Going straight into Medic School

[mistertheatre]

I would love anyone's advice and opinions, positive or negative, about enrolling into Paramedic School directly after receiving EMT-B cert.

Spill. Thanks.

 

[MMiz]

Despite some saying that you'll lack real-world work experience, in this climate I'd certainly go straight into medic school. The knowledge will be fresh, and you'll leave school with an opportunity for a career in EMS.

I found that many of my EMT-Basic colleagues hadn't attended Paramedic school because it was hard to go back to school.

In retrospect I wish I stayed in school longer and got a higher level degree instead of going right into the workforce. Learn from my mistakes and go for it!

 

[mistertheatre]

Thanks for your input. I really do appreciate it. I do agree, and have thought about the fact the all the knowledge will be fresh. and I like that.

Anyone else?

 

[HotelCo]

Thanks for your input. I really do appreciate it. I do agree, and have thought about the fact the all the knowledge will be fresh. and I like that.

Anyone else?

Go straight into school if you have the chance.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[silver]

Because medic school is theory based and provides hands on training (lab + clinical rotations) for all the skills required, I would say go for it now. You won't regret it.

 

[flightmed256]

EMT then Paramedic

My medic teacher has always said that you have to be a great basic before you can become a good paramedic.

 

[usalsfyre]

My medic teacher has always said that you have to be a great basic before you can become a good paramedic.

Even though they have exactly nada in common besides the fact they both work on ambulances?

 

[mgr22]

My medic teacher has always said that you have to be a great basic before you can become a good paramedic.

Someone should ask your teacher to back that up with a study -- any study -- that correlates paramedic performance to EMT "greatness."

 

[Nerdy66]

I would love anyone's advice and opinions, positive or negative, about enrolling into Paramedic School directly after receiving EMT-B cert.

Spill. Thanks.

I would at least get some field experience. I have seen several EMTs start not realizing what exactly the job entails physically and mentally. It would just suck if you went through all this schooling and found out that you don't like the job.

 

[DarkStarr]

^ He may have had to do ride time during B class and already know what it's like.

 

[Nerdy66]

Yeah he may have, but even then it's not the same as being the actual one in charge. Seeing someone do it and doing it yourself are completely different.

 

[Andrew0568]

to the OP: which state are you in? it's interesting that not all states require ______ hours of field experience prior to admittance to a medic program

 

[WhiskeyMedic]

I just graduated as a 68w and jumping straight into a paramedic program at a local community college.....Hope to do some volunteer work for some hands on experience, along with putting my resume in for full-time work.

 

[mistertheatre]

to the OP: which state are you in? it's interesting that not all states require ______ hours of field experience prior to admittance to a medic program

Manhattan. I'm looking into Paramedic schools in either Louisiana, or Texas at the moment...since I have family in both places. The one in Louisiana, I think, doesn't say anything about hours of field experience as a pre-req.

 

[usalsfyre]

to the OP: which state are you in? it's interesting that not all states require ______ hours of field experience prior to admittance to a medic program

I'm not aware of any STATE that requires "x" amount experience to go to medic school. Some local entities require it, and many programs do. Why? Who the heck knows...

 

[CheifBud]

If you haven't by now found out you're never going to get a straight answer; while some feel, I'm sorry, know for a fact of life and anyone else is just stupid, that experience at the EMT-B level is essential to become a decent medic. And of course the other side of the highway where you could do fine, neigh even benefit from going EMT-B > Medic with no to little experience.

So, to negate everyone's and I guess even mine at the same time; How do YOU feel about going from EMT-B to Medic. I am in the exact same boat as you I should specify, now would I love some hands on experience? You better believe I'll take any minute I can to learn and well, experience EMS, Most of my local towns even have waiting lists for VOLOUNTEERS which I would love to do. That being said I have a life and goals and I won't let completion of those goals is not going to be contingent on my "local" job market and my most basic level of training if I can help it. I say "Local" because once I obtain Medic I will hopefully be moving which will allot me a much greater employer pool.
Experience is good..... there is no question about it. That is the reason we crawl > walk, training wheels > two wheels, high school > college
As I said earlier I will take ANY opportunity to learn and gain knowledge on ANYTHING even healthcare related and will approach any job with the utmost humility. I spend a ton of time looking over old textbooks, watching hours of medical lectures on Youtube (Me not having a girlfriend may be part of the reason) and am addicted to learning anything I can and after skating through my EMT-B class with over 90% on EVERY piece of work stoned out of my mind while helping 35 y.o. grown men drop tubes and splint arms who I feel couldn't provide care to a hamster, and others who excelled at the class it was very obvious the training may be consistent but the EMT will never be. My point being if you feel competent with what you are doing, comfortable with you knowledge and want to achieve Medic regardless.... DO IT and learn everything you can, get your hands on everything you can and try to be the best damn Medic you can be, experience or not I plan on finding out every in and out of my local EMS system to the nth degree as if I was a newborn!!

 

[cynikalkat]

I was told by my instructor to try to work first. In MA you CAN go right on to paramedic, school whereas in RI (Where my sister lives) you have to have a yr experience before you can even apply. On Cape you pretty much have to be a medic to get a job w/ the fire depts (or know someone), so I have considered it. Right now I am going to try to find an emt-b job and if I'm not successful, go on to medic school. Apparently there is a pilot program @ umass Dartmouth that is an accelerated medic program. I'm going to look at it just to see what it is. Otherwise, Cape Cod Comm College for medic!
kate

 

[Tommerag]

....skating through my EMT-B class with over 90% on EVERY piece of work stoned out of my mind while helping 35 y.o. grown men drop tubes and splint arms who I feel couldn't provide care to a hamster.....

Wow...If that is true, you apparently shouldn't be providing care to even a hamster then. That's just plain stupid. Not looking out for your patients best interests then and also not exactly something to be proud of.

 

[Handsome Robb]

Experience is good..... there is no question about it. That is the reason we crawl > walk, training wheels > two wheels, high school > college

I skipped the training wheels... :rofl:

There's so many threads on this topic and I still haven't seen any proof that you need to have experience as an EMT to be a good medic.

I say you don't i have extremely limited experience as an EMT and I'm not having any trouble in medic school.

 

[mistertheatre]

This is all very great. Thanks everyone for your 2 cents. If anyone has anything else to add, spill. ^_^