EMT-B to Medic

[Breck]

After completion of the EMT-B, how would you rate the difficulty in obtaining a Paramedic License after the BLS background knowledge you have already obtained?

[ERDoc]

After completion of the EMT-B, how would you rate the difficulty in obtaining a Paramedic License after the BLS background knowledge you have already obtained?

Welcome to the City. Prepare to duck!! I'll sum up the responses that are coming. This has been discussed many times in the past. You can try using the search function.

It depends on the training and your experience. A little more info is needed. How far out from EMT class are you? What kind of experience do you have?

[Ridryder 911]

There are a ton of subjects already posted on this, but I can tell you it all depends upon your EMT and basic education level.

I see that you are from OKC, may I ask which institution you received your EMT from ? OSU, OKCC, EOCC, Metro ?

If you already have a good general science background Paramedic may not be difficult as well, it all depends upon where you want to pursue you paramedic education at. Just remember, the more difficult the better results in the long run .... many choose the easy way out in OK and it shows..

If you have not decided yet, PM me and I will give you information on some local programs...

R/r 911

[Just Plain Ruff]

well skills should be no problem for most

Learning - not much different than EMT School - you study, you learn, you memorize and you get taught according to how to pass the NREMT exam

But the real skill of applying all you learn to the real world. A newly minted EMT will have no or very very minimal field experience to apply what he/she is learning.

If the only experience you have to differentiate between medical conditions comes from a book then I truly believe you will be hard pressed to do a good job as a medic.

It's sort of like this "you gotta crawl before you walk" It is not like Geico where it's so simple even a cave man can do it.

You might be someone who can go right into paramedic class, pass the tests, pass the skill stations, pass the nremt and go out and get the needed experience but I truly do not believe that 95% of the people out there can. Especially if you do not have the other education that we have been drilling into everyones head in another thread here.

don't rush your career, go out, get a job as an emt and work towards getting your medic but going directly from emt to medic class even when your license ink isn't completely dry is a foolhardy move.

The Ruff Educational approach

My alternative would be that EMT get abolished in the general sense. My program would be like this.

the states no longer recognize EMT licensure from Jan 1 2008 for any new people.

What we have in it's place is a paramedic program that incorporates all that you learn in EMT School but on a broader Medic level course load at the Associate degree level or if wanted the student could pursue a bachelors with additional requirements in each class to make them Bachelors level.

Your end result would be a 3 or 4 year paramedic program which is really what we have been talking about. 4 months to get the EMT basic class done, then the program delves more into the medic level. The student could work in an EMS system at the level of EMT but they would be restricted to non-emergency basic transfers.

Now the student has a job and continues on in their schooling with medic level courses and at the end of the 3 years they are full fledged medics.

If the student drops out of the class then they lose the ability to work in an emergency service except for being a BLS transfer truck driver. They do not lose the credits that they have accrued and can re-enter the medic program at any time but proof of competency would be required. After more than a year out of the class, they would be required to re-enter the medic program and start from scratch.

The school would integrate EMS courses with the required courses for an AA Degree or of the school wanted to they could grant BS (bachelors) degrees if the student completed an additional year in EMS management or Bachelor level classes.

I know that this won't work because there would be too many whiners out there who would say, it's toooo hard, I can't take the time to do all this, I've got to get a job.

until some type of re-vamping of the education of the medic/emt is done then we are just going to be head butting a wall on our quest for professional recognition and respect.