By knowing the standards that exist now, these so called medic mills are producing excellent Paramedics, then maybe EMS shouldn't change anything and the medic mill is more than adequate.
I would just like to point out that because of what US EMS is today, as well as how it is viewed and utilized, these programs are adequate.
Obviously I think it should be different, but let's be real for a minute. When your average 911 service measures its effectiveness in response times, and touts "life saving medications" with a ride to "definitive treatment" (I am still trying to figure out what The F*** that means) as there are a host of things EDs cannot treat at all, I have to say, 3 months to learn how to backboard somebody and run an ACLS or PALS algorythm may be extremely excessive.
Before we can change education, we must change perception.
Back to the point of various schools, I chose to come to my school, I would choose it again, there are many that think it is somehow lesser than a US school, but I would put any of our students against any US student of equal time and bet all I had they would come out the better with rare exception.
So I am sure there are other schools without a big name behind them that can say the same.
But one of the obstacles I see are people who view healthcare simply as a job and have no passion for it.
In the last 2 years I have seen a secretary where I taught EMS field hundreds of calls in a few months from people seeking to "quickly" change careers to something health related.
Everyone on TV and on the internet keep seeing how healthcare jobs will be more in demand as the population ages. "Recession proof" careers.
I call BS. No career is recession proof. Yes healthcare demands will increase but healthcare dollars must decrease. So that doesn't mean everyone with a degree will be hired.
With 10,000 applicants from a "quick career" change program how does somebody who used the same program as a nontraditional way to advance their healthcare career set themselves apart on a piece of paper or electronic sorter that will get maybe 5 seconds consideration?
As an anecdote, one of my good friends applied for a position that wanted either a BSN or a paramedic with some kind of 4 year health degree.
When he called to check on the status of his application he was told the computer automatically disqualified him because he did not have a bachelors listed.
He has a PhD in physiology. Which was listed.
You can see how having certian things on your app like graduated from EC can automatically get you sorted into the "quick career change no contribution" crowd in the circular file.
Not everyone will have that experience depending on location and reputation.
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