When is a "medic" not a Paramedic, outside the mil

[Just Plain Ruff]

why are we getting bent out of shape over this? does this directly affect us as providers?

Does it affect the job we do?

does it affect training, response times, patient care?

I say just leave it be and go on to things we can control as well as things that can be changed in our sphere of influence.

seems like it's making a mountain out of a mole hill.

[letmesleep]

I think it's all about public perception tho, if the EMT-I or EMT is allowed to get away with calling themselves "medics", then the public will not understand the difference, thus hurting us in the long run. The only thing worse than this is being called "ambulance drivers", think about it.

[Just Plain Ruff]

I think it's all about public perception tho, if the EMT-I or EMT is allowed to get away with calling themselves "medics", then the public will not understand the difference, thus hurting us in the long run. The only thing worse than this is being called "ambulance drivers", think about it.

It only affects us if we allow it to affect us. I've been called ambulance driver, paragod, dumbass and many other names not fit to show here but I don't let it affect me. I know what my level of certification is and I correct people all the time but does it affect the job I do. NO. I won't let it.

To me this worrying about titles and what Joe Blow public man thinks about me is less important as how my patients perceive me when I'm bandaging and splnting their broken arm. Or holding Mrs. Jones hand after her husband is found dead in the bed.

At the end of the day, I hold my head up and am proud to say I'm a medic or paramedic or whatever I refer to myself and if I can do that then there is NO issue of names and semantics.

If you let being referred to as an "ambulance driver" affect you then you are shallower than I thought (NOT directed at the most recent poster) but directed at everyone overall.

[firedoc5]

why are we getting bent out of shape over this? does this directly affect us as providers?

Does it affect the job we do?

does it affect training, response times, patient care?

I say just leave it be and go on to things we can control as well as things that can be changed in our sphere of influence.

seems like it's making a mountain out of a mole hill.

I agree with you, Ruff. I think some actual Medics get bent out of shape when lower level EMT's are called Medics. And when they do, they don't like it. On the volly service I started with, and my father later became coordinator of, when they got their first hand held radios, they started using Medic numbers when they were only EMT-A's. On my days off I'd come over and help. I didn't care. They had to use some kind of identification on the radio. I think that was the only time they called themselves Medics.

[Eydawn]

Like I said, if it's not an EMS agency, who gives a flying flip what they call their medical folks?

If we really want to educate the public, the LAST thing we need to worry about is the Parks Service.

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[saboats]

Sure, it's misleading, but it's not unheard of at the state level. Where's the outrage that Iowa calls their EMT-I/99s "EMT-Paramedics?" .

Didn't know that... but here's a question, how many paramedics out there have been practicing since 1999 or earlier? The reason for the question; if you were registered prior to 2000 as a paramedic, who have the same training, same curriculum, same level of initial education as all the EMT-I/99's out there. The EMT-I/99 is the "old" Paramedic Curriculum. There was nothing changed in that NSC when it was "demoted" the the I level.

Now I'm not saying that you/we haven't increased our knowledge and training in the years since the curriculum change, but all those EMT-I/99's coming out of training now are being taught the same things you/we all were taught back in the day..... Interesting huh???

[letmesleep]

Ruff, agreed that we should not allow such a little thing effect the job we do, but it is also our job to educate the public in regards to our title or anything medical. The public will be the one's voting for taxes, and Board members, thus effecting pay and benefits down the road. My point here is to teach them the difference so that they don't replace us with the second best. As long as they know the difference then they can make an educated decision on the type of service they are paying for. If they choose to have "ambulance drivers" instead of medics, they will certainly suffer in the long run.

I do agree whole heartedly that this should not effect the JOB we do.......ever!

[Just Plain Ruff]

Ruff, agreed that we should not allow such a little thing effect the job we do, but it is also our job to educate the public in regards to our title or anything medical. The public will be the one's voting for taxes, and Board members, thus effecting pay and benefits down the road. My point here is to teach them the difference so that they don't replace us with the second best. As long as they know the difference then they can make an educated decision on the type of service they are paying for. If they choose to have "ambulance drivers" instead of medics, they will certainly suffer in the long run.

I do agree whole heartedly that this should not effect the JOB we do.......ever!

Beautiful and I totally agree on the educating the public. I think the more that people are exposed in a community to paramedic level service the better educated they become but in all reality, the public will always look at us as ambulance drivers because, truthfully we do drive ambulances right?

We can get thru to some of the people but we can't get thru to all of them. One step at a time.

I find that those who really get offended at being called a "ambulance driver" are those I don't really want to work with. I find that they get offended easily at other things.

[firedoc5]

The biggest obsticle in teaching the public is that there are so many certs. on different levels. So many in fact that it's hard for us to keep them all straight. :roll: :oops:

[TheOldMan]

Way back in the late 1970's, West Virginia had a 96 hour MICP (Mobile Intensive Care Paramedic) class, a few of the 'old timers', I work with today are only '96 Hour Medics', they cannot sit for the NR tests, but have been paramedics for 30 + years. I couldn't imagine sitting through a 96 hour class, and be thrown in the streets and function.