Laid off at hospital, signed up for medic school yesterday.

[CountryEMT-bGurl]

So as my title says, I got laid off at the hospital this week. So I am going to take this opportunity to go to medic school. I am still going to work my EMT job that i just got. But money is going to be tight for awhile, and with 2 kids that scares me. We aren't use to living on a budget, and looking back I really took that for granted. But if we do get in a bind I will pick up another part time job if I have to, but i am going to try and see how it all pans out.
Wish me luck. I start Jan. 19. I am getting excited now!!!

 

[Thindian]

Forgive if I'm wrong, didn't you just get your EMT-B a couple months ago? And didn't you just start this EMT job a week or two ago? Medic schools in my area require a minimum of 6 months of 911 experience for your application to be considered. I guess it's different in Missouri. Good luck though.

 

[Sasha]

Forgive if I'm wrong, didn't you just get your EMT-B a couple months ago? And didn't you just start this EMT job a week or two ago? Medic schools in my area require a minimum of 6 months of 911 experience for your application to be considered. I guess it's different in Missouri. Good luck though.

Not everywhere requires experience before medic school, thank god. I think it's better to go straight to medic school.

Is this the same job where you spent 12 hours reading EMTLfe?

 

[rescue99]

Not everywhere requires experience before medic school, thank god. I think it's better to go straight to medic school.

Is this the same job where you spent 12 hours reading EMTLfe?

LOL...me too Sasha. Going right into Medic was a good decision, for me at least.
Jumping in head first, ya either sink or swim.

 

[DV_EMT]

Medic schools in my area require a minimum of 6 months of 911 experience for your application to be considered.

yeah... i don't like that rule... otherwise i'd be in school right now

 

[wyoskibum]

Forgive if I'm wrong, didn't you just get your EMT-B a couple months ago? And didn't you just start this EMT job a week or two ago? Medic schools in my area require a minimum of 6 months of 911 experience for your application to be considered. I guess it's different in Missouri. Good luck though.

In your area, aren't EMT's a dime a dozen with not enough jobs to go around? It is wonder anybody get into a Paramedic program! ;-D

 

[wyoskibum]

You don't mess around!

So as my title says, I got laid off at the hospital this week. So I am going to take this opportunity to go to medic school. I am still going to work my EMT job that i just got. But money is going to be tight for awhile, and with 2 kids that scares me. We aren't use to living on a budget, and looking back I really took that for granted. But if we do get in a bind I will pick up another part time job if I have to, but i am going to try and see how it all pans out.
Wish me luck. I start Jan. 19. I am getting excited now!!!

Good luck!

 

[EMSLaw]

In your area, aren't EMT's a dime a dozen with not enough jobs to go around? It is wonder anybody get into a Paramedic program! ;-D

One thing NJ has going for it - there are only about 1700 actively licensed paramedics in the state.

 

[Lifeguards For Life]

Not everywhere requires experience before medic school, thank god. I think it's better to go straight to medic school.

Is this the same job where you spent 12 hours reading EMTLfe?

And paramedic school's should not require EMT experience as a pre req for school.

 

[rhan101277]

Check for the pre-req's at your school. Hopefully you already have A&P I and II if it isn't required, be ready for some confusion because you will need a firm understanding of the bodies inner workings to make since of much of paramedic school.

 

[johnrsemt]

Never been sure what my feelings are about this subject:

Sometimes I feel that people should be and EMT-B for at least 1-2 years, FT, 911 and IFT.
Other times I feel that it should be ok to go straight through programs.

We used to have a school where you could start as a layperson, and in 7 months of 6-12 hour days a week, graduate as a NR-EMT-P.


they don't make medical students be a nurse before medical school: you just have to have a Bachelors degree; same with Nursing school, except you don't need the degree first.
Different subject, but same with Law School.


So why are the the only professional service that some people want Paramedics to be EMT-B's for a few years first?

 

[Jeffrey_169]

In Virginia it used to be two years, but here in Texas it is possible to college and get your EMT-B and start Paramedic the next semester.

I went to Amarillo College and got my Paramedic Degree after several years. I am married and have two children as well. I know what you are about to embark upon, and so I will say this; hang in there!!! It is going to get a little rough, but remember you can do it, and when you graduate and get your NREMT-P you will see it is all worth it.

Good luck.

 

[Jeffrey_169]

Most medical schools do not require a bachelors degree to go to medical school. I dont have one, but I was told by several that it was not required. Dont get em wrong, it does help with the admissions process however.

The reason we are expected to rise through the ranks in this fashion is because we are nothing like doctors and nurses; we are generally alone in the back of a truck working on a patient which may be, or soon could be. circuling the drain. When you are in the heat of battle you better be sure you know what your doing, and more importantly hae the confidence to do what is neccessary to get the job done. Experience offers you wisdom and confiidence. Doctors have nurses; nurses have nurses and techs to fall back on; when we are rockin and rolling in the rear of the truck we have ourselves, rarely another person, and our patient.

 

[Dominion]

Most medical schools do not require a bachelors degree to go to medical school. I dont have one, but I was told by several that it was not required. Dont get em wrong, it does help with the admissions process however.

The reason we are expected to rise through the ranks in this fashion is because we are nothing like doctors and nurses; we are generally alone in the back of a truck working on a patient which may be, or soon could be. circuling the drain. When you are in the heat of battle you better be sure you know what your doing, and more importantly hae the confidence to do what is neccessary to get the job done. Experience offers you wisdom and confiidence. Doctors have nurses; nurses have nurses and techs to fall back on; when we are rockin and rolling in the rear of the truck we have ourselves, rarely another person, and our patient.

All medical schools require a degree. Do you mean medic schools?

Good luck, I feel straight through is fine but be prepared to defend yourself and work HARD. Get all you can out of your clinicals as it's going to be what helps you prepare for full time work.

 

[daedalus]

All medical schools require a degree. Do you mean medic schools?

Good luck, I feel straight through is fine but be prepared to defend yourself and work HARD. Get all you can out of your clinicals as it's going to be what helps you prepare for full time work.

Actually many medical schools only require you to complete 90 college units before applying. However, in practice, most applicants and matriculants have a BS/BA.

 

[ExpatMedic]

A better argument would be to state that you don't need experience with patients before attending medical school, or nursing school, for that matter.

Although I had approx 4-5 years in fire/ems before I went to medic school, I see no problem with schools not requiring experience before applying. There is a reason most states adhere by a national standard and curriculum. If people can be taught how to simply pass the test, without gaining the knowledge, then you must blame the system and/or the ease of the test, rather than the individual.

With that said, everyone with 0 experience ended up flunking out of the school I went to. My program generally has a 50% attrition rate...but we have also had a 100% first time pass rate for national registry for, I believe, 5 years now. I truly believe the quality of the program goes a long way with how well a paramedic performs, at least in the beginning.

 

[Pittsburgh77]

Sorry to hear about your misfortune, but congrats on deciding on medic class.

I start Jan. 11th, so we'll have to be in contact with each other!

 

[CountryEMT-bGurl]

Yes Sasha-
This is the job that I spent 12hrs looking at EMTLIFE at.. We were that slow, and no one was coming to our hospital to have babies. There is a brand new hospital that opened up not that far, and everyone wants the fancy stuff not the quality.

MY DEFFENSE......

Yes I am still hired as emt part time. I am going to continue to keep this part time job through school. SO, that means I will have almost 2yrs experience while going through school before I am an actual paramedic. Which will hopefully make me a better basic at my part time job, as it is 911 based and a very RURAL district, which means the emt's are as big of a hand to the medics then just a driver. So I am hopefully going to expand my knowledge for this position as well.

I am taking Intro to paramedic this January, and going to take Intro to A&P this summer for the summer classes. And then I will go into Paramedic I. I am really excited, and I have also had going on 6yrs of patient care. NOT pre-hospital but hospital and facility based. I am hoping this will help me out as well, as for the patient contact exposure goes.

 

[Jeffrey_169]

I agree. Any experience one can bring to the profession is a good thing, without question. There is a quote from a former Fire Chief of mine, "Medics save patients, but basics save Paramedics.

If I may make a suggestion to you...begin studying your A&P as soon as you can. I took A&P I and 2 over the summer, online, and at the same time; I will never do it again. It was not what I thought. I spent more then one night burning the midnight oil, and although I got a B in both, it was less then enjoyable. I really wish I would have studied more on it before taking the classes. Infact, this is why I have no hair in the picture...pulled it all out that summer (just kidding).

 

[Armor10]

I know right now that the whole, needs experience argument, before you can enter Paramedic school seems unfair. But after you get your Medic I think you will change your mind. I have trained students and the people who make the best Medics are simply people who have really worked the job. People with no experience prior, often get a wrong perception about what we do, or find it's not the job they thought it was. Some find that in an emergency they can't handle being in charge and making crucial decisions. Some can't handle the stress or the gross stuff we get to deal with.

On another note, I wish you luck. I know what it's like going through Medic school with 2 small kids and a wife(with one more little boy on the way in my last year). In Oregon the Medic program is 3 years long. The first year is all your prerequisites(EMT-B, Mirco Bio, Chem 104, Bio231,232,and 233) Then the last years is the Paramedic class it's 5 terms long just by itself. Then you have to add in all your ER time and your ride time. It can really stress your family time for sure. I also was working two part-time jobs. One at the local drunk tank, that allowed me to study at night, while I was working. And another at a local grocery store.