Are you an EMT or "Medic"

Where I work:

I get called EMT, Nurse, and occasionally, Doctor.

By my family:

I get called Ambulance Driver, EMT, and Paramedic.

They are also largely confused about where I work and what I do. I recall at a family gathering on my wife's side, one of her step brothers asked me if I was the paramedic that worked on his fiancee's dad because he had just had a heart attack and was in the hospital. His fiancee also asked the same.

The father, apparently, was picked up by EMS and taken to a hospital. Started out, they believed I was the one who picked him up but then turned into the one working on him at the hospital. I neither worked for a transporting agency or a hospital at the time, and no where near the location.

In the end, I say I'm an EMT and leave it at that. If they ask more questions because they're still confused about that response, I explain to them my role and answer whatever questions they have.
 
If I'm asked what my job is by a patient, I say I am an ER Tech. If they ask for more, I say I operate as an EMT except in a hospital instead of an ambulance. That usually does it. At work most staff refer to Paramedics as Medics. On my SAR team all EMT+ licensed folks are considered Medics, but the Paramedics are usually given that prefix. I consider myself an EMT. I consider Medic short/lazy for Paramedic.
 
I'd prefer if the public just knew all EMS as medics. It's short, simple, and generally describes what we all do. We can reserve the technical jargon and terms of NRParagod+ or whatever for referring to ourselves internally, but all the public cares about is someone showing up to help. Not once has a patient asked what level I am, nor do I imagine they've cared. In this area though, the term "medic" very much refers to paramedics. Hospital staff, dispatch, and BLS all use that terminology to request ALS or refer to any of the paramedic units. In fact, even our radio designators are based around it. Paramedic units are Medic 10X, and BLS ambulances are referred to as Medic XXX when a medic is onboard.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I don't get much into divisions outside of work, I've been called many things, hell, I'm at the point now that if someone calls me a medic (short for paramedic where I am) or a paramedic, I don't even correct them because it takes up way too much of my precious time to explain the differences, the only exception being if someone is genuinely interested for whatever reason.

At the end of the day, as long as you show up and do your job, the victims don't care what your title is, they only care that you are there. I tell students and trainees all the time that BLS will save just as much life as ALS!
 
avdrummerboy said:
I don't get much into divisions outside of work, I've been called many things, hell, I'm at the point now that if someone calls me a medic (short for paramedic where I am) or a paramedic, I don't even correct them because it takes up way too much of my precious time to explain the differences, the only exception being if someone is genuinely interested for whatever reason.

At the end of the day, as long as you show up and do your job, the victims don't care what your title is, they only care that you are there. I tell students and trainees all the time that BLS will save just as much life as ALS!
Click to expand...

Nailed it.
 
New to the site (hey) but for me, a medic is any medically trained person overseas serving to fix up any busted body in need. Only at home/non-deployment does the designation matter. Quite frankly, in my area, a Paramedic is a paramedic, an EMT either ALS or BLS but both are EMT. So, when I see/hear "Medic", I think military and deployments. Medic just doesn't seem right on the civilian side, but then again, maybe I have just a bit too much dust between my ears...or not near enough. :)
 
Thanks to the dorky paramilitary uniforms with badges that are normal round these parts, I get called officer a fair amount. The uniform shirt comes off in shady neighborhoods
 
medical taxi driver, thank you very much. :p

I could care less what people call me, I just do my job.
 
I'm an ambulance driver
 
STXmedic said:
You more than anybody. Can y'all even do anything out there in Podunk? ;)
Click to expand...
Diesel and avgas boluses. We cant do anything for.em, gotta get them to the hospital where the doctors do all their fancy ****
 
Some of this nonchalance is probably why most people (public) don't know the difference.
I work as both and tell people that. I will usually explain the difference when asked; which isn't too often because our badges and shirts have our title on them.
 
Angel said:
Some of this nonchalance is probably why most people (public) don't know the difference.
I work as both and tell people that. I will usually explain the difference when asked; which isn't too often because our badges and shirts have our title on them.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I would wager that while a good number of lay people may not truly understand the different they absolutely notice when a shirt has a P patch rather than an EMT one, at least around here.

Medic means paramedic around here. I wouldn't dream of telling anyone I am a medic (as I'm not) because the term is so widely accepted as short-speak for a P that I would be, in a way, taking credit for an awful lot of schooling I haven't done (yet!).

While one might argue that it doesn't matter is the public *thinks* you are a paramedic when you are not as long as you are only acting within your scope, it does matter to me. I will take credit for what I do, right or wrong, but never for what I don't-education and training included.
 
In the Army medics are EMTs that are trained to about ARMY level but are certified at basic level.
 
From where I am from, if you say emt all you get is a blank stare with "so you're a paramedic"

I just explain that I can stop the bleeding, start breathing, cpr and transport. If you need more you need a medic
 
Twitch559 said:
From where I am from, if you say emt all you get is a blank stare with "so you're a paramedic"

I just explain that I can stop the bleeding, start breathing, cpr and transport. If you need more you need a medic
Click to expand...

i like that
quick and dirty
 
There is no way for confusion that way
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top