Wow! Didn’t mean to ruffle any feathers. Just expressing my opinion.…
I am not ruffled in the least. Just sharing my perspective and information.
I just think the idea that being an EMT for a while always helps needs to be qualified and quantified.
I think Corky has a good observation. It depends on what your experience as an EMT is. Satisfying the qualitative requirement.
Just in my observation, it doesn't reflect in the type of service you work for, but in the culture of the service. Whether 911 or IFT, when you are taught skills matter over knowledge, you are being set up for a fail.
One of the most common things I hear out of failing students is: "This doesn't matter in the field."
When I hear it, I make every effort to sell/convince the value of the theory to them, but I am not always successful.
That being said, is the majority of EMT, especially upper level EMT training not made up of “Experienced providers”? That alone would influence the statistical data. If it’s not in your locale, then OK I can accept that statement at face value.
Over the years (9 now) I have seen a transition in the make-up of paramedic class. In the earlier years almost all of the medic students had been EMTs for a while.
About 6 years ago, because local agencies decided medic was a prereq for hire because they didn't want to send people to medic class on their dime, there was a population shift to most medic students being fresh out of EMT school without experience. Both the class sizes and pass rates increased.
The last couple of years most of the students were adults changing careers and younger currently enrolled college students with no field experience. Both pass rates and averages increased.
For about the last 5 years the all but 2 failures were "experienced" EMTs actively working in fire and or EMS, all except one was male (edited from reminder by collegue, there was 1 female in this group), and all without any college.
The other 2 was a lady who got pregnant and was forced to withdraw for childcare reasons after the withdraw with no grade date, and one man for family reasons that required his time, and he missed too many classes. (both were passing at the time)
In my area that happens to be the case and the numbers support my above statement. I see no real correlation to “age, sex, race or religion” as a factor in failing the training. I was relating personal experiences and experiences that have been expressed to me during my career..…
We have discovered by 6 years of data:
Men fail more than women when adjusted for percentage of class population. (there are always considerably more men so this has to be adjusted)
Women average higher scores in classroom
Men have better clinical reviews on the ambulances but worse than women from the hospitals.
Everyone with at least 1 year of college recieve higher scores than those without.
Nobody with 1 or more years of college failed in the 6 years of data.
Entrance exam scores very accurately predict the student's average class score.
Students who have live in children often have lower class averages than those without.
Older students report more hours studying compared to younger. It does not reliably translate to higher scores.
Students with full time employment usually have lower class averages than those that don't but receive better clinical reviews.
Students who work as EMTs while in class usually have better scores in trauma and cardiology than those who don't, but have lower averages in every other topic compared to classmates who are not actively employed in EMS.
Now I could have better stated this I admit. JUST because you can study and regurgitate information on a written test and perform a particular skills set in a controlled setting, DOES NOT relate how you will perform in an uncontrolled setting acting as lead under stress.
I had the pleasure of attending my paramedic training with very intelligent individuals that simply could not, or rather would not function at a productive level in the field. Placing both their patient and themselves in jeopardy.
Medicine is medicine I agree, but a rubber stamp education alone does not prepare an individual to apply any theory without at least some experience. And I don’t think 6 months setting in class and 96 whole hrs riding with a preceptor prepares everyone for that responsibility. Speaking generically of course, there are exceptions.
Again, this is just my opinion…
Fair enough.