Ambulance Driver = EMT = Medic

I know there is a big difference between an EMT-B and a Paramedic in terms of training, but I think for practicality everyone should be called medics.

I believe there should be some sort of indication so that people realize paramedics have so much more training. Some sort of special uniform or symbol should be given to them.
 
Raf said:
I know there is a big difference between an EMT-B and a Paramedic in terms of training, but I think for practicality everyone should be called medics.

I believe there should be some sort of indication so that people realize paramedics have so much more training. Some sort of special uniform or symbol should be given to them.
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I agree!How about a large S on the chest and a cape?:D
 
I don't believe I've experienced any confusion yet when I tell people I'm training to be an EMT. But I'm still a newbie, so I guess I'll get it sooner or later...
 
RebelRescue said:
I agree!How about a large S on the chest and a cape?:D
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Yeah... Ok...

S for Stupid?
;) :)
 
When I told my family I was taking an EMT-B course at the thanksgiving table they all thought it was something for firefighters. Although it can be, it's really unrelated to firefighting if you're just working on ambulances like I hope to be doing.
 
We're all "medics" around here in casual usage too. Which can drive you up a wall when people decide to suddenly use "medic" for "paramedic", and tell you the new medic is a medic unlike the other medics and then your head explodes :)

IME, none of our patients really know the difference. I'm not sure if terminology would help matters at all, but I have no problem calling everyone a "medic," since that's what I already do :)
 
Main Entry: 2medic
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin medicus
: one engaged in medical work or study

from the meriam-webster dictionary online.....

I'm not really particular.... but, I often refer to "us" as a group as "medics".... Notice I didn't say "Paramedics" because we're not... but we ARE all "engaged in medical work or study"... Honestly, I couldn't care less how others feel about the term... point me towards the patient and let me do my job!

Of course, that's just my 2 cents, as a lowly "Medic" (Please read as EMT-B )
 
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I think the role of the EMT has changed drastically since the term was first introduced. EMT's were originally mainly just ambulance drivers, performed technical tasks around the ambulance, and aided the medics. That's according to wikipedia's entry at least.

The term's should be updated to reflect the most current roles.
 
Ive heard this term a few times, how about all EMT's, EMT-I's and Paramedics are covered under "Emergency Medical Responders". and then keep Medic to paramedics. I think Medic is a good distinction for those who are at the highest level (for the most part) in prehospital care.

Althought I think the many who stated that the people we respond to don't really care (as long as we help) are right...
 
We have a large immigrant/migrant population in our area, most of us speak very limited spanish (and not very well, either). Which would you rather say when you arrive (and for those of you that speak spanish, please feel free to correct me if my translations aren't correct)

"Soy un technician de medicina emergencia" - I'm an emergency medical technician
"Soy uno medico" - I'm a medic
 
Raf said:
I think the role of the EMT has changed drastically since the term was first introduced. EMT's were originally mainly just ambulance drivers, performed technical tasks around the ambulance, and aided the medics. That's according to wikipedia's entry at least.

The term's should be updated to reflect the most current roles.
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What exactly has changed so drastically?
 
EMT's can operate and provide care on their own now. You can have a BLS unit with just two EMT-B's. They don't just "aid" paramedics and they can perform a lot more medical service than they used to be able to.

Here's the entry from wikipedia:

"Once thought of as an "ambulance driver or attendant," the modern EMT performs many more duties than in the past, and responds to many types of emergency calls, including medical emergencies, hazardous materials exposure, childbirth, child abuse, fires, injuries, trauma and psychiatric crises"
 
While you are correct that BLS trucks run the roads, I think the term technician still applies.
Also with the very limited EMT-B scope of practice perhaps mooving from a supporting role to a sole provider role is a "drastic change" but not necessarily for the better.
 
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Let's not all forget that everyone was an EMT-B at one time. This is the level of licensure we solidify our understanding and skill usage of the "basic" techinques and information. Yes, Medic or Paramedic is a more affluent title but I think we are missing the point. This change in title isn't because of internal rank or licensure but for the PUBLIC....

I agree with the example of Spanish speaking. People understand and it's easier to say I'm a medic rather than everything else then confuse the pt and have to explain it again.

Remember, PUBLIC = Ignorant
 
I think simplifying it to "medic" when approaching a patient or bystander makes more sense that giving them a title that can start a slippery-slope conversation.

Living up here in Toronto, we also have different "Paramedic" levels from Primary, Intermediate, to Advanced... (and in Ontario a Primary Care Paramedic needs two years of schooling anyways).

While I don't (yet) work in EMS, and am only trained as a (Wilderness) First Responder, I take my skills seriously enough that I am always equipped with a small kit, and am always ready to respond to a situation. I haven't yet had a chance put my skills to use as a lay rescuer (though I approach car crash scenes and the such to see if help is needed).
The thing is, though, that people are generally confused by the term "First Responder" as well - if I blurted it out on a scene it could be interpreted in someones ears as, well, having nothing to do with medical help.
So if I were to be in a situation to help someone, I would also need to dumb it down --- though it would be hugely irresponsible of me to title myself as a "medic" to a confused patient or bystander, since they might then expect more of me than I am trained (seeing as my measly 80 hours of training doesn't even approach the range of expertise even a PCP has)... so I would just say "I have advanced first aid training!"
JUST "first aid" might make people iffy about letting me help them, but I'm sure the "Advanced" would probably leave a quick and positive impression.
 
This is an issue that is near and dear to my heart. I either have a very large ego or a very small ego, but I definitly have ego problems. That said, paramedicine is my life. To me, it is much more than a hobby or job. Being grouped together with every big, dumb, redneck who happened to take an EMT-B class makes me sick to my stomach. In most cases, Paramedics are true health care professionals with years of college level training. Bubba Ray Jackass with glorified first-aid training is not in my league. When he goes around telling the public that he's a Medic, this upsets me. There are a lot of good, well-meaning EMT's that I respect, so calm down! I can see you're getting flustered. People know the difference between RN and LPN and know to ask for clarification immediatly. There aren't enough DO's to really matter. People don't know enough to clarify EMT vs. Paramedic and this also upsets me. I want Paramedics to be looked at as Gods so that we can attract the best to this profession and make it something we can all be proud of. Letting all of the dime-a-dozen Bubbas represent us will destroy us by ruining our credability. Medic does not equal credability, Paramedic equals credability. So lets get back to the days of Jonny and Roy and be heros agian.
 
Guardian said:
This is an issue that is near and dear to my heart. I either have a very large ego or a very small ego, but I definitly have ego problems. That said, paramedicine is my life. To me, it is much more than a hobby or job. Being grouped together with every big, dumb, redneck who happened to take an EMT-B class makes me sick to my stomach. In most cases, Paramedics are true health care professionals with years of college level training. Bubba Ray Jackass with glorified first-aid training is not in my league. When he goes around telling the public that he's a Medic, this upsets me. There are a lot of good, well-meaning EMT's that I respect, so calm down! I can see you're getting flustered. People know the difference between RN and LPN and know to ask for clarification immediatly. There aren't enough DO's to really matter. People don't know enough to clarify EMT vs. Paramedic and this also upsets me. I want Paramedics to be looked at as Gods so that we can attract the best to this profession and make it something we can all be proud of. Letting all of the dime-a-dozen Bubbas represent us will destroy us by ruining our credability. Medic does not equal credability, Paramedic equals credability. So lets get back to the days of Jonny and Roy and be heros agian.
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First things first...welcome to EMTLife.com.

Now that that's out of the way, yes you do have an ego problem. Your ego prevents you from realizing that it's more than a job or a hobby to us "big, dumb, redneck". Just because you're a paramedic doesn't mean that you have a monopoly on providing prehospital care to patients. For you to lump us all into one group is no different than catagorizing all paramedics as paragods.

When he goes around telling the public that he's a Medic, this upsets me.
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Get over it...we're all medics, as in Emergency MEDICal Technicians. We're not all paramedics, and we don't claim to be. Paramedics will never be looked at as Gods, and if you really think that can happen, you're suffering from Cranial-Rectal Inversion.

Bubba Ray Jackass with glorified first-aid training is not in my league
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This is the one thing I agree with you about...the "Bubba Ray Jackasses" are so far out of your league that it's pathetic. They obviously care more about their profession than what they perceive their public image to be.

Letting all of the dime-a-dozen Bubbas represent us will destroy us by ruining our credability. Medic does not equal credability, Paramedic equals credability
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This is such a case of credential envy that it's truly saddening. None of these things equals credibility. You really want to know what brings credibility to our profession? Competency, professionalism, and compassion, not the patch you're wearing on your arm.

So lets get back to the days of Jonny and Roy and be heros
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Maybe you should stop watching so much TV and get out in the field and see what can happen when the entire EMS system works together instead of worrying and complaining about how you're identified by the public.

There are a lot of good, well-meaning EMT's that I respect, so calm down! I can see you're getting flustered
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There are many prehospital care providers that I respect (First aiders, FR, EMT's, and Paramedics) but you will never be one of them.




NOTE: These are my opinions only and in no way reflect the views of EMTLife.com or any of the other Admins/Mods here. - ffemt8978
 
I have to agree 100% with ffemt8978.... I'm sorry that you've had so many problems with the "Bubba's" out there, but I assure you that they are in the minority....

I too have great respect for all of the PARAmedics that I work with, whether they are my favorite people outside of work really holds no credence to how they do patient care. Based totally on the comments in your post, I can assure you that I would not respect your ideas / opinions (although I DO respect your right to have them) if I was to have the opportunity to work with you.
 
As far as the "Bubbas" go, I've seen as many that are paramedics as are EMTs. I think medic is a fine term for ems personal to the non-industry person. Of course we will differentiate within our industry. We are ALL medical professionals, though some don't act like it. It's crucial for EMTs to understand their BLS skills and use them - they're the same skills that paramedics are using from the start. Performing good CPR as well as a good assessment can save someone's life. That makes you a professional in my book. When the SHTF, egos need to go out the door. Our dispatch still tells RPs that "Paramedics are on the way" when in reality, there's only one coming. I've heard BLS fire say countless times that "medics" are here when we get there. That's fine. They know that I'm not trained any further than they are. We're a team. I'm not trying to be a more important EMT than one of them because it says "Paramedics" on my ambulance.

On that note, they generally do defer to me when it comes down to it because I usually know what my partner will want (if not I'll defer to him/her).

I can't stress the "same team" mentality. When someone's laying on the ground missing limbs after an MVA, they want to hear a familiar word for who's caring for them. "Medics" or even "Paramedics" work. Granted they're not going to be getting much more than BLS service.
 
Well, I guess nobody agrees with me. This is why I am currently pre-med and so many of my friends who were great paramedics now have their RN or MD or DO. This is why we don't get the respect we deserve at the hospitals. This is why I get paid only 12 bucks an hour running on average 9 calls in a 12 hour shift in the inner city. This is why we are turning into a taxi service for the poor. I see paramedics in other countries who are respected and there are long waiting lists of applicants hoping beyond hope to work on a moble intensive care unit, not a glorified taxi like here in the USA. Tell you what, lets just let RN's start calling themselves doctors. After all, they work really hard and do a lot of the same things MD's do. It's just to hard remembering the difference between MD and RN so lets call all of them doctors to make it simple for people. Besides, we cant let the ego of our MDs get out of control, we cant let them actually take pride in their superior training can we?
 
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