the jump to medic after basic training- pros and cons.

[Monkadelic]

I know this type of topic has been done before, but i'd like to discuss the pros and cons of the jump to medic right after completing basic. Here is the scenario; I will be done with my basic training in may ( hopefully registry as well) right now im top of my class with A midterm- aced medical as well with trauma coming up ( no biggie) I already work at our main unit as an inpatient transport and have 4 years under my belt experience up there( which helps out aLOT in class). everyone in my class are basically doing a straight through to medic and half of them arent even 19 yet ( we have a few vets in there that were combat medics also) they have been harping on me why i dont go straight through like they are.. well one is obviously the money since i had to borrow this lump of cash already plus i have all my prereqs out of the way since i already been to college for 3 years- minus A&P 2. second- ive always been a hands on person not a book person and i heard a great quote reading up on here that a good medic always begins as a great basic. now with that in mind here is my dilemma; EVERYONE wants me to shoot through all the way ( classmates, teachers, family, even the ppl i work with)... but we havent even started our clinicals yet and even tho i deal with a nice percentage of stuff already up at work; i just dont seem to feel i would get the full benefit from just basic since trauma is the reason i initially signed up for in the first place. so i guess what im asking are there really any pros to going straight through as opposed to the pros of being on station for 1 yr until next august to sign for medic? i kinda want the experience first since 4 years up at the hospital already has helped me out greatly with moving patients, communicating with rns, drs, documenting, medical lingo,etc.

honestly the only cons i can see in this decision for a 1 yr hiatus is the lack of extra money, and the lack of ALS skills.

anyone care to chime in with some thoughts on this?

 

[Handsome Robb]

I hate to be that guy but like you said this topic has been beaten to death.

Do you feel comfortable going straight to medic? It's very dependent on the person. The material isn't rocket science and medic school, while time consuming, isn't THAT hard. It's all about time management.

The fact that you already have pt care experience helps but the hospital environment is very different from the prehospital environment.

Who cares what other people say, do what you want to do and what you feel comfortable with.

 

[Maine iac]

I tested for my basic in mid december and was back in the classroom on the 3rd of january for my medic. I didn't want to waste my time as a basic and went right into it. I had no medical exp prior, but knew that if I wanted to do this job I wanted to be at an ALS level. I wanted all the cool skills rofl but I wanted to know more about my pt's problems. You don't learn anything in basic class (my opinion maybe not everybody's), but coming out of medic school I felt like I could have a conversation with a doctor and not be seen like a bumbling fool who doesn't know anything.

Sure there are things I need to work on which would not be an issue if I had spent time as a basic. But then, they would have been an issue when I was a basic, so I am in the same boat.

If you think you can cut it jumping right into the ALS level do it. In this job you either make a decision or you don't.

 

[DPM]

Some people do it and do well, some people have to take several attempts at their EMT-B, and there's every possible shade of grey in between.

I don't know you, and even I did, I wouldn't be able to answer this question for you. You wont know you're ready until you take your entry test or actually go down and talk to the instructors.

 

[Shishkabob]

good medic always begins as a great basic

So I'm a bad medic?




The top 3 people in my medic class (myself included) never worked any real length of time as an EMT before going to medic school. Does it help some people? Sure, but everyone needs to decide for themselves when they're comfortable.


My view? It's much better to get your medic so you actually know what you're doing and why. Then when you do your internship and clincials, you can actually grasp what's being done, understand it better, and put it in to practice.

 

[Melmd]

No one is stopping you bro, in my opinion if you have the capabilities (financial) guts and the brains then do it!

Hooyah!

 

[Monkadelic]

thanks for the replies guys; a lot of good answers in here. Linuss i never said you were a bad medic lol, i was just quoting something that i have read over and over researching into this. I just needed some second opinions other than the people around me, and i figured this would most definitely a great place to get them. there is alot of collective wisdom on these boards and I enjoy lurking here alot.
Thanks a bunch again- I'll definitely check in with some updates for sure!
peace

 

[NomadicMedic]

So I'm a bad medic?

You can't make a statement like that on a message board. Who knows if you're a bad medic? You may be a great medic… You may be a crappy medic. Nobody really knows, only you. You seem to have a lot of book smarts, who knows how you are on the road. Can you take a blood pressure in a moving truck? Are you fast and efficient at back boarding patients? Do you know when ALS is appropriate and when BLS is appropriate?

The fact of the matter is, I believe that EMTs should work on the road for a while before they move to ALS. I know that's not a popular opinion, but that's my opinion. They need to know the basics. Most of the stuff that's not taught to them in paramedic school. Simple things, how to take a blood pressure in the truck, how to put someone on a backboard quickly and efficiently, how to move someone in a stair chair into or out of a house.

Most of that stuff isn't taught in paramedic school. And frankly, how is somebody who's brand-new to the field going to know if this is really for them until they've run the monotony of BS calls day in and day out.

I'm sure I'll get flamed for this comment… But I think that EMTs need to work on an ambulance before they make the jump to ALS.