Honestly, we are the newest medical profession by far. It took close to a century for nursig to begin to get some respect and we are far from that still. If we continue to prove ourselves in our profession and show the world who we are, then it will be much easier! I think a uniform nationwide protocol would be great! In some states, a medic can perform a surgical cric and in others, you have to ask permission to do any skill (including IVs and basic meds). I can see why the public is a bit confused and think we should have national standards. Also, I believe the basic truck should be done away with. All units should become ALS nationwide and keep the same level of skill on all. Even if you say "all I do is dialysis and granny transfers", you never know what can happen and it is nice to have a medic on hand.