G'day

[intub8u]

Seems like this is a great place to get in contact with other professionals in the field. Glad I found it.

My name is Tim, I am 23 years old and I have been an EMT for 2 years. I am finishing up my didactic portion of medic school this week..then onto 6 months of clinical and field internships. I am from Sydney, Australia originally, but I have lived in Sacramento, CA for the past 5 years.

I absolutely love my career. I never thought I would love my job so much but I can't get enough of it. People think I'm crazy, but I look at it as lucky I found what I want to do for the rest of my life.

Good to meet you guys, hopefully I can share some of my insight and gain some knowledge from some of you here too.

[Kiwiology]

Welcome mate!

Why'd you choose to work in the US (esp CA) over Australia, seems like a backwards step!

This place is pretty craz, you'll sure meet some good people.

Watch out for my pet elephant in the front yard yeah?

[intub8u]

Yeh well I kinda got sucked in to California and ended up going to school over here, but I am moving back to Aus at the end of the year when I finish my internship...planning on working for the ambos out in Sydney.

[Kiwiology]

Might be opening a can of worms there, the ambo's down here require far more education than the US

There are a few threads on it around here, look into them

[intub8u]

I know what you're saying, but they do have a "recognition of prior learning" and when I called and talked to HR, they said they have hired people from California before. The scope of practice is very similar, and the school I go to trains us to national standards, therefore we have far superior training than if it were based on local or state protocols..

But thanks for the info, I will definitely search for the threads that contain this information.

[Kiwiology]

No problem dude just didnt want you to get into a situation where you need to go back to school; not sure if you know but Bachelors and Postgrad are now the Australian standarD for Paramedic and Intensive Care (ALS).

As one of the faculty say here, you just have to open a Weet Bix box to get certified in the US (and they aint lyin!)

Have you worked EMS in Australia? If so how do you like it compared to the US?

Edited May 18, 2010 by kiwimedic

[BushyFromOz]

I know what you're saying, but they do have a "recognition of prior learning" and when I called and talked to HR, they said they have hired people from California before. The scope of practice is very similar, and the school I go to trains us to national standards, therefore we have far superior training than if it were based on local or state protocols..

But thanks for the info, I will definitely search for the threads that contain this information.

Take everything that ASNSW has to say with a couple of Kg of rock salt, they will promise you the world and when you show up their world will be different from yours. I once met a MICA Paramedic who was trying to get into ASNSW to he could be closer to his aging parents, and ASNSW was still going to place him as a level 2 student for a few months while they assessed his "competency" (despite the fact he had a degree, postraduate in intensive care paramedic studies, postrag in aeromedical retrievel, all of which exceeds ASNSW maximal training and education requirements, but they were still going to place him as a student then a general duties ambo before they let him cahllenge the IC level, despite the fact that the VIC MICA skill set is far and aboive the NSW IC skill set - just crazy)

Also, beware ASNSW reserves the right to place you ANYWHERE they have a vacancy, classic example is an irish husband and wife team were given postings, one in sydney nd the other out near broken hill.

talk to aussiphil, he's an ASNSW Paramedic

No problem dude just didnt want you to get into a situation where you need to go back to school; not sure if you know but Bachelors and Postgrad are now the Australian standarD for Paramedic and Intensive Care (ALS).

NSW still recruits off the street, so even at its worst you can come in as general entry, they do have a graduate stream.

[aussiephil]

talk to aussiphil, he's an ASNSW Paramedic

I also have a bad attitude & generally dislike people.

[Richard B the EMT]

I also have a bad attitude & generally dislike people.

Gee, you say that as if it were a bad thing.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Phil, we all know it's just your street cred that we love. You put on a good front but there is no-one I'd rather have as my EMS crew partner in Australia than you.