street Experience

[jh0n001flip]

Can you go to medic school without EMT on the job experience for 6 months or so. I know some people saying you can't go to paramedic school if you don't have EMT experience is this true? I have my license and certified to work but no one is giving me a chance yet. I had interviews with some ambulance company but they never called me back for a second interview. So anyways back to my question is it possible going to medic school without EMT on job experience???

 

[DesertMedic66]

Can you go to medic school without EMT on the job experience for 6 months or so. I know some people saying you can't go to paramedic school if you don't have EMT experience is this true? I have my license and certified to work but no one is giving me a chance yet. I had interviews with some ambulance company but they never called me back for a second interview. So anyways back to my question is it possible going to medic school without EMT on job experience???

Yes and no. It all depends on the program. Some require you to have usually anywhere between 6 months - 2 years. And others do not require any at all.

 

[emt for life]

The paramedic Course that is put on by the Community closest to me in VA is a Two year program when you have your basic certification or a One year program if you have your Intermediate Certification with the state of VA. Idk about National Exam they may be different. hope this post helps you

 

[STXmedic]

I've never seen one that requires experience, nor do I think it's necessary. However. I see you're from CA, and it seems as though y'all have your own strange rules over there...

 

[jh0n001flip]

Yes and no. It all depends on the program. Some require you to have usually anywhere between 6 months - 2 years. And others do not require any at all.

I feel like I'm just wasting my time waiting for the opportunity to come. I just wanna go to medic school already and get it over with while I'm still young <_<

 

[DesertMedic66]

I feel like I'm just wasting my time waiting for the opportunity to come. I just wanna go to medic school already and get it over with while I'm still young <_<

Yeah. Personally I think that schools should require experience. Its more experience and it let's them get the idea that there is usually no text book case. The zero to hero programs (ones that require no experience) are the programs that normally send out the cook-book medics. That's my opinion tho lol

 

[Aprz]

NCTI encourages experience, but does not require it. They do require Anatomy & Physiology, which you can take their 4-week course, or show proof of taking it at another school. I believe there is one in Roseville and Livermore.

I believe Westmed in San Jose is the same, prefer experience, but does not require it, however, I am not 112% sure.

In my opinion, both are very expensive, and to be honest, I haven't heard good things about them except the occasional "you get what you put into it."

Look into it. Good luck with your search for a job and Paramedic.

P.S. I think the do you need experience for Paramedic school or not is...

:deadhorse:

 

[FreezerStL]

It would all be dependent on the program you choose.

I just wanna go to medic school already and get it over with while I'm still young

Careful what you wish for, I kid I kid....

I would recommend, at the very least, taking college level Anatomy and Physiology before enrolling. It will make class easier when you have an understanding of the basics to build upon.

Good luck^_^

 

[DitchDoctorGabe]

The paramedic Course that is put on by the
Community closest to me in VA is a Two year program when you have your basic certification or a One year program if you have your Intermediate Certification with the state of VA. Idk about National Exam they may be different. hope this post helps you

Glad to hear that there are still some states that require experience before being considered for a medic class. I know there are very few folks who could go all the way through with little to no experience.

Personally I think that you need to have a couple years under your belt before applying for the program.

 

[usalsfyre]

Glad to hear that there are still some states that require experience before being considered for a medic class. I know there are very few folks who could go all the way through with little to no experience.

Personally I think that you need to have a couple years under your belt before applying for the program.

I would much rather precept someone who's gone straight through with little field time than a wannabe "crusty" EMT two years of bad habits and laziness under their belts.

 

[IrightI]

I wouldnt say street time equals a "crusty" EMT who is set in their ways.

It boils down to you are able to distinguish between READING about a chest pain pt and actually working on one. SEEING the actual words that you have read, I think, makes all the difference. I had four years of EMT "street time". Everything from 911, NICU, Bariatric, to Dispatching. Im currently in Medic School and the EMTs with no experience are currently sitting at the bottom of the class, for what its worth.

Im from Southern California and did my EMT time there. Most schools do not require experience, and that creates 6month programs with "robot medics" vs my year and a half degree program. They cant think outside the box, instead its just, ASA, NTG, 12-lead and IV for CP. Its sad, but true.

Just my two pennies.

 

[Akulahawk]

Is it possible to succeed in a program that turns out medics that have zero experience on entry to the program? Yes. The problem is that during your internship, your preceptor has to teach you basically everything. That's great, if your preceptor is willing to teach the new medic from the first minute of greeting a patient. The internship is too short for that, most of the time.

One reason why I'd want to take a student who has had 6-24 months experience is that they're still relatively new, they've had some patient contact, they have figured out that they like the prehospital arena and they've learned to take vitals in the truck. They haven't gotten too set in their ways that correcting them becomes difficult. They've learned that textbook and the street don't always match up nicely and they've started to learn that they can improvise, adapt, and overcome the problem. They're also not so "old" that they figure that they can handle anything... or that they'd take a pay cut to become a Paramedic (yes, I've met a couple of those).

 

[emt seeking first job]

One school in NYC requires one year of employment with 100 patient contacts. They also require an interview.

I have a hunch that they make admission decesions on a case by case basis. The make an overall assessment as t if the person can complete the coursework.

In the OP's instance, apply to the school you choose and let them tell you.

 

[clibb]

I would much rather precept someone who's gone straight through with little field time than a wannabe "crusty" EMT two years of bad habits and laziness under their belts.

Haha, really? Most of the medics that I have met that have gone through the crappy programs who will accept you without experience, have been terrible Paramedics.
There's a reason why most of health care has step programs. I,e: CNA to Nurse. Pre-med to med school. You gotta build up a foundation. Experience is key.

 

[Aidey]

You do not have to be a CNA to be a Nurse. Pre-med has nothing to do with patient care unless you happen to volunteer somewhere or get some sort of healthcare job.

 

[usalsfyre]

Haha, really? Most of the medics that I have met that have gone through the crappy programs who will accept you without experience, have been terrible Paramedics.
There's a reason why most of health care has step programs. I,e: CNA to Nurse. Pre-med to med school. You gotta build up a foundation. Experience is key.

First question is, how do you define a "crappy paramedic"?

New paramedics without previous experience are far less likely to let biases built by bad experience influence their decision making. I've seen far more tendency to minimize symptoms/assessment findings from "experienced" EMTs, often times based on social and economic factors. They're also far less likely to treat assessment findings based on personal biases. Finally they're usually the ones spouting stupid crap like "BLS before ALS!" This is of course all anecdotal personal observation.

If there's on particular program turning out poor provider, perhaps it's the programs fault and not lack of "experience" EMS is one of only two health profession that tries to replace supervised clinical practium with unsupervised work experience. No one else makes you go through "steps"

 

[Zodiac]

Haha, really? Most of the medics that I have met that have gone through the crappy programs who will accept you without experience, have been terrible Paramedics.
There's a reason why most of health care has step programs. I,e: CNA to Nurse. Pre-med to med school. You gotta build up a foundation. Experience is key.

I don't know of any RN/BSNs who worked for any length of time as a CNA before getting their nursing license.

 

[fast65]

Yeah. Personally I think that schools should require experience. Its more experience and it let's them get the idea that there is usually no text book case. The zero to hero programs (ones that require no experience) are the programs that normally send out the cook-book medics. That's my opinion tho lol

Careful there, there's some people that might take offense to that. My program didn't require experience and I'd like to think I'm far from a cook book medic, in my opinion that's a pretty rash statement to make. Just my opinion though.

 

[DesertMedic66]

Careful there, there's some people that might take offense to that. My program didn't require experience and I'd like to think I'm far from a cook book medic, in my opinion that's a pretty rash statement to make. Just my opinion though.

That's a personally statement from what I've seen. It takes people straight off the street and in about a year make them an EMT and then a medic. I have worked with medics where if it wasn't talked about in class then they don't know what to do. Such as a laceration to the buttocks. The medic didn't know or even attempt to bandage it. Not all of the providers that come out of those programs are cook book. Just most that I have seen are. Again that is all personal opinion based on what I have seen.

 

[fast65]

That's a personally statement from what I've seen. It takes people straight off the street and in about a year make them an EMT and then a medic. I have worked with medics where if it wasn't talked about in class then they don't know what to do. Such as a laceration to the buttocks. The medic didn't know or even attempt to bandage it. Not all of the providers that come out of those programs are cook book. Just most that I have seen are. Again that is all personal opinion based on what I have seen.

It seems that you're operating under the assumption that all programs that take people with no experience are those 6 month boot camp style medic mills. There are plenty of schools out there that turn out great medics that came in with no experience as an EMT, it's all about the program, NOT the experience that the student has.

Now, there's certainly some medics that went in with no experience that came out as cook book medics, but does that mean they'll never be good? Of course not, they just need to learn how to think outside the box, and I know that as a basic I had no idea how to think outside the box, things only started making sense and coming together as I started paramedic school. The medical field is dynamic, and because of that we as healthcare providers never stop learning, and the truth of the matter is that the learning process has only just begun as school has ended. Sure, those who come in with no experience might struggle a little at first, but dedication is infinitely more important than experience in my opinion, and as long as a new paramedic is dedicated to his/her profession, then most of the time they will undoubtedly become a great provider.