Am I a Degreed Paramedic?

[CytochromeP450]

Hello Everyone!

I have lurked this forum for a long time, and I must say it has been one of the biggest influences in shaping the way I understand prehospital care. I figured it was about time that I started participating and contributing.

I'll tell a little about me by posing a question. I got my undergraduate degree in biology, and after graduating went on to paramedic school. So now I am here to ask you, after all this talk of increasing educational standards and degree tracks, would you consider me a degreed paramedic? I recognize my degree is not in paramedicine specifically, but certainly my core curriculum parallels that of what you would expect from such a degree - biology, chemistry, cellular stuff, some pharmacology thrown in, anatomy, etc.

Going from here, where would we draw the line? Certainly a degree in underwater basket weaving wouldn't carry as much weight (no pun intended). What about something like chemical engineering?

If anyone can offer insight into states/counties that have a degree requirement and where the cut off lies, please share.

Thanks!

[chbare]

You are a paramedic with a degree. Clearly, a science degree will be nothing but helpful for your career in health care. I have no doubt that at least one person will post an in-depth review of how their county goes about educating their EMS professionals.

With that, I am a little confused about your question. Taken at face value, the answer would be no. You do not have an undergraduate degree in paramedic science, paramedic studies or whatever said degree may be titled. However, I suspect what you want to know goes beyond a simple yes or no answer? It seems you are asking about the weight, relevance or importance of one degree over another? This will be difficult to impossible to quantify when considering a profession that does not even mandate an associate degree for entry into practice.

However, most would agree a science based curriculum is important foundational material for any health related degree. This is why most professions mandate a certain number of science and lab based science courses. However, the importance of other classes such as literature, composition, public speaking, humanities and fine arts is often not appreciated. It is also the reason why even STEM majors have to take a certain number of said courses. Ultimately, your degree will no doubt be an asset.

[CytochromeP450]

CH, thanks for your response. I'm just trying to feel out how I stack up. I guess what I'm asking is if we magically made paramedicine an associates level career, would I be allowed in the club?

I completely agree with your statement about the humanities -- part of why I went to a liberal arts college -- a dash of Plato and a smattering of Thoreau does a lot for an individual. Live deliberately, suck on bone marrow and all that jazz.

[paramedicmike]

I think it depends where you are. I contemplated a move to Oregon while I was in school. The State EMS office told me my bachelor's degree was not sufficient to meet the State's degree requirements for licensure; it had to be an associates degree in paramedicine.

Texas, however, at least as far as my understanding, will license you based on any bachelor's degree as opposed to certifying a non college degreed paramedic.

Welcome to the City.

[CytochromeP450]

So based on my club analogy, my outfit isn't trendy enough to get into Club Oregon, but Texas will let me in as long as I'm wearing cowboy boots? Good to know.

The silly thing is that I have head of community colleges that have a "design your own major" program, and I'm pretty sure I could go to them with my transcript, tell them what I want my degree to look like and pay out for the credits to transfer and they would print my out a diploma of my choosing. A super underhanded thing to do, but possible none the less. This kinda leads down the path of higher education being for education versus just earning money to keep the doors open...and people receiving a diploma versus valuing their education. I definitely saw people walk at graduation that I don't think learned a single thing in college, but I digress.

Paramedicmike, what was your degree in?

[WestMetroMedic]

The last group of people we hired had bachelors degrees in international business, media arts, and two other random things. None of then had a science degree.

What i think a degree says about you is not specifically your education base but more so that you jumped through the hoops of getting a bachelors degree and spent enough time to finish it, which is an accomplishment as far as i am concerned. I'm going back to school this fall 8 years after finishing my associates degree to finish my bachelors and i although i have no intention of leaving this field, I'm getting a degree in marketing, just cause you never know when your spine is gonna explode.

I think the basketweaving bachelors degree should hold just as much weight as a biology degree. Either way, you have more education than 90% of your EMS peers.

[paramedicmike]

My undergrad degree was a BA. It was not a science degree. I spent a lot of time going back to school after I initially graduated to take or retake a lot of my science classes so I could get back into another degree awarding program (both for paramedic school and grad school).

Seems like I've been in school ever since.

[CytochromeP450]

WestMetro - does your organization higher individuals with degrees exclusively? I understand what you are saying about the commitment to education and investing in oneself no mater the field of study. Without a doubt the most valuable thing I walked away with was the ability to think critically -- to question information I was given regardless of source and form a coherent argument either for or against it. This is something people hopefully get whether they major in a science or in British literature, and as is endlessly echoed on this forum, the pitfall of our prehospital care system.

ParaMike - I hope you have enjoyed the process of going back to school. I think I would be a student forever if I could do it as a career. It baffles me how very little I know. It is moment's like these that I think about the movie The Matrix and imagine the ability to just download content into our brains. Would it be satisfying to just know everything, or would the loss of the process make it less gratifying?

[paramedicmike]

ParaMike - I hope you have enjoyed the process of going back to school. I think I would be a student forever if I could do it as a career. It baffles me how very little I know. It is moment's like these that I think about the movie The Matrix and imagine the ability to just download content into our brains. Would it be satisfying to just know everything, or would the loss of the process make it less gratifying?

This reminds me of a Winston Churchill quote:

"Personally, I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught."

I'll leave it at that.

[Kiwiology]

New Zealand requires a Bachelors Degree for Paramedic and a Post-Bachelors Certificate for Intensive Care Paramedic

Paramedic: OPA, NPA, LMA, PEEP, tourniquet, 12 lead ECG interpretation, defibrillation, cardioversion, oxygen, aspirin, GTN, salbutamol, ipatropium, glucose, glucagon, entonox, paracetamol, fentanyl, morphine, ondansetron, adrenaline, normal saline 0.9%, ceftriaxone, midazolam, amiodarone, loratadine,

Intensive Care Paramedic: all of the above + endotracheal intubation, intraosseous, pacing, atropine, ketamine, vecuronium