EMS getting put down.

[lampnyter]

When i was in highschool my guidance counsler wanted me to go into all AP classes which i was not very interested in. He asked me what i planned on doing after college and i said i wanted to be a paramedic and he was like, "oh that explains why you dont want to take hard classes". wtf, why do people think EMS is an easy career choice. I find it extremely offending that people dont take us seriously.

 

[Scout]

I'm hopeing AP is applied physics.?

 

[Shishkabob]

I'm hopeing AP is applied physics.?

Advanced Placement, as in harder classes.

 

[Scout]

Ok, I'll bow out, I've no idea what they are, My first thought was anatomy and physiology.

 

[JPINFV]

Advanced placement courses are essentially intro level college courses taught at high school where students can sit for a standardized test which colleges give varying amounts of credit for. The big thing at my undergrad wasn't the fact that you got college credit so much as the grades were inflated one level for applying (so a B in an advacned placement class was counted as an A).

 

[WolfmanHarris]

Should we expect more respect from the general public then we deserve? Given the huge range in EMS education, qualifications and quality around the United States, and the abysmal pay and working conditions that make up large segments of the industry, why should we deserve more respect and adoration than any other job? Until a profession is built that is worthy of respect universally (where' it's the rule, not the exception) than not only will this attitude be common, but it will be deserved.

 

[terrible one]

wtf, why do people think EMS is an easy career choice. I find it extremely offending that people dont take us seriously.

Probably because you only need a HS education to do it.

 

[rescue99]

When i was in highschool my guidance counsler wanted me to go into all AP classes which i was not very interested in. He asked me what i planned on doing after college and i said i wanted to be a paramedic and he was like, "oh that explains why you dont want to take hard classes". wtf, why do people think EMS is an easy career choice. I find it extremely offending that people dont take us seriously.

I'd be in the principals office with this pain the butt. He's (or she) is supposed to support and guide, not steer students away from education. It isn't any of his business what students want to do beyond helping meet the educational requirements. There's bound to be 10 eager people looking to take his job waitin right outside the door. Suggest he let someone more professional do what he clearly cannot....sheesh

 

[Veneficus]

I'd be in the principals office with this pain the butt. He's (or she) is supposed to support and guide, not steer students away from education. It isn't any of his business what students want to do beyond helping meet the educational requirements. There's bound to be 10 eager people looking to take his job waitin right outside the door. Suggest he let someone more professional do what he clearly cannot....sheesh

This post is awesome.

It was no different than when I was in high school. I ditched the "honors" classes because all it meant was that we had more homework than the "stupid kids" who often got higher grades.

At the time there was no 5.0 or the like, so you could take "how to multiply decimals" in 12th grade and come out with a better GPA than somebody who got a B+ in theorhetical mathmatics.

I remember my councilor telling me I would never amount to anything more than a laborer with my attitude and I would be lucky to stay out of jail.

In my humble opinion, guidance councilors are like human resource reps. they are utterly without skill, knowledge, or value. It is great to be told what you can or cannot be when you grow up from a person who managed not to do anything but wind up back in high school.

 

[lampnyter]

just because you only need HS education to go into the EMS doesnt mean we dont have an important job...

 

[JPINFV]

In my humble opinion, guidance councilors are like human resource reps. they are utterly without skill, knowledge, or value. It is great to be told what you can or cannot be when you grow up from a person who managed not to do anything but wind up back in high school.

Basically... yea. I ended up having to fight with my guidance councilor when I was enrolling in classes before my freshman year because she didn't want to put me into biology instead of intro to science or life science. Apparently, until my parents got involved, she never thought to check my test scores.

 

[JPINFV]

just because you only need HS education to go into the EMS doesnt mean we dont have an important job...

Garbage men have an important job and, on balance, save more lives every year than EMS does. Should guidance councilors start recommending people to be garbage men?

 

[adamjh3]

just because you only need HS education to go into the EMS doesnt mean we dont have an important job...

The guy at McDonalds has an important job, the guy that works at the dump has an important job, the guy behind the grocery store running the recycling shack has an important job. Are we throwing parades for them?

At the end of the day it's a job just like the guy pushing papers at Microsoft has.

EDIT: Now I know why I always liked your posts, JPINFV, great minds think alike

 

[Veneficus]

Basically... yea. I ended up having to fight with my guidance councilor when I was enrolling in classes before my freshman year because she didn't want to put me into biology instead of intro to science or life science. Apparently, until my parents got involved, she never thought to check my test scores.

I think the emphasized text is really a majority of the facts.

 

[Roam]

I would like to see a new class of Paramedic that is basically a combination of a field medic and critical care nurse in the field. This position could be mandatory of at least an associates degree, perhaps even a bachelored EMS Physician Assistant? Any thoughts?

 

[Veneficus]

I would like to see a new class of Paramedic that is basically a combination of a field medic and critical care nurse in the field. This position could be mandatory of at least an associates degree, perhaps even a bachelored EMS Physician Assistant? Any thoughts?

I think the easiest situation is to make an RN a requirement to take a paramedic class.

I think the position of PA should be removed entirely from all aspects of patient care.

 

[looker]

I would like to see a new class of Paramedic that is basically a combination of a field medic and critical care nurse in the field. This position could be mandatory of at least an associates degree, perhaps even a bachelored EMS Physician Assistant? Any thoughts?

No thanks, it will just cost more to employee them.

 

[lampnyter]

its like you guys are bashing yourselves. im proud to be in the EMS whether you need to go to college or not. I dont do it for the money or for anything except for the fact i enjoy it. Jobs shouldnt be chosen based on how smart you have to be or how much education you have.

 

[lampnyter]

The guy at McDonalds has an important job, the guy that works at the dump has an important job, the guy behind the grocery store running the recycling shack has an important job. Are we throwing parades for them?

At the end of the day it's a job just like the guy pushing papers at Microsoft has.

EDIT: Now I know why I always liked your posts, JPINFV, great minds think alike

and i never said EMS should get a parade. this whole thing was about how my guidance counciler said EMS is for lazy people who dont want to go far in life.....

 

[Roam]

I think the easiest situation is to make an RN a requirement to take a paramedic class.

I really think it comes down to the fact that the DOT oversees EMT's. I really feel it is a profession that was established for pre-hospital transportation and has not progressed past that point. Almost every professional involved in medicine has seen their minimal education standards raised. You used to be able to be a PA with a bachelors degree, same with Speech Pathology, etc.. Now most practicing medical professionals begin at the maters degree level. Insurance companies are happy to reimburse the added cost. I feel this is due to their strong lobbying and group polarization efforts.

It is too bad, the EMS profession needs to demand vertical movement and demand their place among highly paid professionals in the medical industry!

I feel that paramedics belong in the emergency rooms AND ambulances above plain RN's (no offense to the highly trained critical care nurses on this EMS forum.) I would rather have a highly trained competent paramedic at my side than a new RN. Paramedics should be equivalent to the RN position, not under it! :wacko: