I'm curious why you keep calling the FP-C exam a "course"? That strikes me as odd. If it were a course, we probably wouldn't be having this discussion.
It is a course in the sense that if you do not procure the study guide, review other supporting texts and perform some independent research and study...you will not pass. While it is not a structured in the classroom course, it is a course none the less.
Interesting that you start your post out by saying that, but then finish it by saying this:
So, is the point of a credential to communicate a competency, or not? I say it is.
As I stated, there is a difference between subject matter expertise versus basic core competency. This holds true for any degree, license or certification. Holding the license/cert demonstrates a basic competency whether it be a few hours or a few years, but it does demonstrate you retained the knowledge long enough to demonstrate that. However, retaining this particular knowledge to pass is far more difficult than say retaining enough knowledge to pass a CPR course or something as simple. By this I mean those who pass this exam, usually have worked hard and DO have the knowledge...do some barely skate by? Sure they do but this does not hold true for the majority.
Add again, as I've asked before, how does a multiple choice exam evaluate the basic core competencies that a flight paramedic should possess?
The same way a multiple choice exam validates every other medical profession. We are not unique in this requirement so I am unsure what the issue is. It does however assist in determining whether or not that candidate has the knowledge or not. It will be up to the employer to weed out the ones who somehow are idiots yet hold the title through other processes but this requirement is a great start to thin the applicant pool.
If that is a valid approach, then why don't we substitute a multiple choice exam for paramedic programs?
Because you are comparing apples to oranges. Your stretch at asking why don't EMTs with zero experience just test out as a medic is ludicrous. You know this which is why you presented this weak argument. A paramedic has already had a license and presumably experience before adding a little extra education via titles such as FP-C. Even if they do not have enough experience in your opinion to be seeking this title (FP-C), at the end of the day they are still competent in paramedic knowledge and skills. This was achieved by schooling, lectures, practicals and yes, multiple choice exams. The EMT scenario is not giving consideration to those other factors, therefore is not comparable.
Hmm. What I think makes a hiring manager "suck" is being lazy and using something objective but with little actual value to rank people. Using that approach, you could easily pass over a really good person who for whatever reason, just hasn't taken the exam yet.
Yes, a great candidate could be passed over however as a hiring manager this is not your issue, it is THEIR issue for not yet taking the exam to demonstrate that they are a desired candidate. There are plenty of desirable candidates who have taken the exam. And again, I did not say the title was the sole criteria but it certainly does assist in the initial screening of applicants.
What I think makes a hiring manager NOT suck is taking the time to periodically go through all 150 or more resumes that have accumulated, and reading them and evaluating the applicants by EXPERIENCE. Experience matters far more than exam scores.
Experience is a factor but not the entire consideration. There are people who have great "experience" on paper but have done little to improve themselves professionally. Part of the character assessment is evaluating what they have done on their own to grow and expand their knowledge and understanding. What challenges have they taken on willingly to make themselves standout. I have selected candidates on experience before and learned a valuable lesson the hard way. These days I am more inclined to take a fairly fresh recruit over an experienced one especially if they demonstrate a lot of energy and excitement about themselves and the profession. These are the people who will continue to improve personally which ultimately benefits the business. This is who I want out there representing my name.
Here is how we always approached this where I worked, and exactly how I would do it again. The process is identical for flight nurse and flight paramedic candidates, aside from obvious differences in the knowledge and competencies we expect them to come with. You can substitute CFRN for FP-C here:
- When looking at resumes, the people who have flight or solid CCT experience generally go to the top of the list, regardless of their credentials.
- Assuming you DO NOT have flight experience, if you have a neat looking resume that conveys several years of high quality ALS experience (high quality, not necessarily high volume; quality is always > than quantity, and it is often hard to have both), as well as involvement in things such as QA, protocol development, and teaching, I will probably want to interview you whether you have FP-C or not.
- On the other hand, I will not bother interviewing someone whose experience appears inadequate, just because they have FP-C
- When you come to interview, you will be judged on how you interact and communicate with people, your past experience, how well you do in simulation and oral scenarios, and by the overall feeling we get as to your level of competence, maturity as a clinician, ability to manage stress, ability to interact with with other clinicians and the public, and how you would fit in with the team and learn the job.
- If you do well on those things during the interview, you will probably be put on the hiring list, even if you don't have FP-C.
- If, on the other hand, you do poorly on those things during the interview, then you will NOT be put on the hiring list, no matter what initials you have behind your name.
So where in this process is there even any room for considering the importance (or lack thereof) of the FP-C credential, or any other credential for that matter? The qualities listed in bullet 4 are critical and mandatory, and cannot be conveyed at all by the FP-C exam, which is exactly why it means next to nothing when it comes to hiring newbies.
I would not want to be associated with a program that ranked FP-C, CFRN, CCEMTP, or any other merit badge as more important than quality experience and having the right personality for the job.
Everything you listed above is what I stated or implied as important. The total package. However to streamline the process and increase talent pool, having requirements before applying will give you all of those needs and more. You can then assess through the process who gets along, who performs well, who handles stress...
Do you require your candidates to have ACLS or CPR?
If not, why not? These courses mean next to nothing right? So why do you have them as job requirements? I mean there could be some really great candidates you are passing over all over a simple little multiple choice group effort test that has actual classroom time and scenarios....(should I stretch it any further?)
LTV1200 w/ multiple drips a couple times a week. But I get what you're saying and I appreciate it. Lol it's kinda funny cause balloon pumps scare the crap out of me so I've been reviewing all sorts of stuff on them cause I have no idea how much will be on the test. I've only seen one in person a few times, so I haven't gotten a lot of hands on time with them.
