Experience VS Paramedic

[MetalMedic]

So I thought I would get a general impression from the folks out there that have experience under their belts.

I will be a paramedic, period the end. However I've heard pro's and cons for both sides- for getting right into it while everything is "fresh" but also to get some experience as an EMT behind my belt.

My plan right now is to Volly until I get a paid EMT job. Some of the Volly services out here will and do pay for Paramedic programs with a promise of commitement. I plan to have at least 6 months experience before I get into the paramedic program (due to when the semester starts anyway). Would you suggest more time to be an EMT, less?

Our state allows us to work with one company and volly with another, so both is an option at this time too.

I'm just wondering if anyone has any thoughts?

Should I take the AEMT program to kind of be in the middle of the pre-hosp care? (Our state recogonizes the difference in EMT, AEMT and Paramedic).

Thoughts, suggestions, advice?

-MetalMedic

Edited April 7, 2011 by MetalMedic

[usmc_chris]

Our state allows us to work with one company and volly with another, so both is an option at this time too.

That's weird that they limit the number of services you can be a member of / be employed by. Let me tell you, if I didn't have four jobs I couldn't support myself.

Should I take the AEMT program to kind of be in the middle of the pre-hosp care? (Our state recogonizes the difference in EMT, AEMT and Paramedic).

Now for my take on your real question. No, you should not take the AEMT program. Go straight to Paramedic. That being said, I don't think you should spend 19 years as an EMT before becoming a Paramedic. There are, as you stated, various reasons for and against going straight to Paramedic school. My suggestion is, find out how long the Paramedic program is for you. Research a few different programs in your area, if there is more than one within driving distance. Most importantly, find out whether they are certificate programs, AAS degree programs, what the prerequisites other than EMT certification are, etc.

My advice is that next semester you should start taking prerequisites for Paramedic school, then when you've finished those, go straight into the core Paramedic content. That will give you a year or two on the road as an EMT, and put you head and shoulders above the rest when you start the Paramedic class. Of course, if the local Paramedic program blows the average program out of the water, it won't be necessary... but I digress.

I would suggest the following classes.

• College composition - at least 1 semester, 2 semesters if possible [For most Paramedic students, being taught how to write isn't a bad idea. I am a QA auditor for my local Paramedic program, reviewing the students' mock "PCR's". Most everybody on here would be appalled at what SOME people turn in as a chart. If they write like that when they are working on the road, I'm surprised we as a profession don't get sued even more often than we already do. That being said, your posts seem to be well thought out and generally free of significant grammar or spelling errors. Keep it up and reflect that in your PCR writing]
  
• College-level algebra, and any math classes you need to get you up to speed for algebra if you didn't do well in Math in High School
  
• College Biology 1-2 semesters (whatever is considered a prerequisite for A&P
  
• 2 SEMESTERS OF COLLEGE LEVEL ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY [i really wish I had this myself, it would make me such a better provider - I plan to take it eventually]
  
• College Chemistry
  
• Micro/Cellular Biology [some schools offer a 1-2 semester class called "Biochemistry for Health Science Majors" or something like that - often used for nurses. It will teach you what you really need to know to have a good foundational knowledge so you can later understand pharmacology. If a class like this is offered, it could take the place of the Biology, Chemistry, and Microbio classes. Of course, you still would need to take any prerequisites for A&P - if there's any ONE thing on my list to take, it's A&P]
  

I know it seems like a lot of coursework, but it WILL make you a better provider. If it were up to me, all of these classes, or a reasonable equivalent, would be required to even start the Paramedic coursework. Preferably all incorporated in a 4-year Baccalaureate degree. But at least for now, I'm dreaming.

If anybody has any addition/substitutions/corrections to my list of suggested coursework prior to starting Paramedic class, feel free to chime in. I don't pretend to be a definitive source.

[tcripp]

You have definitely asked a question that is a huge controversy, at least in my neck of the woods. But, my recommendation follows pretty much what Chris has stated.

If you are in no hurry and can spend some time in the field, then I would do that. Not only will it make you a better paramedic in the end, it will also help you to get a job. As to getting your AEMT, I actually think it might benefit you although I got my intermediate 1 year prior to getting my paramedic and only used that level 2-3 times. That being said, it was 2-3 times more than had I not. Not to mention, I would not have passed up taking the national registry which made going through the skills testing at a paramedic level less traumatic.

I also recommend you get as many of the pre-reqs done up front. You will find the program to be a little to easier to understand/comprehend. (I had my Math/English completed, but struggled with doing pharm/A&P as co-reqs).

As to how long to stay at the basic/intermediate level...only you can determine that one. I spent 2 years as an ECA before moving to Basic. Spent 2 years before becoming an Intermediate. So, by the time I graduated the program, I had 6 years under my belt. Now, I've been a paramedic for 1 year but I have 7 years of service.

I think it's fantastic that you are looking at what will make you a better medic and less at how soon you can get a paying job. It's good you are in a position to make that decision.

Good luck on whatever you decide.

[DwayneEMTP]

Difficult question to answer, but the most important question right now, as you seem to have your heart set on volunteering, is what kind of service that is and how many calls they run/month.

If they don't run some calls, and if they don't wear clean and pressed clothes and have spotless rigs (within reason) then you need to stay completely away from there. I don't care what excuse they give for wearing their Budweiser Tshirts and talking about the last patients tits...if they did either at the service then they are losers. You are in the guppy stage of EMS now and you don't need a bunch of wannabe wankers filling your head with shit. You also don't need all of the bad habits to overcome!

Now, not all volly services are wannabe wankers, but some are. Not all services sit on their asses instead of running calls.but many, perhaps most, do. None of this is good for you, your attitude, or your future career.

You need mentors and guides....Keep that in mind first and foremost when you make this decision, ok?

Dwayne

[tacmedic991]

Welcome to the job, MetalMedic

You have a great question that nearly every new EMT who wants to be a paramedic struggles with for a while. . . I personally believe that having time to build road skills prior to attaching a -P is not only helpful, but vital. . . Getting into the feel of the job before having the full weight of responsibility for each and every call you're on as a paramedic is very important. . . It's not that the job is necessarily hard, but there are a lot of elements to the job, and if you don't have a solid background in basic skills on the bus and in BLS patient interaction, you will be a woefully lacking ALS practitioner. . . There will be times in your career where no level of advanced skills can save a situation, and having the stability of nerve and mind that comes with time will be your only salvation. . . It is a huge thing to be the paramedic on a call, since as the highest qualified practitioner, you are not only in control, but responsible for the outcome, and having some time under your belt to build the necessary fortitudes before being the one everyone else will depend on is absolutely invaluable. . .

I personally spent 2 years as a -B grunt before entering the -P class, and it was the best thing I could have done. . . I feel that not only were my BLS skills second nature, but the essentials of patient interaction were honed and I was a much more patient oriented medic when I graduated with my -P. . . I was also able to develop firm nerves and an ability to calmly remove emotion and control a situation, which came in very helpful when I entered TEMS. . . There are a lot of good medics out there that know their -P skills back and forth but are unable to connect with their patients and use the 6th sense that solid, focused time in BLS can foster, because they have been just skills medics from the get-go. . . As much fun as having advanced skills is, the job is less about the skills, more about the person with the skills, and ultimately about the patient. . . If you are so busy practicing didactic knowledge and lab skills, you're going to miss the information the patient isn't telling you that a little time in BLS will teach you to read and intuitively feel. . .

I feel that if your goal is paramedic, the "ladder" approach of going B-I-CC-P could be a waste of time and money, and will likely do little more than frustrate you as you spend years between stages when you could just be where you want to be. I'm not sure where you are, but in Upstate NY where I took my -P course, they offered an advanced paramedic program that was basically between standard -P and PA. . . It takes about 5 months longer, but you're much more skilled on the other side, and it's definitely worth the time, and you'll have more road time to acclimate to the job before operating as a -P. . . If you're aching to get going with the schooling, I might suggest enrolling in an Emergency Services Management course, which is offered by many schools that offer -P courses. That will give you 2 years of school time to run BLS calls while in school, and on the other side you'll have an AAS (some have 2 year BS degrees) and your -P, and should you decide to go into a regional or federal EMA, a degree in ESM will be invaluable. Just a thought.

Good luck to you!

[MetalMedic]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I knew I was asking a controversial question when I started, so I expected nothing less the a different reply from everyone!

usmc_chris - I'd Give you a million reputation points for the advice in your post if I could!

you seem to have your heart set on volunteering

Glad to know it appears that way, but actually I'm looking for paid work. The plan was to Volly for a while until I get a paid job. I'm itching to turn in my 2 weeks at my current job, but the difference is I know if I make a miskate at my current job, no one dies. And having some experience under my belt will for sure help in getting a paid position.

-MetalMedic

[crotchitymedic1986]

Do whichever seems best to you. There are plenty of people who will diss doing the "zero to hero" program, but I do not see a problem with it. There are very few jobs where you do half the training, go work, and then come back to complete the program. Yes you will be green, but everyone is when they start. Get school over with before you get married and have kids.

The one reason I would say you should work awhile is just to make sure you like the job, before you invest in Paramedic school, and then determine you dont really like it.

[MetalMedic]

Get school over with before you ... have kids.

Too late. I'm no longer "school age" and am no longer in my 20's (although I pass for it). Which is kind of where the push and pull comes in. I currently work 40 hours a week and attend classes part time, in addition to being a mom who decided to never get married. (I hate the "single mom" moniker as too many use it as an excuse or a pity ploy).

To put it this way, I'll still be in my 30's when my son graduates from High School.

Does that change anyone's perspective?

-MetalMedic

Edited to correct grammatical error.

Edited April 7, 2011 by MetalMedic

[Carl Ashman]

Too late. I'm no longer "school age" and am no longer in my 20's (although I pass for it). Which is kind of where the push and pull comes in. I currently work 40 hours a week and attend classes part time, in addition to being a mom who decided to never get married. (I hate the "single mom" moniker as too many use it as an excuse or a pity ploy).

To put it this way, I'll still be in my 30's when my son graduates from High School.

Does that change anyone's perspective?

-MetalMedic

Edited to correct grammatical error.

Only in as much as you will find it harder to meet the demands of school versus home life. But you will get through it at the end of the day because you are determined and keen for knowledge. Besides, a little life experience can be a very positive advantage in our line of work.

Try, by the way, to aim as high as you can when going to school. Nothing less than an Associate's Degree as this provides the absolute minimum in critical thinking and reasoning skills that you will need to be a practitioner that is tuned into the individual needs of your patient. Which is the opposite of a cookbook medic.

Carl.

[akflightmedic]

Does that change anyone's perspective?

Only in the sense of honoring a favorite "Dust-ism" which is...."are you hot?"