[JEMS NEWSFEED] Study Finds EMT Certification Easy to Obtain in Massachusetts

[News]

Being a barber reportedly has greater requirements.

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[paramedicmike]

Gee. I wonder where we've heard this before?

[BushyFromOz]

Oh god, i must be tired, I found that bloody funny.... seriously, i started laughing half way through it

[JakeEMTP]

And this is shocking to whom? We ALL know that the EMT is a joke of a certification and those that have it should't be allowed anywhere near an emergency ambulance. IFT? Sure. If I need a driver, I'll get the FD to meet me on scene.

[DFIB]

And this is shocking to whom? We ALL know that the EMT is a joke of a certification and those that have it should't be allowed anywhere near an emergency ambulance. IFT? Sure. If I need a driver, I'll get the FD to meet me on scene.

You are such a cheerful, positive individual tonight. All you EMT friends appreciate the fraternal opinion you have of them.

[paramedicmike]

The problem EMTs have is that they take those comments personally instead of viewing it objectively.

It's not meant personally. It's strictly business. And if EMTs don't like the fact that they undergo less training than a barber, and the resultant poor professional reputation that comes along with it, they're free to go back to school.

[Kiwiology]

No surprises here

Oh and if it makes you feel any better our Technician qualification (Diploma in Ambulance Practice) requires only sixteen days in the classroom (around 120 hours) .... but that is just to learn practical skills, not including the several hundred hours of online theory and operational clinical mentoring to complete the Portfolio of Evidence and reflective practice

Well, at least I tried to make y'all feel better

Edited June 22, 2012 by Kiwiology

[Just Plain Ruff]

Ok, I just got asked by my company to pursue a project manager certification. I'm not saving lives I'm running a project. In order for me to get certified I have to go through the following.

1. Go to a 40 hour course this coming week

2. Document over 4500 hours of project management experience stretching back over the past 8 years

3. Take a 200+ question online test

I'm not saving lives. I'm running a project. 4 months to save a life or 4500 hours documented to run a project. Quite a disparity.

[DFIB]

The problem EMTs have is that they take those comments personally instead of viewing it objectively.

It's not meant personally. It's strictly business. And if EMTs don't like the fact that they undergo less training than a barber, and the resultant poor professional reputation that comes along with it, they're free to go back to school.

A joke certification? Should not be allowed near a emergency ambulance? Only good for IFT?

These are not objective comments and should be taken personaly. It is clear that their intent was to belittle and offend. Could EMT level certs be expanded? Of course they could except we would probably call it something else.

It makes me a little sad that Jake EMTP thinks so poorly of the EMT's he has worked with. It is regrettable that his experience with EMT's would be such to make him think that the EMT scope of practice is useless.

I would think I could venture to say that all of us EMT's respect the medics in this forum. It is sad that we would think so highly of people that obviously don't reciprocate. It is equally sad that you would agree with him.

EDIT: I read the article and noticed that the title mentions certification but the article refers to a state license. Even so their standard is not very high.

Edited June 22, 2012 by DFIB

[Kiwiology]

These are not objective comments and should be taken personaly. It is clear that their intent was to belittle and offend. Could EMT level certs be expanded? Of course they could except we would probably call it something else.

They are objective comments when you consider what is taught to an American EMT, what they are capable of doing and how little progress has been made on such issues in nearly twenty years when contrasting it against fair and reasonable alternates from other nations in the developed world.

There is no other nation on earth I know of that allows a person of equivalent clinical training and capability onto an emergency ambulance to render patient care. The closest thing is probably the Emergency Care Assistant in the UK but they are strictly forbidden from providing clinical treatment to the patient and are the "Assistant" to the registered practitioner, the Paramedic.

In 1994 our base level (Proficiency Ambulance Aid) had a greater scope of clinical capability than a 2012 US EMT