Get those degrees in EMS/Paramedicine

[akflightmedic]

I am always scouting jobs for potential opportunities and I have been noticing a trend in a few ads that I thought I might share. After seeing the 2nd then the 3rd one, I said I have to share as maybe a motivator for some and a convincer for others who think degrees for paramedics are a waste of time.

This is a trend that will only continue to grow.

One of the ads I saw required a bachelors as minimum qualification and this was for a plain old medic position!

These jobs I speak of are also the higher paying jobs and no, they are not all in war zones.

Here is a snippet of one of the ads:

Paramedic

Apply for this position

N06-70011373A

POSITION DESCRIPTION: Performs triage at the scene of an emergency to determine priority of care. Provides advanced life support care to ill and/or injured patients in the pre-hospital care phase. Applies artificial airways, respiration and administers oxygen in required cases. Starts and administers intravenous fluids and performs other emergency medical procedures during ambulance ride. Involved in and contributes to disaster planning, drill and education/training.

SELECTION CRITERIA: MINIMUM REQUIREMENT *********ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE**** in Paramedic medicine and 2 years experience after graduation.

[triemal04]

Were these jobs within the US, or outside in more of a remote-medic type situation? I'd guess the latter (though it'd be awesome if I was wrong) which makes sense; from what I know of those types of jobs (granted, not a huge amount) the people are much more involved in clinical medicine, long-term care, on-site training and occmed than the average paramedic here. So it'd make sense that the employers would want a higher level of education. Kind of surprised it didn't happen sooner.

***this in no way advocates the average paramedic NOT having at least an Associates degree; should be the bare minimum***

[chbare]

Shoot, many of the medics I work with have degrees. Most of the South African medics I work with have either three or four years of education. The Australian ACP's all have around three or more years of education. Not a big surprise that companies are requiring degrees for medics. Even medics going into conflict areas.

Take care,

chbare.

[cdcmj]

As somebody who is in their last semester for an Emergency Medicine BS degree at a four-year university, I can attest first hand that this should now be the new standard for out of hospital practitioner's.

[CTXMEDIC]

while i firmly believe in more education, i fail to see how courses in medevil literature, global warming and the history of communism prepare you to be a better provider. I have a degree in geology so according to Texas, i am a 'licensed provider'. not once have i ever told a motorcycle wreck victim, "Sir, you have basalt in your head with traces of quartz."

[akflightmedic]

If you are unable to see the correlation, you fail.

However, I digress as this was not the point of this thread. Please show me where I stated you would be a better provider.

What I did bring your attention to is the shift of employers starting to recognize and require their medics to posses a higher education. This is entirely relevant for those that may wish to be hired in the future or desire to move up the ladder of success within their organization.

Statements or attitudes displayed such as yours will only serve to defeat all that we strive for everyday as EMS Professionals who desire better wages, respect and responsibility.

[CTXMEDIC]

yes, i fail. i should have known that my degree in geology helped me to understand that the earth is hard and when your head hits it at 90mph, thats bad. thanks be to you for helping me realize my mistake. :roll:

all i am saying is that the education/degree plan should be based on medicine and that all the 'PC' crap that goes into a degree should be eliminated. Texas requires that you hold a degree in order to be concidered 'licensed', otherwise youre just 'certified'. you dont get paid anymore than the other guy although the mere fact that you are 'licensed' can be a plus at some agencies. i FAIL to see how a supervisor that can quote me the history of the Mayan empire is any better at his job than i am.

maybe you missed the part where i said am FOR education, i just want that education to be related to the job.

[akflightmedic]

No I did not miss it at all.

But any education is better than no education and it is a step in the right direction.

That whole LP versus certified is a uniquely Texas thing, and the few (too few) states that require their medics to have degrees do indeed like them to be more science or EMS based.

Maybe the LP thing is a form of subtle peer pressure....lol.

[VentMedic]

while i firmly believe in more education, i fail to see how courses in medevil literature, global warming and the history of communism prepare you to be a better provider. I have a degree in geology so according to Texas, i am a 'licensed provider'. not once have i ever told a motorcycle wreck victim, "Sir, you have basalt in your head with traces of quartz."

By that comment it is easy to see you have not even looked at what classes make up a degree for EMS .

http://www.mdc.edu/medical/AHT/EMS/ems_curriculum.asp

English Composition I

Psychology of Personal Effectiveness

Fundamentals of Speech Communication

Critical Thinking/Ethics

In this prgram, these are the only 4 classes that aren't found in a "cert" program. Do you not believe it is important to know how to read, write, think and speak effectively as part of being a Paramedic? Even a class like medival literature would be entremely beneficial due to the reading comprehension as well as critical thinking that goes with the detailed analyzation of many literary works. If one had actually taken a literature class, they would have known this and not be critical of why it is a great class to build a solid foundation for being more literate. To downplay any education that makes one think, speak and write more clearly just keeps one at the grunt and groan level when talking to patients and other medical professionals. Patient care reports will also continue to be poorly written.

Here is a Bachelor's program:

UMBC

http://ehs.umbc.edu/ParamedicTrack/ParamedicHome

Concepts of Biology

Contemporary Mathematics

Introduction to Statistics

Basic Concepts in Sociology

Introduction to Psychology

Abnormal Psychology

Composition

Which of the above classes do you believe to be a waste of time for a MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL?

Another example from Loma Linda with different tracks to take:

http://llu.edu/llu/documents/2007-08univer...og.pdf#page=124

20 hours of humanities? That is not alot especially since you can include foreign language classes. You do get to pick which of the humanities you want to take out of a long liist. If you chose Medival literature in your degree, that was probably your choice. To complain about your choice of a humanity class is another matter and should not be used in an argument for higher education in EMS.

Associates in Science degrees for EMS have been around since the 1970s. I got one in 1979.

[firedoc5]

Way, back when, an actual degree was not offered in my area. We discussed this a few times. The EMS Director said that even though there was not a degree, we all received all the knowledge that it would take to obtain one.

I really don't know if there is a degree program is now in place. I'll have to check with my old department.

When asked what level of education I have I usually have to say some college, but not a degree. I agree with AK that a degree should be obtained. I regret not to have been able to.