Master EMT before going Medic?

adamNYC

adamNYC

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I'm at a crossroads. Do I wait for the FDNY medic program, if I even get into FDNY in the first place, 2-3 years from now--or go to medic school out of pocket in 2016. So here's my question:

How necessary is it to master 911 BLS/EMT work before going to medic school?

I've heard guys give advice on here such as "If you're waiting for FDNY to call you, don't waste time and do nothing. Goto medic school"

I've also heard guys who've been an EMT for a few years and then went Medic and said that's the best way since you get to master EMT/BLS work first and you can better understand Medic work.

I find it interesting how this is the case in EMS, compared to nursing for example (I'm a CNA)... An RN doesn't have to be an LPN first, nor does an LPN have to be a CNA first.

Compared to the military, a Lieutenant leading a platoon doesn't need to be a Sergeant first either.

I'd like to hear from both sides of Medics who got into medic school with minimal EMT experience (few months of txp and maybe 911) and from Medics who were 911 EMTs for a few years prior to medic school.

I'm about to turn 30 next year and feel a strong sense of urgency to not be making under $20/hr.

Thanks
 
I tried the EMT-->Medic School thing at one point with little experience and wasn't successful. I don't plan on reattempting medic school until at least 2016. I currently have 1+ years of experience on a transport unit under my belt and just relocated to a new system where I can gain more valuable experience prior to attempting medic school.
 
I went into medic with zero experience, and finished at the top of my class. Actually, out of our top 4, only one had any experience. I'm not saying you need no experience to do well in class, but it's certainly feasible to do well with no experience.

Ultimately it's going to be up to you. Are you a good student? Do you learn the material well? Does this stuff "click" for you?

Is quality experience going to help you in school? Sure. Is it mandatory? Absolutely not.

Search this topic in here. It gets debated fairly often with some very varying, passionate views.
 
I tried searching multiple words and no luck. Any suggestions? And thanks STX for that response it gives me confidence to proceed.
 
Experience can help but it can also hurt you in some ways.
The biggest help is from an operations standpoint. Talking To pts, managing a scene ,etc.
The problem with experience is it isn't always good experience. It doesn't take long to "master" BLS skills. Contrary to popular belief you won't forget BLS because you are training in ALS. You will perform what is needed at the appropriate time. Any decent program will enable you and prepare you with little to no experience.
I worked as a BLS medic (about an AEMT in the USA) for 3 years before going back to school. I really wish I had not waited that long.
 
Gurby in NYC medics make over $20/hr
 
gotshirtz001 said:
That is area dependent.
Medics in my area start at $21/hr and have 13 annual step increases to $33/hr for day shifters. Add night differential and you make $43/hr.
Click to expand...

I would expect NYC medics to make good money because the cost of living is so high... But that's pretty impressive.
 
Gurby said:
I would expect NYC medics to make good money because the cost of living is so high... But that's pretty impressive.
Click to expand...

Our medics start at 45k and towards end of career are at 80k for a base salary. A lot more if you decide to become a Captain, Commander, etc. That's working 2-3 days a week. All depends where you work. Some agencies like to take care of their own!
 
I think in y'all's case, it's bribery... ;) Lol
 
Well it looks like medic school starts January and when I get EMT-certified in November it only makes sense to work a good year till Jan 2016. I only hope I can get in on doing 911 work after doing 6 months of IFT/Txp.
 
adamNYC said:
Well it looks like medic school starts January and when I get EMT-certified in November it only makes sense to work a good year till Jan 2016. I only hope I can get in on doing 911 work after doing 6 months of IFT/Txp.
Click to expand...
Have you thought about volunteering your time with the Central Park Medical Unit as a means to gaining valuable 911 experience?

http://www.cpmu.com
 
There's a couple other local volly crews in my area I'm considering in addition to paid private companies that I'll be applying to. Some will start one off with transport for several months then get transferred to their 911 group
 
adamNYC said:
I'm at a crossroads. Do I wait for the FDNY medic program, if I even get into FDNY in the first place, 2-3 years from now--or go to medic school out of pocket in 2016. So here's my question:

How necessary is it to master 911 BLS/EMT work before going to medic school?

I've heard guys give advice on here such as "If you're waiting for FDNY to call you, don't waste time and do nothing. Goto medic school"

I've also heard guys who've been an EMT for a few years and then went Medic and said that's the best way since you get to master EMT/BLS work first and you can better understand Medic work.

I find it interesting how this is the case in EMS, compared to nursing for example (I'm a CNA)... An RN doesn't have to be an LPN first, nor does an LPN have to be a CNA first.

Compared to the military, a Lieutenant leading a platoon doesn't need to be a Sergeant first either.

I'd like to hear from both sides of Medics who got into medic school with minimal EMT experience (few months of txp and maybe 911) and from Medics who were 911 EMTs for a few years prior to medic school.

I'm about to turn 30 next year and feel a strong sense of urgency to not be making under $20/hr.

Thanks
Click to expand...

The only places where it is necessary to "master" being an EMT prior to paramedic school is if the educational programs are subpar. Programs which place any requirements other than your standard reading/writing/arithmetic goals are probably trying to make up for a lack of depth of content/instruction.

The educational stepping stones in EMS are arbitrary and unnecessary. You'll be fine!
 
STXmedic said:
I went into medic with zero experience, and finished at the top of my class. Actually, out of our top 4, only one had any experience. I'm not saying you need no experience to do well in class, but it's certainly feasible to do well with no experience.

Ultimately it's going to be up to you. Are you a good student? Do you learn the material well? Does this stuff "click" for you?

Is quality experience going to help you in school? Sure. Is it mandatory? Absolutely not.

Search this topic in here. It gets debated fairly often with some very varying, passionate views.
Click to expand...
STX is spot on! If it clicks for you, then it works for you. The CNA-LPN-RN analogy answered your own question.
 
I went from EMT straight to paramedic. I think I finished EMT with a 96% and paramedic with a 92%. I had zero issues being "unexperienced" when I got in the field. I was upfront about being new, people were weary of me for a few weeks, and I made some tough calls correctly (particularly, first on scene at a mass casualty incident) and no one ever gave me crap about being "green" ever again.

Now, that is my singular experience. I learned very well from books and lectures and labs. Others learn much better from experience. (But, as mentioned earlier, it has to be quality books, lectures, labs and quality experience) EVERYONE has a unique experience. A really good indicator is to see how you do in Basic. If you finish with like an 80%, I'd be cautious about going straight to medic. In my singular experience, basic was very easy for me, and medic was very hard. The amount of time I had to re-read and lookup concepts was almost nothing in basic, and was very, very long in medic.

A very good indicator is to find a teacher during basic that knows you well and that you get along with well, and one that doesn't have a bias one way or the other, and simply ask them how they feel you would do. They will know how the schooling in the area works, they will know how you are as a student, and they might even tell you which paths/programs are best for you, or suggest places you can work or volunteer for experience.
 
Great comments overall. Basic and medic were easy for me- no brag, just fact. But everyone is different. You know how you are, and should have an idea how'll you'll do.
 
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