Medic school or not?

[MinnieToo]

I went through EMT training to volunteer with my local ambulance service. The service is a BLS that is run entirely on volunteers. I love working with the patients and have thought about continuing on into medic school, but will the extra education be of any use if our service is only BLS? Or would it be frustrating to know there is more I could do to help patients but then not have access to the medications, equipment, etc., that I would need to offer more care?

 

[luke_31]

Nope

 

[STXmedic]

You'd be able to assess them better and have a better idea or understanding of what's going on. You won't be able to do anything more, though.

 

[mgr22]

I don't think extra education is ever bad. Maybe you can think outside the box a little: Is there any chance your volunteer squad would want to make use of you as a medic? If not, are there other agencies with ALS services -- volunteer or paid -- that you could join?

 

[SeeNoMore]

There are many ways to gain additional education. With some exceptions, paramedic programs are not exactly regarded as pillars of academic excellence. It seems senseless to pass a Paramedic program and then not practice as a Paramedic.

I would suggest :

1) Go to nursing school instead. It's a far better option.
or
2) Go to Paramedic school and work as a Paramedic. You can still volunteer in a BLS capacity at your current service or as others have said look into volunteering as a Paramedic there. This is often cost prohibitive for small or rural services.
or
3) If you just want to volunteer as an EMT but wish to grow as a Clinician, pursue additional medical education without the cost of a Paramedic Program. You can buy the course books and learn on your own. Or forget books made for Paramedic students and go straight to Medical textbooks that are a few years out of date (still generally relevant as long as you are aware of current practice and much cheaper than new books)

 

[Ewok Jerky]

Doesn't make sense to me to go through the time and expense of medic school with out the payoff (and pay) of a medic gig.

1- get your medic and get a medic job and continue to volunteer as an EMT
2- buy your own books and school yourself
3- if you like medicine and want to do more, pursue higher education like PA or MD

 

[MinnieToo]

Thanks to all of you for your quick responses. I agree that no education is a waste, I need to decide which path will be the right one for me and the community.

 

[SeeNoMore]

Doesn't make sense to me to go through the time and expense of medic school with out the payoff (and pay) of a medic gig.

1- get your medic and get a medic job and continue to volunteer as an EMT
2- buy your own books and school yourself
3- if you like medicine and want to do more, pursue higher education like PA or MD

Why go to medical school when you can do everything they can do as a Paramedic ..... at 110 MPH or upside down in a ditch?

 

[Summit]

If you cannot practice above EMT and don't desire to move somewhere where you can, then still further your education:
Take Bio 1/2, A&P 1/2, Microbio, Pathophys. If you decide those are great, then you could revisit medic school with the goal of moving to where you can be a medic, or you could probably do RN school if you want to work locally as an RN.

All of the above will make you a better EMT.

 

[Carlos Danger]

Thanks to all of you for your quick responses. I agree that no education is a waste, I need to decide which path will be the right one for me and the community.

I completely disagree that no education is a waste. People always say that but I think it is just plain dumb. The world is full of people who spent the best years of their life taking classes they had little interest in and going tens of thousands of dollars in debt for a degree that ultimately does little for them.

Paramedic school will cost you in terms of dollars and time. Why would you spend valuable money and time on something you aren't going to use? Especially when you will lose much of what you learned in a rather short period of time if you never use it.

I would either go to paramedic school and then find a way to work as a paramedic, or if you want to stay an EMT and just want more knowledge, then take an A&P class and a basic pharm class. Then with that foundation there is a TON of ways to learn for free online. Google "foamed".