Degree suggestions?

[Medicman14]

I've been taking classes at the local community college for years now and the time has come that I HAVE to choose a degree path. Here is the problem...I love my job as a paramedic, so I want a degree that will enable me to go further in this profession. I thought I wanted a degree in literature...but that just seems like a waste of time. There is an on-line B.S. in emergency health sciences that looks really interesting, but I'm not sure it would be beneficial in the long run.

Here's my question-What degree do you have and how has it helped you in EMS?

If you don't have a degree what would you suggest?

Thanks!

I first got my associates of science in EMS, this helped with promotions over the years.

As a departure, I finished a bachelor's in business. My logic was that if ems ever left my system, I could always manage a McDonald's for about the same wage.

After 22 years, I'm still not managing a McDonald's...

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[Arctickat]

My logic was that if ems ever left my system,

Can that really happen? I mean I've heard stories about it but I still haven't seen it. ;-)

Sent from my infernal electronic leash using my phat phingers.

Edited October 6, 2012 by Arctickat

[BEorP]

I have a BS in paramedicine and used to think that it was no better than any other BS degree in terms of benefits for a paramedic career. My views have shifted slightly in the past year or two and here is my advice now:

• If you don't plan on making a lifelong career out of paramedicine, do a degree that will give you career opportunities outside of paramedicine (such as a STEM degree as previously suggested).
  
• If you know that you want a long career in paramedicine but you have management aspirations, do some type of business or management degree.
  
• If you know that you want a long career in paramedicine with a clinical or research focus or even just want some added knowledge, go for a BS in paramedicine.
  

Even though a BS in paramedicine is unlikely to change how you do the job on the road, it can teach you a lot and the specific degree in paramedicine can give added credibility with some audiences for things like research (particularly on an international paramedicine stage where BS degree paramedics are more common).

Good luck!

[Bieber]

I have my associates in applied science and I'm currently working on completing my bachelors of health science with an emphasis in paramedicine.

[mattmattmattmatt]

How about a Business-related degree? That is what I have and my plan is to eventually go into the administrative side of EMS. I work for a rural-metro company and we are currently expanding. But at this point in my life, I'm still an EMT-B and plan to start working on my medic cert in January. I suggest Marketing or Management, or a little bit of a mixture of the two. Some colleges will allow you to sorda "create your own major", or at least mine did, so all my classess were split between Management and Marketing, but that's besides the point....I would totally go Business!

Just a suggestion....