Physicians Seek Recognition for EMS as Subspecialty of Emergency Medicine

[VentMedic]

I had posted information about this a few months ago and a link to the NAEMSP website since it has good material to stay updated.

http://www.naemsp.org/



Prehospital Emergency Care Journal
Excellent reading material.
http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=t713698281~tab=issueslist

Newletter with good updates and from the physicians' point of view
http://www.naemsp.org/newsletters.html



Physicians Seek Recognition for EMS as Subspecialty of Emergency Medicine

Friday, March 13, 2009

http://www.emsresponder.com/article/article.jsp?id=9151&siteSection=1

As announced in this month's issue of EMS Magazine, (Click to read) the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) along with the American College of Emergency Physicians have formally applied to the American Board of Emergency Medicine for EMS to be recognized as a true subspecialty of emergency medicine.

This will be the second appeal in two decades, but the feeling among physicians in the EMS community is that the time is right. EMSResponder.com spoke with NAEMSP president Ted Delbridge to learn more about this effort.

Over the years, he explained, the number of EMS fellowship and academic programs have multiplied, producing physicians who consider themselves to be specialists in EMS or prehospital care. So now, "There is a critical mass of physicians with an interest in this field," he said, and "As a whole, the group has become better able to articulate its specific fund of knowledge."

http://www.emsresponder.com/article/article.jsp?id=9151&siteSection=1

The practical effect for EMS providers
"Hopefully what it will do over time is further develop the cadre of physicians that act as medical directors," Delbridge said. "As I travel around the country I recognize that providers don't always enjoy the most qualified of medical direction... and often that's because in their particular geography or community, there's not an abundance of physicians with an interest in EMS; they don't have access to someone who has enthusiasm like they do.

"Hopefully this will lend an added degree of credibility to the field that will attract other physicians, and they will become enthusiastic medical directors and leaders in prehospital care that ultimately other providers in the field will benefit from."

 

[mace85]

That would be great. I can see this opening up the world of EMS to allow many more training opportunities, and more importantly incentives to receive more training. Having more, specialized medical directors might increase the ability to deal with minor problems in the field. This would be one more small step towards making EMS a less abused system.

The biggest problem I see in this field is opportunity for advancement. I am a Basic who is starting into EMS in a volunteer position. I would rather volunteer one or two days a week, than be employeed for a private EMS company and take a pay cut. The other stumbling block is that (at least in my are) paramedic is a four letter word. The pay is horrible, and unless your with a gov't FD your pretty much beaten up by your company.

I really hope this works out. It can be the small boost that EMS in this country needs to advance.