cut for brevity
I respectfully but vehemently disagree.
Anybody who tells you that there is only one answer...well...to put it mildly they are wrong.
I don't always get things right.
But I am pretty sure I got this one down.
I have never heard of an RN being forced to work as an LPN first.
Now a Doctor forced to work as a PA.
I agree that there are many intangible skills in beiing anykind of provider, however, a good understanding of medical knowledge is of more benefit before you start seeing patients rather than after.
Unlearning over simplified concepts and focusing in on "what really matters in the field" is a surefire way to make learning advanced information very difficult. Especially adult learners having to unlearn things.
With rare exception these days, a basic is nothing more than a set of hands with a few meaningless skills. Jobs where a basic can get good experience are also almost impossible to find/get. Which means the likelyhood of getting bad experience is considerably greater than good experience.
Furthermore, talking to docs and nurses is a lot easier when you have something intelligent to say. Being nice to somebody who doesn't know what they are talking about speaks to the professionalism of the listener, not the speaker.
I also know what you mean about learning how to manage a scene, etc. I was very fortunate to start my career when a Basic might be the only care provider showing up in a 911 system. But again, with the exception of some rare services, that just doesn't exist anymore.
While rural services may be more likely to have such, the volume of calls is usually so low it doesn't matter anyway. You could spend years working on an ambulance and not see the patient load of a busy ED in a day.
Basics now-a-days can look forward to the dialysis derby. With the occasional nursing home call where the treatment provided by BLS hardly matters outside of a ride.
Maybe they will drive by a car accident and wait for 911 to show up on a lucky day.
What's more, the job market for basics is so tight, making yourself more marketable with a higher education credential is a wise move. Otherwise you could be like these California people coming here wondering why there are no jobs.
Also consider, with the new and recent changes in the Basic curriculum, including more basic science like PH, physiology, etc. A new basic in these next few years is going to be far more educated and valuable than a basic under the old curriculum.
This is not the 1980s, without basically hitting the FD job lottery, a basic is not going to get all of these intangible skills before medic school.
I have also noticed after teaching medics for just over 9 years that the only people who advocate being a basic first are people who struggled with paramedic class because for whatever reason, were in over their head.
You are better off taking a college A&P course or General Chemistry than wasting time getting comfortable lifting cots, applying high flow o2 on everyone, and spineboarding every patient you see.
I will also admit there are valuable lessons to be learned doing IFT, like seeing disease progressions over time, learning commonly prescribed medications, and interactions with non EMS facilities. However, when you step into the realm of self directed learning, you need a strong base to work from. Otherwise you can make some considerable and volumous mistakes, which would negate any benefit of time spent.
Prior experience demonstrates the trade mentality that holds EMS back from being a real profession. It is also wisdom from a world that doesn't exist anymore.
"
private companies like to see years of experience for a paramedic. i've heard the word "trainwreck" used a few too many times for going straight to emt-p.
might get you a job easier, and you might learn a few things along the way. "
I could use the word trainwreck to describe many new doctors, but they are still far more capable than any experienced Basic.
