SA_Medic

Being from SA, we don't have baseball, but I am curios as to your opinion in this one.

I drive a 4x4,

A 2001 Subaru impressa. Silver with 15". No EMS decorations though, not allowed here.

We have had a four year system for some time now, and yes the guys that has gone through the four year program does pay more.

Here is how our EMS education system works,

You can follow the traditional route, Do a Four week course and qualify Basic Ambulance Assistant (EMT- work 1000 hours patient care (documented) and write and entry exam for Ambulance Emergency Assistant (EMT-I).

If you pass the entry, and you are selected to attend the class (space is limited) you study 3 months and do clinical rotations in between classes. Work another 1000 documented hours patient care, and write entry for Critical Care Assistant (EMT-P).

If pass that and you are yet again selected for the class, you do a 10 month course with clinical rotations in between classes.

The other way to do it, is as follow:

Finish high school, apply to the technician to do your National Diploma.

This takes four years of full time study, no clinical rotations (unless it has been changed since I last heard). On completion of your N-Dip you are a Paramedic / Rescue technician.

You can then if you want continue your studies and get a Bachelor's degree in EMS in 12 months.

If feel like stying some more, anther year will give you your Masters and yet another year will give you your Doctorate.

The draw back I have experienced with this system (N-Dip) is that you get Paramedics, fresh out of tech and now highest qualified on the scene. They have no clinical/practical experience, trying to tell an EMT-I with 9 or more years experience how to do things.

It leads to high strung emotions. Had a MET-I and a N-Dip physically attack each other on a MVA.

So, as with everything in life, it has it's good and bad points.

I think this is a great idea,

Here in South Africa there are no agency's concentrating on EMS, all are just Nursing and Doctor's. Most of the EMS companies here (government and private) advertise in the local press. Or the vacancy gets "advertised" by word of mouth.

Lots of the current guys I know, got their jobs due to them knowing someone in the specific service they now work at. It's not what you know that counts here, but WHO you know.

We suddenly have a surplus of Paramedics in South Africa it seems and a great shortage of EMT-I's.

So yeah, it would work, especially here.

Being from South Africa and wanting to compare some sort of training, i'll take it. Just for the hell of it.