For advocates of going directly to paramedic school...

[JPINFV]

Wouldnt you ratehr get some experience before you jump into medic class? Why would you just go right into it? seems foolish, but thats my opinion, sorry

You shouldn't be sorry for stating your opinion, just support it. This goes back to the almost cliche saying of "if this is so good, why don't [insert health care professional] do it also?" Nurses and physicians jump into school with little to no experience every year, and their education is significantly longer than the 9 months that most paramedic programs are.

[DwayneEMTP]

Don't start the ALS/BLS bullshit again.

What BS is that? For about the gazillianth time I'll ask you to state a point, and support it so we have some idea where you're coming from. Why do you bother to post if you refuse to back it up with any intelligent thought? Are you truly that enamored with your post count?

But I do agree 6 months is nothing, should be longer. I think minimal of 2 mnths is good

So, somehow in your world 2 months is longer than 6 months? Man, we keep waiting and waiting but you somehow still seem to just shoot off the first thing that comes to mind! I have a feeling that you've got some real knowledge to share...I just hope we get to see it someday.

Dwayne

[Don1977]

What BS is that? For about the gazillianth time I'll ask you to state a point, and support it so we have some idea where you're coming from. Why do you bother to post if you refuse to back it up with any intelligent thought? Are you truly that enamored with your post count?

So, somehow in your world 2 months is longer than 6 months? Man, we keep waiting and waiting but you somehow still seem to just shoot off the first thing that comes to mind! I have a feeling that you've got some real knowledge to share...I just hope we get to see it someday.

Dwayne

Ok wow, Im sorry didnt realize I put "2 months" in there, damn sorry dont bite my head off! It was a mistake, I meant to say 2 years.

I have seen medics taht went stragth into medic school from EMT school and they ahve failed or the few I know that did pass are horrible medics. i dont know what else support you want?

Mobey I still dont see how BLS is cheating peers ANYTHING can go BLS.

If ALS is available call for it.

[Dustdevil]

agreed 2 months to get used to touching patients, then off to medic school[

You're both actually on to something. Combine your points and you've got a winner.

• 1. Potential medics DO need to know that this is what they are cut out for, and that this is what they really want to do.

2. Potential medics do NOT need "experience" to help them succeed in medic school.

• So, anybody who is not really sure that EMS is what they want as a career may well benefit from exposure that lets them experience the job first-hand. It can help them to determine if this is really what they want to do, and dispel any mistaken notions they had about the glamour, glory, and abundant job opportunities.

On the other hand, little if any of that experience will contribute positively to their educational success in paramedic school. In fact, some of that experience absolutely WILL distract from that educational experience, especially if they are working during school.

Overall, if you can avoid it, working as an EMT before medic school is much more negative than positive. But yeah, if you're stupid enough to be considering spending two years in school for a job you really don't know anything about, and may not even like or be suited for, then sure, test the waters for a few months. Just don't fool yourself into thinking this is anything that is contributing to your education, because the more you think that, the more it hurts you.

And to the original poster, if your paramedic school does not graduate you with enough field time to have become comfortable with those things that you fear you have no experience with, then your paramedic school sucks arse. Bottom line. But really, a seizure is a seizure is a seizure. Whether you have seen one in person or not, trust me, you'll know it when you see it. And treating it is right out of the book, regardless of what it looks like. Don't sweat it. We all go in and come out with those insecurities. Smart people overcome them, regardless of the lack of previous experience. Idiots never overcome them, regardless of years of previous experience. I don't think you're an idiot. :wink:

[HellsBells]

On the other hand, little if any of that experience will contribute positively to their educational success in paramedic school. In fact, some of that experience absolutely WILL distract from that educational experience, especially if they are working during school.

Dust I agree with your point, if, you are working as an EMT in a transfer, volunteer, or shabby BLS service. However, I think that if one is working for an ALS service with a good Paramedic partner, there is a lot to be gained by working while going to school.

I might be biased in my opinion, as I plan to continue working in an ALS service while going to Medic school, but I fail to see why working while attending school is a bad idea.

[Don1977]

I meant to say 6 months not 2, sorry Dust,

I will say EMS is what I would like my career choice to be for now, I know sad, right? but I will look into nursing soon, I dont have time or money at this moment, but that is another story.

Now Dust, you said that being at work and in medic class would be "distracting" Do you mean as in being a medic student and working as an EMT would distract you for an example wanting to do ALS stuff on every call as an EMT? please elaborate if I am wrong.

[Dustdevil]

I might be biased in my opinion, as I plan to continue working in an ALS service while going to Medic school, but I fail to see why working while attending school is a bad idea.

Your bias is understandable, coming from Canadia, where that EMT entry level is significantly greater than in the U.S. Not really a fair comparison overall.

I will say EMS is what I would like my career choice to be for now, I know sad, right? but I will look into nursing soon, I dont have time or money at this moment, but that is another story.

The pre-requisites are the same for each (at least they should be. If they aren't, then your medic school sucks). So just start the process with the basics, then make your decision later. Heck, the same thing would be the case if you were trying to decide between civil engineering and electrical engineering. The basics are the same, so there is no reason to not get started.

I will say that most medics simply aren't cut out to be nurses, and would never be happy in ninety-five percent of all nursing jobs. There simply is VERY little similarity between the jobs, and most medics who think they understand what nursing is about really don't, even if their wife is one. And just like EMT experience will hurt you in medic school, medic experience will hurt you in nursing school. If you're going to transition from one to the other, then nursing-to-medic is definitely the only smart way to go.

Now Dust, you said that being at work and in medic class would be "distracting" Do you mean as in being a medic student and working as an EMT would distract you for an example wanting to do ALS stuff on every call as an EMT? please elaborate if I am wrong.

That is certainly one very good example. Too often, EMT partners who are medic students forget their role in the team. Even if they aren't trying to perform ALS skills, that is where their head is, which is understandable, but still a significant distraction, and certainly makes the medic's job harder. But also, too often you are getting concepts (physoiolgical, pathological, diagnostic, etc...) in school, and then trying to apply them in practice without those concepts yet being solid enough to apply. And then you work with a medic who either sucks, or simply isn't the teaching type, who confuses you by either using poor practices, or not understanding those concepts himself. That serves to confuse you, delay your understanding of the important concepts, subvert your desire to understand them at all, and ultimately reinforce bad habits.

Of course, there is also the simple matter of EMS work -- with it's long, unpredictable shifts -- distracting you from study time, and sometimes even class and clinical time. Any work at all will do that, but we all know that EMS work is worse about it than other jobs.

[Don1977]

Your bias is understandable, coming from Canadia, where that EMT entry level is significantly greater than in the U.S. Not really a fair comparison overall.

The pre-requisites are the same for each (at least they should be. If they aren't, then your medic school sucks). So just start the process with the basics, then make your decision later. Heck, the same thing would be the case if you were trying to decide between civil engineering and electrical engineering. The basics are the same, so there is no reason to not get started.

I will say that most medics simply aren't cut out to be nurses, and would never be happy in ninety-five percent of all nursing jobs. There simply is VERY little similarity between the jobs, and most medics who think they understand what nursing is about really don't, even if their wife is one. And just like EMT experience will hurt you in medic school, medic experience will hurt you in nursing school. If you're going to transition from one to the other, then nursing-to-medic is definitely the only smart way to go.

That is certainly one very good example. Too often, EMT partners who are medic students forget their role in the team. Even if they aren't trying to perform ALS skills, that is where their head is, which is understandable, but still a significant distraction, and certainly makes the medic's job harder. But also, too often you are getting concepts (physoiolgical, pathological, diagnostic, etc...) in school, and then trying to apply them in practice without those concepts yet being solid enough to apply. And then you work with a medic who either sucks, or simply isn't the teaching type, who confuses you by either using poor practices, or not understanding those concepts himself. That serves to confuse you, delay your understanding of the important concepts, subvert your desire to understand them at all, and ultimately reinforce bad habits.

Of course, there is also the simple matter of EMS work -- with it's long, unpredictable shifts -- distracting you from study time, and sometimes even class and clinical time. Any work at all will do that, but we all know that EMS work is worse about it than other jobs.

Ok, I agree.

Honestly there is two different places here ( in Pittsburgh) that teach medic class and the one goes more thorough then the other but costs more, I personally believe the more costly one is better and has a higher graduation rate, that is a fact that I have personally seen

[Freaknuggetz_chick]

speaking from experience (medic, from "zero-to-hero" program) the difference in just one year's on car experience is phenomenal. there is only so much you can get out of text books. then you need experience to read and feel situations and scenes. now it wasnt that i changed methods, techniques etc, it was a great increase in confidence and smoothness in running a call. also an increase in my leadership abilities, all of which are important when you're going to be the senior member on scene.

on a secondary note, doing the all-at-once schooling method is also a very steep learning curve, alot more difficult. not everyone can handle it.

my suggestion to the original poster of this thread: find a school that matches your learning style. if you do choose a zero-to-hero program, consider working during breaks or summers off etc. but dont burn yourself out either! enjoy BLS time to just be an EMT and relax. although alot of services will push you to work harder etc and expect more of you since you're a medic studen (makes sense to me though)

[Dustdevil]

Freak, please do not overlook that the original poster is not in Canadia. Your educational circumstances are COMPLETELY different from what he is looking at. Getting some experience to build on a solid year of medical education foundation is a good move. But there is no foundation to be had in 120 hours of basic first aid received in a U.S. EMT-B course. It gives you nothing to build on, just some mindless techniques to practise.

The differences between the optimal educational progression in Canadian and the U.S. systems are like night and day.