Age Limit For Medics

[Dustdevil]

I got no problem with that.

So long as there is a Grandfather clause! 8)

[Jeep_911]

Age limit?? I think it all has to do with experience and if lack of, the willingness to catch on it. Also has to do with the maturity level. I'm 20, turning 21 next month and I have to admit as much as I like to think I have experience BUT I really don't have a lot and as well all know is a never ending process anyways.

As was said earlier there are some really immature older individuals as well as very mature youngsters....all has to do with the individual.

[Nate]

I got no problem with that.

So long as there is a Grandfather clause! 8)

[AZParamedic]

As I write this from the station, our newly hired 19 year old PARAMEDIC is working a code on the south end of Roswell. How ironic.

(yes that's her real age)

I became an EMT as soon as I turned 18. Did the Army medic thing by 19 and real life paramedic (from an exceptional university program ) by 20...then off to the Army's flight medic course, FNATC and all those other alphabet courses by 21. I don't have a good reason for all the rush, not sure it was all worth it. My friends from high school who went the traditional college route are all graduated by now and a few of them are even in law or med school. I sometimes think I should have done it that way too. I wish I knew about the BS-EMS degree programs when I was 18.

With a degree like a BSN or MPAS I'd sure be making more $$$ and be in a more respected profession. College is the way to go for our profession to achieve the same respect (just ask the nurses.) There is no reason for paramedics to be retarded until you are in your late 20s and were an EMT for 10 years, but it should also not be accelerated for 18 year olds either. The latter is merely a matter of public trust and generallized maturity.

I've been a paramedic on the streets for over two years and have been met with some limited skeptisism based on age. I never had any issues in Arizona working in the two high-volume systems with hospitals and fire departments, or teaching EMS for the military. But when I moved to NM, I found Albuquerque Ambulance Service was full of old burnouts that ran off the younger medics. During the brief time I worked for AAS, I had a supervisior tell my 29 year old EMT partner (who was considering medic school) that he was right to wait until he was 30....since "you don't have enough life experience until then." :roll: Please.... tell that to the 26 year old ER resident or 23 year old CEN RN you are giving report to. This was nothing more than this man compenstaing for a lackluster career where he wasn't able to be a medic until he was 30. This mentality hurts our whole profession because it robs the system of people who at 30 can be experienced and motivated supervisors set to steer EMS in a better direction, not novice medics.

On the other hand, I'm all for EMT-B at 18 and EMT-P no sooner than 21. Our 19 year old medic had virtually NO street time at all. It shows up in the nuiances on calls and in authority in scene managment or delegation of tasks. She is preciously smart but there is more to the job than that. I'll be the first to tell you that I hit ALS a year too soon. If you can demonstrate EMT experience (not just the cert) since 18, then 21 isn't a bad time to be an entry-level medic, preferably with at least an AAS degree behind your name too.

--Brian

[craig]

here we have an age limit

yes it is to be able to be employedd in the job. but mainly it is because you need to be a certain age to be able to get the drivers licence to enable you to drive the ambulance. there fore the age limit is a minimum of 22 yrs i think.

stay safe

[FireGirl911]

... This was nothing more than this man compenstaing for a lackluster career where he wasn't able to be a medic until he was 30. This mentality hurts our whole profession because it robs the system of people who at 30 can be experienced and motivated supervisors set to steer EMS in a better direction, not novice medics.

On the other hand, I'm all for EMT-B at 18 and EMT-P no sooner than 21.

I totally agree.

It's too bad that some people are not cool with sucession management. It is not a challenge to the seasoned providers, rather, it is an opportunity to shape the future of EMS. Unfortunately, this mentality is a byproduct of a lack of stress management that leads to cynicism and job burnout.

I also think there needs to be a reasonable period of time between B and P to allow for time on the street. Some services and schools will take a newly licensed Basic with minimal experience into a medic class. This does the student a huge disservice. They struggle with understanding concepts that were explained to them in class, but that they have never had to deal with themselves.

[RogueMedic]

I got my first cert when I was just 17 years old. Uncle Sam didn't give a damn because he saw to the maturity aspect. You kinda grow up quick when you are ini the Central America getting shot at on a regular basis. Dust remember the whole Sandanista thing back then?

I agree that with education and experience, the age limit issue is trulu a non factor, however one has to question an INDIVIDUAL's ability to COPE with exposure to the underbelly of life. A brand new Paramedic can be sent to the meat grinder in some cities and come back hardened or fired like a stick of butter on the sun. Just remember that the guy who graduated last in his Med School class is still caled "DOCTOR" for whatever that is worth.

That's just my two cents

[JPINFV]

Just remember that the guy who graduated last in his Med School class is still caled "DOCTOR" for whatever that is worth.

That's just my two cents

And the guy who graduated last in paramedic school is still called "paramedic." I have always failed to see the point of this cliche. If you graduated, then you must have completed the requirements set forth for that education and deserve the title. There will always be someone who finishes last, even if the course is one person (that person gets to finish first too).

[JakeEMTP]

And the guy who graduated last in paramedic school is still called "paramedic." I have always failed to see the point of this cliche. If you graduated, then you must have completed the requirements set forth for that education and deserve the title. There will always be someone who finishes last, even if the course is one person (that person gets to finish first too).

I think the point of the cliche is to use it when someone is trying to say because they received a higher mark, they are better somehow. Your post is correct, that's exactly how I feel.

[RogueMedic]

My point for the cliche is this: Completing the courese requirements are a given, hence the graduation, I'm sure that one of those requirements were to be of the minimum age required to even be allowed to attend the course. So beyond that, is age really a factor?