Would you recommend an Associates Degree?

[heatherabel3]

Does having an Associates Degree make any kind of difference as a Medic? Here in WA we have to be on a rig as a Basic for a year before we can even apply to medic school so I figured during that time I would get my pre-req's out of the way and maybe even start some Associates classes if it is somehow going to help me in the long run. I don't really wanna put myself in a ton of debt if having the degree isn't going to make a difference one way or the other though. So...would you recommend going the extra mile for the degree or not worth it?

 

[mycrofft]

How likely are you to want to progress within the next five years to something meatier than EMT-B or even Paramedic?

Also, remember that unless your grades really bite, once you have the degree no one wants to know about your GPA. (A home run is a home run, even if you crawled the last six feet backwards singing "Oh, Susannah").

 

[Christopher]

Does having an Associates Degree make any kind of difference as a Medic? Here in WA we have to be on a rig as a Basic for a year before we can even apply to medic school so I figured during that time I would get my pre-req's out of the way and maybe even start some Associates classes if it is somehow going to help me in the long run. I don't really wanna put myself in a ton of debt if having the degree isn't going to make a difference one way or the other though. So...would you recommend going the extra mile for the degree or not worth it?

Is this an AAS in Paramedicine? Or just an AAS in something...

I don't recommend going to college unless you have a goal in mind. No sense in acquiring the debt if you aren't studying something you want to study.

That being said, often times a degree will get HR people all happy because it means you're "better than everybody who doesn't have one". (I use quote fingers because degrees are meaningless, people make the degree not the other way around...but HR only cares about what you look like on paper and how you dress)

Will it get you hired? Statistically yes. When looking at software engineer candidates I pay attention to what college they say attended and what their field of study was. However, some of the best candidates I've interviewed have had non-traditional degrees (a fellow with a PhD in British Lit was the best I've ever seen).

Will you get paid more? Statistically yes.

Will you be a better paramedic? A degree based paramedic program may teach you more than a non-degree based program due to the extra classroom time. In all likelihood an AAS in paramedicine isn't going to be that much different from a continuing education style class.

Bottom line: if you want one, get the whole AAS. Don't just take a few classes towards one (you'll be wasting your money). And get your AAS in something you want to study. If that has nothing to do with medicine, so be it. Non traditional job candidates are often the best ones as they likely want to be there.

 

[TatuICU]

Does having an Associates Degree make any kind of difference as a Medic? Here in WA we have to be on a rig as a Basic for a year before we can even apply to medic school so I figured during that time I would get my pre-req's out of the way and maybe even start some Associates classes if it is somehow going to help me in the long run. I don't really wanna put myself in a ton of debt if having the degree isn't going to make a difference one way or the other though. So...would you recommend going the extra mile for the degree or not worth it?

Small picture, no its worthless in EMS right now. Big picture, you would be helping to set a trend and would be one of the ones raising the bar for EMS education and could call yourself a degreed healthcare professional. Since states aren't going to do it and we as a profession just want to whine and want a bunch of credit, great pay, and more autonomy without actually having to hold a degree, it's up to the individual to raise the bar themselves at this point in time.

A quick of advice, pursue an AS in some sort of science, not "EMS." That way when you inevitably wish to move on as a provider, you won't have to go backwards getting those classes. Chemistry, biology, math, whatever. A solid science is always a good idea for an AS.

 

[heatherabel3]

How likely are you to want to progress within the next five years to something meatier than EMT-B or even Paramedic?/QUOTE]

Not at all likely. Right now Paramedic is the furthest I have in mind. Actually, scrath that, Flight Medicine would be the actual goal but WA says only RN's. So, for the foreseable future, Medic it is.

I pretty much knew that statistically I am more likely to get the job and better pay which would be nice but, honestly, not something I wanna put myself 20G's in debt over unless it's gonna pay 20G more a year having a degree and it's not. I just didn't know if maybe there was a part of the picture I'm missing.

 

[Veneficus]

How likely are you to want to progress within the next five years to something meatier than EMT-B or even Paramedic?/QUOTE]

Not at all likely. Right now Paramedic is the furthest I have in mind. Actually, scrath that, Flight Medicine would be the actual goal but WA says only RN's. So, for the foreseable future, Medic it is.

I pretty much knew that statistically I am more likely to get the job and better pay which would be nice but, honestly, not something I wanna put myself 20G's in debt over unless it's gonna pay 20G more a year having a degree and it's not. I just didn't know if maybe there was a part of the picture I'm missing.

TatuICU is right.

A very respected EMS leader once wrote that EMS loses its best and brightest to other professions.

I have found that to be true.

An associate degree for EMS right now is a noble goal. It can open up doors outside of typical EMS in the way of teaching, etc.

It will also give you a head start on whatever healthcare field you plan to move into in the future.

On a more altruistic front, it will benefit your patients, it will benefit the EMS profession.

 

[terrible one]

Not at all likely. Right now Paramedic is the furthest I have in mind. Actually, scrath that, Flight Medicine would be the actual goal but WA says only RN's. So, for the foreseable future, Medic it is.

I pretty much knew that statistically I am more likely to get the job and better pay which would be nice but, honestly, not something I wanna put myself 20G's in debt over unless it's gonna pay 20G more a year having a degree and it's not. I just didn't know if maybe there was a part of the picture I'm missing.

20k for an AS degree?!?!?
I am sure you can get an AS through a CC for far less than that?

 

[Christopher]

20k for an AS degree?!?!?
I am sure you can get an AS through a CC for far less than that?

A lot of CC's are just going to have AA General Studies and a 2+2 option with a local University system.

 

[heatherabel3]

That's at the CC I'm going to for EMT-B. For just the additional classes I would need, something like 42 credits, it would be a little more than 20K. Then I have to pay for medic school and 2 pre-reqs on top of that. Big picture says it may be worth it after all but man I really hate debt. I won't even finance a car. LOL

 

[Veneficus]

That's at the CC I'm going to for EMT-B. For just the additional classes I would need, something like 42 credits, it would be a little more than 20K. Then I have to pay for medic school and 2 pre-reqs on top of that. Big picture says it may be worth it after all but man I really hate debt. I won't even finance a car. LOL

You need to move the hell out of wherever you are and soon.

You can get a BS from a 4 year state university where I am from, 128 credit hours for 24K.

 

[Christopher]

That's at the CC I'm going to for EMT-B. For just the additional classes I would need, something like 42 credits, it would be a little more than 20K. Then I have to pay for medic school and 2 pre-reqs on top of that. Big picture says it may be worth it after all but man I really hate debt. I won't even finance a car. LOL

If you're going full time you don't quite pay the "per credit hour" rate. A 15 credit-hour semester at my local CC costs an instate student ~$1200. That includes parking and fees, but not books. Figure $500 for 15 credit hours worth of books. Round to $2k per semester with 4 semesters is still only $8k.

 

[abckidsmom]

You need to move the hell out of wherever you are and soon.

You can get a BS from a 4 year state university where I am from, 128 credit hours for 24K.

Extremely low cost of living where you are from. Before financial aid kicks in, it's at least $50k here.

 

[Veneficus]

Extremely low cost of living where you are from. Before financial aid kicks in, it's at least $50k here.

yea, I didn't add in the cost of living, just the tuition. But since I worked a full time and 2 part time gigs while attending school full time, cost of living was taken care of.

 

[heatherabel3]

If you're going full time you don't quite pay the "per credit hour" rate. A 15 credit-hour semester at my local CC costs an instate student ~$1200. That includes parking and fees, but not books. Figure $500 for 15 credit hours worth of books. Round to $2k per semester with 4 semesters is still only $8k.

Medic school alone is more than that here. Trust me, I wish I was back in TX paying there tuition and fees, but here in the great Pacific Northwest it's all stupid expensive. Also keep in mind that where I'm going is the only WA state approved CC in my area for Basic or Medic school without going through fire academy so they can pretty much charge whatever they want.

 

[terrible one]

Medic school alone is more than that here. Trust me, I wish I was back in TX paying there tuition and fees, but here in the great Pacific Northwest it's all stupid expensive. Also keep in mind that where I'm going is the only WA state approved CC in my area for Basic or Medic school without going through fire academy so they can pretty much charge whatever they want.

so for an additional 42 units it costs $20k? that is over $450 a unit! What community college are you going to, because I pay less than that at a private university. In CA CC is $36 a unit, and while it may be going up soon it is still fairly resonable. Even with extra fees and books I was still able to get an AS for less than $20k

 

[heatherabel3]

That's what my student portal says. It says what I paid for this Basic class I'm taking, what to expect for medic school, and what it would cost for the additional courses and thats the numbers it shows. I have no idea, but now that I know its so much cheaper everywhere else I may have to research why so much.

 

[Christopher]

That's what my student portal says. It says what I paid for this Basic class I'm taking, what to expect for medic school, and what it would cost for the additional courses and thats the numbers it shows. I have no idea, but now that I know its so much cheaper everywhere else I may have to research why so much.

Looking at the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges' website the maximum academic year cost for tuition and fees is $3,542 in-state and $8,777 out-of-state.

 

[NomadicMedic]

The Tacoma CC AA/medic program is around 8k. I don't know where you're looking, but talk to Melissa Stoddard or Mike Smith and get the exact figures.

 

[heatherabel3]

I gotta run up there on Friday to pick up my parking permit so I'll see if Mike is around then and talk to him. I have only talked to him on the phone a couple of times but he seems like good guy and he's super helpful. Thanks.

 

[NomadicMedic]

And FYI, unless you're going to work as a fire medic, an associates degree from TCC is just a "nice to have". All of the private companies that hire medics there could care less. Of course, more education is always a good thing, but it doesn't translate into more money as a medic unless you're with Fire.

Also, take a "real" A&P course, the full 10 credits. The "A&P survey" that TCC offers is, IMHO, inadequate.