Experience to become a paramedic

[chbare]

I have actually revised my original stance on this topic. You should obtain a year of experience. This will give you enough time to have two semesters of A&P, two semesters English, a semester of math, and a semester of psychology under your belt before entering paramedic school.

Take care,

chbare.

[spenac]

0 ? 0 what ? he should wait 0 hours? I didn't realize a new class started every hour !

If he can go straight into Paramedic with 0 experience it is better for him. No need to be a smart butt, but I guess its better than being a dumb one.

I have actually revised my original stance on this topic. You should obtain a year of experience. This will give you enough time to have two semesters of A&P, two semesters English, a semester of math, and a semester of psychology under your belt before entering paramedic school.

Take care,

chbare.

I disagree I think you should have all that before you take EMT-B. And if you do that then no reason to stop education just go on straight to Paramedic.

[Dominion300]

I agree with the above on experience. If anything in my opinion it's more beneficial to NOT work as an EMT. As I put in on another forum there are people in my class with 10+ years experience as an EMT and they have a hard time getting into that paramedic mind set. They know the material but can't seem to put themselves in the shoes of a medic. Myself, having less than 1 year of experience, is doing great. I know and understand the material, I do well on my evaluations and scenarios, and just generally seem ot be getting it.

I have 3 years of college level courses in biology (I have not had biochem or A&P specifically yet), 3 semesters of english courses, math courses, a psychology course, a medical ethics course (I took this for a nursing school pre-req before I decided to not go to nursing school) Once I graduate from this class I plan on going to a local community college and taking a&p, biochem, etc.

That's a long round about way of saying, no I suggest you go for it. If you're book smart, get the basics and you'll learn the rest during your clinical s and ride times.

[scubanurse]

I have actually revised my original stance on this topic. You should obtain a year of experience. This will give you enough time to have two semesters of A&P, two semesters English, a semester of math, and a semester of psychology under your belt before entering paramedic school.

Take care,

chbare.

I think those should be in the paramedic program, thus eliminating the need for second rate training centers and leaving paramedic training to colleges... why not say instead, that the paramedic should consistently need to be at least an AAS which would take two years to complete?

[chbare]

Unfortunately, I live in the real world where even the new EMT's under the latest and greatest national SOP will have a massive addition of 40 hours to their training requirements. While I agree with you guys in theory, this simply will not be the case for many paramedic programs. Therefore, the only route I can recommend for EMT's, is to take a year and obtain the said background, unless they can get into a good AS/AAS program.

I would love to see AAS degrees as the standard; however, I fear it simply will not happen.

Take care,

chbare.

[Dustdevil]

I agree with the above on experience. If anything in my opinion it's more beneficial to NOT work as an EMT. As I put in on another forum there are people in my class with 10+ years experience as an EMT and they have a hard time getting into that paramedic mind set. They know the material but can't seem to put themselves in the shoes of a medic. Myself, having less than 1 year of experience, is doing great. I know and understand the material, I do well on my evaluations and scenarios, and just generally seem ot be getting it.

Excellent observation. And trust me, as instructors, we really notice this. The longer you function in the field without education, operating strictly on cookbook protocols, the harder it is for you to transition into the role of an actual practitioner that has to do in-depth examinations and come to complex diagnoses and care plans without the benefit of a cookbook of paint-by-numbers steps to follow. The longer a person works as an EMT, the more ingrained it becomes into their functional nature that EMS practice is nothing but a set of skills to be applied to a given scenario. The result is that they subconsciously tune out the theoretical foundation that we try to teach them, and focus only on skills and rote memorisation of facts, instead of assimilating scientific concepts into a structural foundation of practice. Pair that with all of the other drawbacks to waiting, and it is clear that any time spent as an EMT is counterproductive and places you behind the 8-ball from the get-go.

If the school you are considering requires EMT experience before applying, you should seriously consider that this school may suck.

[FireMedic65]

Unfortunately, I live in the real world where even the new EMT's under the latest and greatest national SOP will have a massive addition of 40 hours to their training requirements. While I agree with you guys in theory, this simply will not be the case for many paramedic programs. Therefore, the only route I can recommend for EMT's, is to take a year and obtain the said background, unless they can get into a good AS/AAS program.

I would love to see AAS degrees as the standard; however, I fear it simply will not happen.

Take care,

chbare.

Look at the training in many many other countries, they are on the same page as you and spenac are. Here in the states, we have it easy.

[Diazepam618]

I would love to see AAS degrees as the standard; however, I fear it simply will not happen.

Take care,

chbare.

[chbare]

Look at the training in many many other countries, they are on the same page as you and spenac are. Here in the states, we have it easy.

Unfortunately, we are not getting off easy. We are simply doing a half arsed job. Anybody who is unsure of the sequela of a half arsed job need only look at the houses down here in the southwest where people are paid a few dollars a day to build the said houses.

I agree with the stance on other countries. This stance was only solidified after working with South African B-Techs who all had four year degrees and Australian ACP's with three years of education under their belts.

Take care,

chbare.

[FireMedic65]

Unfortunately, we are not getting off easy. We are simply doing a half arsed job. Anybody who is unsure of the sequela of a half arsed job need only look at the houses down here in the southwest where people are paid a few dollars a day to build the said houses.

I agree with the stance on other countries. This stance was only solidified after working with South African B-Techs who all had four year degrees and Australian ACP's with three years of education under their belts.

Take care,

chbare.

Sorry, I forgot to put in my sarcasm face with the "getting off easy" part.