EMS as a stepping stone

[ThatPrivate]

I have shadowed them and it really wasn't for me. I'm alittle adrenaline junkie. I love working closely with patients as well. That's why I'm leaning towards nursing (critical care or emergency room).

 

[CAC758]

in my basic class of the 10 that passed we had 1 person that wanted to become a nurse, 2 future PA assistants , 1 doctor and one doing it for his fire department. that leaves 5 people ( including me). I've been going back and forward about continuing my education and trying to break the stereotypes is EMS. I've also considered PA school ( on the army's dime) it an associates degree in nursing. athletic training has always been a dream of mine however the field is so new that the pay and growth is similar to EMS.

I have a bachelors degree in Exercise and Wellness and am a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA) and athletic training is not very new. Getting picked up with a professional sports team is kinda hard unless you know someone, but may PT offices, schools, etc hire athletic trainers and you will make more than EMS. You will have long, random hours though! The only reason I didnt go towards athletic training is that you only work with the injured, Taping.. A lot of it, ice and stem.. over and over lol

 

[9D4]

Didn't you make a thread about wanting to go tactical? JW what happened to that.
I'm in the same position, though. I'm torn between wanting to go fire (who I vollie now and love it, but I've seen these politics firsthand now where someone completely inept is promoted) or wanting to go PA, like I used (where I shadowed and was immensely interested in becoming a surgical PA. Can't really afford the schooling for that, though, so IDK. Would like to be more in the area of definitive care, though, I believe, so. Not sure. Think I'm just going to give it a year or so and decide.

 

[Akulahawk]

I have a bachelors degree in Exercise and Wellness and am a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA) and athletic training is not very new. Getting picked up with a professional sports team is kinda hard unless you know someone, but may PT offices, schools, etc hire athletic trainers and you will make more than EMS. You will have long, random hours though! The only reason I didnt go towards athletic training is that you only work with the injured, Taping.. A lot of it, ice and stem.. over and over lol

Any good ATC should be able to get CSCS certified without too much trouble. You're right though, ATC isn't all that new. It's just that it's a very specialized field that few really understand what an ATC can do. I have a Bachelor's in Sports Medicine. I know what they can do. I'm also a Paramedic. Guess how often I had to "crack open the book" in P-school? I've also RARELY had to do the same in RN school. That's not to say that those schools sucked, rather it's a testament to the educational depth I'd gotten through the Sports Med program.

As an Athletic Trainer and Paramedic, I'd love the chance to legally combine both of those skill sets. Unfortunately, that doesn't normally happen. Otherwise, there'd be a ton of ATC/Paramedics working at the pro-team level that could handle nearly all the care needed from point of injury through arrival at the ED without handing off the player to someone less educated, or changing legal "hats."

About 40% of all ATC's work in High schools, supporting their athletics programs. That means that most of those ATC's pull double duty as a teacher and only get a stipend on top of their teacher's salary. In the clinical setting, the ATC often is only allowed to perform duties similar to a Physical Therapy Aide, even though their knowledge and skills are much closer to that of a Physical Therapist. It's not uncommon for an ATC to continue their education and get a Physical Therapy Masters and get licensed as a Physical Therapist. There's much more money in that, though the PT/ATC then spends most of their time in the clinic doing rehab than injury evaluation and prevention.

During my AT time, I spent a LOT of my time doing prevention and worked very closely with the team's Orthopod. It was really fun working with him, not to mention, educational. Do I know how to tape? Yes. It's a very small part of what I did.

As an EMT, I made more money than I would have as an Athletic Trainer in California, unless I was also a teacher or a Physical Therapist, or I managed to somehow get hired by a college/university/pro sports program.

 

[Carlos Danger]

The reality is that the only ones who can truly better the profession are the people at the top. If you want to make EMS better, go to med school.

That is like telling someone who wants to be an auto mechanic that they should earn a master's degree in mechanical engineering.

It's not necessary to be an MD to positively influence EMS.

It is probably easier to influence EMS as an educator or program administrator than as a physician.

 

[AzValley]

That is like telling someone who wants to be an auto mechanic that they should earn a master's degree in mechanical engineering.

It's not necessary to be an MD to positively influence EMS.

It is probably easier to influence EMS as an educator or program administrator than as a physician.

That is a really good analogy! Could not agree more.

 

[46Young]

Any good ATC should be able to get CSCS certified without too much trouble. You're right though, ATC isn't all that new. It's just that it's a very specialized field that few really understand what an ATC can do. I have a Bachelor's in Sports Medicine. I know what they can do. I'm also a Paramedic. Guess how often I had to "crack open the book" in P-school? I've also RARELY had to do the same in RN school. That's not to say that those schools sucked, rather it's a testament to the educational depth I'd gotten through the Sports Med program.

As an Athletic Trainer and Paramedic, I'd love the chance to legally combine both of those skill sets. Unfortunately, that doesn't normally happen. Otherwise, there'd be a ton of ATC/Paramedics working at the pro-team level that could handle nearly all the care needed from point of injury through arrival at the ED without handing off the player to someone less educated, or changing legal "hats."

About 40% of all ATC's work in High schools, supporting their athletics programs. That means that most of those ATC's pull double duty as a teacher and only get a stipend on top of their teacher's salary. In the clinical setting, the ATC often is only allowed to perform duties similar to a Physical Therapy Aide, even though their knowledge and skills are much closer to that of a Physical Therapist. It's not uncommon for an ATC to continue their education and get a Physical Therapy Masters and get licensed as a Physical Therapist. There's much more money in that, though the PT/ATC then spends most of their time in the clinic doing rehab than injury evaluation and prevention.

During my AT time, I spent a LOT of my time doing prevention and worked very closely with the team's Orthopod. It was really fun working with him, not to mention, educational. Do I know how to tape? Yes. It's a very small part of what I did.

As an EMT, I made more money than I would have as an Athletic Trainer in California, unless I was also a teacher or a Physical Therapist, or I managed to somehow get hired by a college/university/pro sports program.

There's work opportunities with the larger fire departments like mine that have their own Wel-Fit program. A Physical Therapist or CSCS could get hired into the program. Basically, our people design PT programs for people that fail our annual Work Performance Evaluation, train any member of service that requests it, perform the Functional Movement Screen for units rotating through, administer the CPAT, train prospects for the CPAT, train the recruits, and some other things I'm forgetting.

 

[Akulahawk]

There's work opportunities with the larger fire departments like mine that have their own Wel-Fit program. A Physical Therapist or CSCS could get hired into the program. Basically, our people design PT programs for people that fail our annual Work Performance Evaluation, train any member of service that requests it, perform the Functional Movement Screen for units rotating through, administer the CPAT, train prospects for the CPAT, train the recruits, and some other things I'm forgetting.

An ATC would be an excellent fit for those departments that have their own Well-Fit program. Unfortunately, there's a strong perception that all ATC's do is taping, bracing, giving RICE therapy and E-Stim.

 

[mycrofft]

An ATC would be an excellent fit for those departments that have their own Well-Fit program. Unfortunately, there's a strong perception that all ATC's do is taping, bracing, giving RICE therapy and E-Stim.

With the job market, I'm surprised such positions are not the first to go.