Hey! Here’s some thoughts for you. It looks like your question is this:
Will running only IFT hinder you from getting into a medic program?
Maybe. I don’t know about either of the agencies that you mentioned so please take that into account when reading my response.
With that said, IFT can serve you in a couple of ways. If you have trouble talking to people (like I did) it can be a really good, and consequence-free way of learning how to have a good bedside manor and how to ask people tough/awkward questions.
It can also be a good way to learn how to write PCR’s and learn general ambulance operation (an ambulance is basically the same no matter what type of calls you run).
It ultimately comes to down to what you put into it. When I ran IFT I made it a game and pretended they just called 911 and that I didn’t know anything yet.
I told the patient, “hey I know you’ve been asked all these questions already but...” and then I would proceed into and asking all the SAMPLE, OPQRST, questions, Etc.
This allowed me to develop a rhythm and a bedside manor without the risk of really missing anything major (you normally have a good amount of paperwork with anything that you miss and the patient is normally in stable enough condition to be a learning opportunity instead of a test of your knowledge/skill).
The other side of IFT is Joe Blow who has been doing IFT and only IFT for 5 years and uses it as what it ultimately is; a job. Joe blow comes to work, gets the paperwork done, moves the patient from where they are to where they need to be, and leaves it at that. Joe blow doesn’t take any initiative in learning from his patients, and has a steady pay-check. Nothing more. Nothing less.
IFT patients can be a huge learning opportunity if you decide to take it. Most of them have an extensive medical history, take many medications, and have just been discharged (or are being transferred) after an acute and likely life altering event.
In the end, it’s up to you what you get out of it. For example you can simply copy and paste the patients prescriptions to your PCR, or you can pick two and learn what they are, how they work, and what they’re for. The same goes for medical conditions and assessment findings.
Now with all that said, I’m assuming OC stands for Orange County California? If so here’s a link for some 911 providers in that area (only fire departments from what I can tell):
www.healthdisasteroc.org
The ultimate answer to your question is unfortunately a couple more questions that only you can answer (I’ve had to ask these questions of myself very recently so don’t feel singled out):
Why do you want to be a paramedic?
The three most typical answers are:
1. It’s all I’ve ever wanted and all I really want to do.
2. I want to be firefighter, and the department/area I want to work in, requires (or highly favors) paramedics over EMT-Basics.
3. I want to be a PA/MD and I believe that becoming a paramedic will be a good stepping stone.
All three answers are common and there is nothing really wrong with either one but your answer has a lot to do with what path you need to take.
Becoming a career medic (and medic only) can be really difficult. It took me 6 years from graduating EMT school, to achieve the career paramedic job that I have now. It also took working at 4 different agencies to learn and grow to the point where I am today, and I’m still learning and making my own mistakes.
Sorry to ramble, but here’s the final bit.
A job is a job and money is money but your happiness and well-being are extremely important. Never forget that. This career is full of sacrifice and heartache and you deserve to make a good living and to be happy while your doing it.
IFT can be a huge opportunity if you know how to learn from it, and depending on your end goal it may be all you ever need (PA/MD goal). If you want to be a career medic then 911 is obviously the end goal and anything you can get (including volunteer work) will help you on a personal development point of view.
It’s up to the school as far as what they’re going to count for “acceptable” experience, so I would contact the program director as soon as you can and just ask them what they want for experience.
Good luck!
