Paramedic degrees worth the investment?

[croaker260]

Naturegirl - PM me - I hold a B.S. in Emergency Medical Care with an emphasis on fire science. Also an instructor/state evaluator and still active in the field. Would be happy to chat with you.

In EMS....Associates degree - Definitely. Bachelors..yes, but not just for EMS, but any career field.Especially since most BS/BA programs tend to have a lot of business courses that are useful in a lot of different areas.

Firefly medics, did you get your BS through EKU?

Edited November 9, 2009 by croaker260

[Nate]

I have a Bachelors of Business Administration with a double minor in strategic planning and finance. The trend for most management positions is moving towards degreed individuals. I don't think that a typical bachelors degree in science (even specialized in EMS) is going to give you enough training to be an effective manager.

I honestly feel that A&P, Chemistry, Biology, Organic Biology, Cell Biology, and Genetics are all classes that should be incorporated into any paramedic program featuring a four year science degree. The best way to look at it is the BSN (Bachelors of Science Nursing). I guess you could say it'd be a BSP.

Education is always for the best, however most degrees only show that you can learn. Specialized degrees like science and business degrees give you the toolset and knowledge needed to understand complex situations and take them apart bit by bit.

-Nate

[naturegirl]

I must admit I'm surprised at the responses I've gotten. In the past, on this forum have been some very heated discussion about paramedic education, skill levels, and lack of salaries being related to lower education, lack of political support etc. It ran the gamut. Just for the record, I don't want to be in administration until I"m too old and feeble to pick up a patient or a cot. I love the street, I love being out where the action/fun is and I just want to be marketable wherever life may take me. I've looked at some previously posted jobs here and at other forums and a BS has been recommended on some. I can clearly see the value of organic chemistry, A&P, Biology and Pharmacology.

So I may infer from the posts that maybe an advanced degree is not really necessary for where I want to go. I could just take a few courses in these advanced subjects and make the most of my paramedic school time. I'll welcome any further discussion on the issue.

So next year when I'm job hunting, I'll post again on the subject so others may learn from what I did or didn't take.

[Lone Star]

Since you've stated that you already hold a degree, your 'core classes' are already covered. This would suggest that the only courses you need to take to obtain a degree in EMS would be the relevant courses to the field; (ie: A&P, Biology, Pharmacology) on the 'degree level'.

I've been told that these courses differ greatly from the 'diploma courses' or 'certificate courses', and they'll benefit you (and your patients).

Good luck!

LS

[Mateo_1387]

I can clearly see the value of organic chemistry, A&P, Biology and Pharmacology.

So I may infer from the posts that maybe an advanced degree is not really necessary for where I want to go. I could just take a few courses in these advanced subjects and make the most of my paramedic school time.

Not only does a degree offer you the science classes such as A&P, Chemistry, and the like, the EMS classes themselves are generally better than those found in a continuing education course. Where con ed classes skim subject matters to give a real basic understanding of medicine, the degree classes will spend semesters teaching you the ins and outs of medicine, tying in the concepts learned in the A&P, chemistry, and other such classes and how they relate to patient care.

Going through school your way will make you better just because of those science classes, but going through with a degree would make you so much better.

[Nate]

I think schools need to careful how they label their degrees. An "EMS" degree should have more of a business background because I look at as the "service" part of EMS as in the operating a service. I think school need to move towards calling it a BSP or ASP for Bachelors of Science Paramedic or Associates of Science Paramedic which would show a degree focused on making the paramedic a better clinician.

Make sense?

-Nate

[Kiwiology]

It's very worth your while; from a BS you could go to a Bacc2 BSN or a PhD even.

As is increasingly common around the world, we here in Kiwi will require a Bachelors degree for ILS and a posst-grad certificate for ALS in the not too distant future.