Compare your pay

[thbarnes]

A prospective medic should have more than [two years] of school before he even sees the inside of an ambulance.

And we are going to find these willing candidates, where?

[JPINFV]

And we are going to find these willing candidates, where?

There's a difference between a request and a requirement. Why shouldn't a paramedic not be at least a BS with a strong understanding of the science underlying the disease? Besides, all that extra time would insure a stop to the penis measuring that goes on over a 12 month program vs 10 month [or worse, basics who think they're better because their course was 140 hours instead of 120].

[WANTYNU]

This is a complex issue, licensing vs. certifications, vs. qualified degree program asks the question, what level of education, and who should control the standards?

As I stated earlier, in NYS almost all others in the groups mentioned above are licensed by the department of education, EMT’s and Paramedic’s are certified by the Department of Health.

One run by a well established system of advisors and representatives from academic intuitions (education), the other by a bureaucratic appointee (DOH).

This impedes the standards required for education, in addition comparing to the therapists working inside the hospital environment and are therefore closely observed in a clinical setting, when you have a doctor fighting for the necessity of the services delivered, (to be read i.e. billable services), it is easier to support the argument for all the above requirements.

I find it interesting but not surprising that Phlebotomists and Patient Care Technicians are rising in the ranks (soon to pass prehospital care providers?). In spite of the fact, that our systems allows us to do more as practitioners independently every day.

To further complicate the issue, we are still not viewed by most communities as a required necessity because people are still willing to provide this service for free.

Where we are a necessity because there are not enough service providers to go around, the standards for entry are lowered, to get more into the system (see my first sentence).

The FDNY fire suppression union is fighting this by not allowing their members to volunteer even if the corps is outside NYC jurisdiction.

We are up against a two level value proposition, one, the communities we serve don’t really value our service, and two, we don’t / can’t recognize our own value.

The measuring contests grow out living at the bottom of the ladder, there is no one left to pick on but our selves.

As soon as we realize that putting down fellow responders devalues all of us, the sooner we can learn to stop this destructive behavior, the sooner we can start to climb the ladder.

Bringing this group together is possible, but we need to stop fighting among ourselves about who is better.

Look no further then the variety of EMS organizations and internet boards, there is no communication between them, there is no collaboration, all are all fighting to be king of the hill, yet no one is willing to step back, so one can take the lead. (We can finesse the results later, once we have structure as a group).

The day we stop stepping on each other’s heads, in these petty disputes, is the day we take the first step to professional recognition.

Best to all,

WANTYNU

[Dustdevil]

The measuring contests grow out living at the bottom of the ladder, there is no one left to pick on but our selves.

Plus ten for one of the most profound points ever made on this forum.