When to go to medic school

Z

zpnx99

Forum Ride Along
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Points
0
I realize that there's probably a million similar threads about going to school to be a paramedic.... But I was just wondering what happens once you get your medic license with very little to no experience. Will you get hired as a medic with little work experience? The reason I ask is because I am currently certified as an EMT-b and I have not been able to find any work. My original plan was to work for about a year and then enter medic school after getting some field experience but I am seriously rethinking this because of how difficult it is to find a job in my area.
 
Go at your first opportunity. You'll get a year's worth of experience on your clinicals.

Employers know that medics are coming out of school green, and some prefer that so they can train you to do things their way.

Give it a whirl!
 
abckidsmom said:
Go at your first opportunity. You'll get a year's worth of experience on your clinicals.

Employers know that medics are coming out of school green, and some prefer that so they can train you to do things their way.

Give it a whirl!
Click to expand...

Correct. Plus, you have less time to develop bad habits.
 
Go as soon as humanly possible. There is absolutely no advantage to staying an EMT-B.
 
Be sure to check with your medic school of choice, many require a certain amount of EMT-B experience before you can get in, usually a year or so.

That may not apply to the east coast though, but always safe to check first.
 
Monkey said:
Be sure to check with your medic school of choice, many require a certain amount of EMT-B experience before you can get in, usually a year or so.

That may not apply to the east coast though, but always safe to check first.
Click to expand...

It doesn't apply to really any of the Southwest either. It seems to primarily a CA thing
 
figures, CA is usually out in right field doing it's own thing.. :)
 
To echo the others, as soon as humanly possible. If you plan on being a medic, staying a basic is a waste of your time.
 
If you can't find work as a Basic and you're certain of your "basic" skills, go ahead and get going on Medic School. Medic school should teach you how to be a good Basic before teaching you how to be a Medic as part of the process. Personally, I think someone should have some good experience as a Basic (6 mos FT) before going to Medic school if possible. Why? You get comfortable with your Basic skills and don't have enough time to develop bad habits. It shouldn't take but a few extra internship shifts to teach someone the Basic skills, but I'd be concerned that intern might not be comfortable at it to trust themselves with those basic skills, even though they've achieved some level of proficiency.
 
I do not think being a B is a waste of anyones time really.

Being a B teaches things that can't be taught in a classroom, but it depends much on your background. If you're young and don't have much life, let alone job experience, do it for 6months to a year, it wont hurt and you'll learn. If you're older or have a medical background, fire, etc... and you're comfortable with what you're getting into, go for it.

I've seen a couple people without field time survive medic school, but it wasn't easy and they worked their butts off. The ones that didn't survive were trying to not only learn ALS, but learn a bedside manner, customer service, protocols, working in a moving rig, and all that on top of trying to perfect their BLS protocols which is the basis for ALL ALS calls.

It's not necessary, but NOT a waste of your time.
 
Insert here why is it only EMS trys and claim one must stop and work at each level? If this was necessary or even beneficial every doctor would start as a candy striper, then a cna, then a lvn, then an RN, then either a NP or a PA, then get be a basic doc, then finally get to be a specialist. Average age after all steps somewhere like 100. :unsure:
 
medic417 said:
Insert here why is it only EMS trys and claim one must stop and work at each level? If this was necessary or even beneficial every doctor would start as a candy striper, then a cna, then a lvn, then an RN, then either a NP or a PA, then get be a basic doc, then finally get to be a specialist. Average age after all steps somewhere like 100. :unsure:
Click to expand...
Frankly, it's because of how the EMS education system is designed. There are separate phases in the programs and clinical experiences aren't incorporated into them. A year long didactic program that incorporates clinical time along with the didactic time should result in medics that are ready for life in the field without having to become an EMT first. Of course, by then, you're looking at a program that is closer to 2000 hours in length than the 1,000 or so now...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top