Young Paramedics

[JPINFV]

The general consensus is that stopping between EMT-B and EMT-P is a waste of time. The general consensus also is that class time and ride time for EMT-B is way too low, so don't feel bad (good job on recognizing it though. Ask for as much as you can get). What will help you with paramedic school is obtaining a good, college level foundation in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry, and a handful of other courses.

[Dustdevil]

Ooops! Edited below. Thanks, Julian.

... a lot of my proctors have said this is not a good idea and to go straight through. The best response I've gotten as to why is because if I'm out more than a semester I have to repeat all my clinicals from this semester and last. Which I really wouldn't mind.

Although it is a valid point, it is certainly not the best response you should get. The best response is that you will not be near the medic you could have been had you gone straight through from the beginning. The more time you waste in the field, the more bad information you will assimilate, and the harder those habits and mistaken notions will be to break in the paramedic educational process. The best response is that you will be a much better medic by not waiting. What other reason do you need?

If you think you need time to think before you commit fully to being a medical professional, or you need time for life to "calm down", that's fine. Nobody should dive head first into something that they are unsure of. But it should take you at least another year or two to complete the prerequisite education necessary to become a good paramedic anyhow. Start today to build a solid foundation for paramedic education with college prerequisite courses like Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Psychology, Sociology, and Algebra. If at any time during that process you decide that you're not really liking it, then you have not wasted anything, because that is valuable education for any future endeavour. But the faster you complete those courses and get into a full paramedic course (not an Intermediate transition course), the better a paramedic you will be. Every day you wait diminishes the quality of paramedic you will ultimately become, especially if you are continuing to work as an Intermediate, reinforcing bad practice.

As for young medics, I'm all for it. As I have said before, I don't care how old my partner is, so long as she or he is at least 18 years old, and has completed a very minimum of an associates degree paramedic education. If you finish high school at age 16, as many do, and finish a two year degree in paramedicine by the time you're 18, that's awesome, and you have my full support. But if you become a paramedic by age 18 or 19 by taking shortcuts, and not applying a full professional commitment to quality education, then you are not welcome on my ambulance.

Edited March 17, 2009 by Dustdevil

[Canadian Caesar]

uuuuh, Dust. Better re-read that quote you used. Because the way I read it, the proctors just said what you finished saying.

They said stopping at EMT is not a good idea, and that he should got right through to Medic...

[Asysin2leads]

I'm not sure what to say about this age thing any more. Even if age isn't an indicator of your performance, you'll find that employers and patients tend to think so. People want someone who is at least in their mid-20's working on them when they call 911. They don't really care if its someone from One Tree Hill arresting the bad guy or putting out the flames but when they're sick or hurt, and someone is approaching them with a sharp object and a bag full of drugs, they don't want someone who can't grow a mustache answering the call.

Maybe its wrong. Maybe its unfair, but that is the way it is. So, if you want to stand in the middle of the street, and scream "Its not fair! I worked hard! I can do everything they can! I'm mature! I'm good!" and stomp your feet and throw yourself on the ground kicking and screaming, feel free.

[itxtme]

I'm not sure what to say about this age thing any more. Even if age isn't an indicator of your performance, you'll find that employers and patients tend to think so. People want someone who is at least in their mid-20's working on them when they call 911. They don't really care if its someone from One Tree Hill arresting the bad guy or putting out the flames but when they're sick or hurt, and someone is approaching them with a sharp object and a bag full of drugs, they don't want someone who can't grow a mustache answering the call.

Maybe its wrong. Maybe its unfair, but that is the way it is. So, if you want to stand in the middle of the street, and scream "Its not fair! I worked hard! I can do everything they can! I'm mature! I'm good!" and stomp your feet and throw yourself on the ground kicking and screaming, feel free.

I see what you are saying and you have merit in what you have said; but in my opinion if you have the maturity, the training and the clinical experience you will put the patients mind at ease. Age is irrelevant. You don’t choose the provider when they arrive at your doorstep and often like you say people judge the cover, but I can guarantee within arriving at hospital my patients have the utmost trust in me and my abilities. [early 20 year old]

[Kiwiology]

No I do not have a problem with "young" Paramedics provided they have the knowledge and competence to accept such responsibility.

[Asysin2leads]

I'm not sure what to say about this age thing any more. Even if age isn't an indicator of your performance, you'll find that employers and patients tend to think so. People want someone who is at least in their mid-20's working on them when they call 911. They don't really care if its someone from One Tree Hill arresting the bad guy or putting out the flames but when they're sick or hurt, and someone is approaching them with a sharp object and a bag full of drugs, they don't want someone who can't grow a mustache answering the call.

Maybe its wrong. Maybe its unfair, but that is the way it is. So, if you want to stand in the middle of the street, and scream "Its not fair! I worked hard! I can do everything they can! I'm mature! I'm good!" and stomp your feet and throw yourself on the ground kicking and screaming, feel free.

There's a reason presidential campaigns spend hundreds of millions of dollars on "image consultants". And its not because voters are looking for the most qualified candidate or who has the most on the inside. If I'm an employer, and my service depends on the patients having confidence in my employees, I will do everything to make sure that confidence is a the highest, and that includes considering the image of the employee. Believe me, I don't agree with it, I don't think its right, but it is the way it is. Ever notice the media tends to spend more time on you if you're attractive? Ever notice the guy who's "not a doctor, put plays one on TV" in the commercials has a little bit of distinguished grey along the temples? Ever wonder why there is a minimum age for the presidency? Its part of the trade off for being in a high visibility field. Image does matter, and youthfulness is not always a plus in the image of a provider.

[HERBIE1]

There should be a minimum age to be a paramedic- what, exactly, I don't know. Life experience and maturity are vital to this business. Think about the responsibilities were have- we literally hold someone's life in our hands. That's pretty heady stuff for the average 18 year old. ANYONE can be trained in the nuts and bolts and book knowledge needed to perform skills, but knowing how and when to apply that knowledge comes from maturity and experience. I remember precepting students who came from an accelerated paramedic program who were supposed to have experience at the EMT B level before they started their advanced training.(That wasn't always enforced- as long as they had their tuition check) It was a very rigorous program and their drop out rate was high. I recall one girl- mid 20's- very book smart, but literally could not operate a stretcher or even turn on or change an O2 regulator when she came to me a a newly minted paramedic. She had a license(or certification at that time) but had zero street experience at any level. I had to teach her the very basics before we could even begin to address her clinical skills. Her maturity wasn't the issue, but her lack of experience was.

She had no experience in speaking to patients, their families, bystanders, or hospital staff and this was probably her biggest problem. This girl did realize her limitations and ended up being a pretty good medic. She said that the reason she took the accelerated course was because she was a single mom and needed to finish quickly for the sake of her kid so she could make money. She would have preferred to take her time and gain more experience before jumping in to ALS care but her situation prevented her from doing that.

Young EMT's and paramedics need proper guidance, teachers, and preceptors. Think about how much we change from age 18 to even 21 or 22. You need to have a good handle on yourself before you should be entrusted with someone's life. Partnering young and inexperienced people with senior members is vital, but I have also seen 2 relatively new people working together because of manpower issues. To me, that is a recipe for disaster, and not fair to the providers or the people they are serving.

Obviously there are exceptions to any rule, but let's go with common sense here.

[FL_Medic]

There should be a minimum age to be a paramedic- what, exactly, I don't know. Life experience and maturity are vital to this business. Think about the responsibilities were have- we literally hold someone's life in our hands. That's pretty heady stuff for the average 18 year old. ANYONE can be trained in the nuts and bolts and book knowledge needed to perform skills, but knowing how and when to apply that knowledge comes from maturity and experience. I remember precepting students who came from an accelerated paramedic program who were supposed to have experience at the EMT B level before they started their advanced training.(That wasn't always enforced- as long as they had their tuition check) It was a very rigorous program and their drop out rate was high. I recall one girl- mid 20's- very book smart, but literally could not operate a stretcher or even turn on or change an O2 regulator when she came to me a a newly minted paramedic. She had a license(or certification at that time) but had zero street experience at any level. I had to teach her the very basics before we could even begin to address her clinical skills. Her maturity wasn't the issue, but her lack of experience was.

She had no experience in speaking to patients, their families, bystanders, or hospital staff and this was probably her biggest problem. This girl did realize her limitations and ended up being a pretty good medic. She said that the reason she took the accelerated course was because she was a single mom and needed to finish quickly for the sake of her kid so she could make money. She would have preferred to take her time and gain more experience before jumping in to ALS care but her situation prevented her from doing that.

Young EMT's and paramedics need proper guidance, teachers, and preceptors. Think about how much we change from age 18 to even 21 or 22. You need to have a good handle on yourself before you should be entrusted with someone's life. Partnering young and inexperienced people with senior members is vital, but I have also seen 2 relatively new people working together because of manpower issues. To me, that is a recipe for disaster, and not fair to the providers or the people they are serving.

Obviously there are exceptions to any rule, but let's go with common sense here.

Yea, well I think you should have to take a grammar test to be a medic. There might be some good young medics out there that you haven't met. There might be mature 18 year olds out there, go figure. Don't generalize.

[Riblett]

More proof that Germans are the Master Race.

Can you, by chance, link us to the studies, or discussion of them?

Not that I could read them, but still...

Ha ha, hiermit bin ich einverstanden.

I am a 21 year old paramedic. I spent one year as a EMT-B, and two as an EMT-I. I graduated with Mateo with an Associate's degree in EMS.

Edited March 22, 2009 by Riblett