Leaderboard

I'm not sure if this is really the appropriate place for this, but I really didn't think it fell into the "student" or "instructor" forums because it requires input from both sides. Basically, I'm interested to see what people here think about a doctoral program focused on EMS. Granted, there are very few university based programs as it is now, but in a perfect world where 4-year EMS programs were found in a decent amount of colleges and universities, would you support a doctoral program? If you do, what type of school or doctoral program do you think it should fall in? Should it be a Ph.D, Dr.P.H, D.H.S, etc? Under what college should it be found? Public Health, Medicine, etc? Would there be a use for such a degree? Now or in the future? Would you prefer a professional masters or doctoral degree? OR, is the use for such a degree already being filled by another set of degrees? What would the research preferably focus on? Would you pursue such a degree?

These school's alumni speak for themselves. Doctors, administrators, flight medics, etc. From all corners of the world. You say you question "intent and creditability," yet many of these programs produce very good paramedics and administrators. There is no "intent" beyond that goal, especially since none of these people are making a killing as a university professor. You should know that professors make crap most of the time. Most of the Baccalaureate programs are found in well-respected colleges with a very high level of fiscal responsibility. From what I've seen the goals of these institutions is genuine. As for what education a paramedic student may get at a program like this, I point you to the clinicals, the facilities, the resources, the instructors, the alumni, etc, etc. Finally, your comment about people not taking the research of kids seriously is ridiculous. Research is research, especially if it's useful. A Ph.D from Johns Hopkins or Harvard is the same no matter if you're 27 or 67. People will respect you for the extraordinary individual you are.

I am going to try my damndest to stay out of this discussion. As valid as the discussion is in theory, in practice, it is pointless. Suffice it to say that I am very disappointed in what UM correctly perceives as a lack of vision from many here. He is attempting to discuss the future, yet some are totally unable to see past the present to imagine it. Although, as dismal as our "present" is, I can certainly understand that. Basically, I completely agree with UM. Well, I agreed with him up until the stuff about prevention. :?

Exactly. A lot of resentment seems to come from the fact that generations of paramedics, already established in their careers, will refuse to allow a younger (in some cases), more educated generation dictate policy in the field because of their "new fangled" research ideas. Paramedicine is definitely a field that is intimidated by education. I think more fear comes from higher medicine too. Many of the upper echelons of medicine with a vested interest in the emergency medical field gain nothing, from their point of view, from a better educated paramedic. A paramedic who can effectively triage, accomplish basic procedures and administer basic routine medications would probably decrease a large amount of ER visits. I think this is one of the reasons the APP curriculum was shot down so quickly. Think too about all the physician assistants and nurse practitioners who populate our nation's ERs. The future of EMS isn't the delivery of emergency care and transport, but the prevention of emergency care and transport. By providing effective preventive medicine to our aging populations we can prevent many of the medical emergencies that we respond to every day. With crowding hospitals, a dwindling social security system, and no national health care I think it will become pertinent to bring medicine back to the home. A reversal of sorts of the last 40 years of medical culture. To say that a doctoral program is premature is self-defeating. We just sit and wait for the right time that will never come.

I imagined the PhDs workinig more alongside the people doing medical research on response times, protocols, and comparing survival rates and reporting to similar entities, rather than being academically connected with the basics and paramedics. It's more in the way that a criminology PhD is usually neither actively working in the field of law enforcement nor reporting directly to the cops coming out of the academy. It doesn't require that police academies get harder or recruits require degrees before the PhDs' studies can be published.

There is no EMS career ladder. Well at least not one that is lucrative. Let me reword your answer without the attitude (no offense): 1.You believe that there shouldn't be an EMS education at a doctoral level. At least not right now 2.You believe that currently other professions are handling EMS research okie dokie. These are valid beliefs, but let me offer a rebuttal: 1. Most of the country is moving to a requirement of a Associates Level education to be a paramedic. I know you, PRPG, are aware of this. There are several Baccalaureate level programs in the country and a few graduate programs. 2.We don't practice medicine. Doctors do, but we don't. We practice a set of protocols. There isn't a paramedic in this country with the privileges to experiment with treatments or make definitive decisions when it comes to a patent's care. Those decisions have been made for us on pieces of paper. The scientific physician exist for a reason, and there is a reason that the MD and DO are considered professional doctorates. 3. There is plenty of research being done regarding EMS. Most of it seems to be appearing in trade journals instead of peer-reviewed journals. The other aspect of EMS research is coming from the private industry. From companies such like Zoll, Medtronic, etc who are trying to sell a product. I think the lack of written research is because the majority of people in our field lack the training in proper research methods. 4.Just because there are only a few set theories regarding EMS management doesn't mean others don't exist and have yet to be discovered. Just my $.02