Medic Cert to Medic Degree

[46Young]

I'll agree that it would be in the industry's best interests to have all medics holding degrees. I'm interested in upgrading my tech cert to an Assosciates. I intend to speak with career development when I go back to work tomorrow. Does anyone have any insight for the process, any known scams or irreputable colleges? Also, what would the upgrade entail? Would it be solely didactic if prior work Hx is considered?

If anyone knows of a good college, preferably online (full or partial) for busy working professionals, please share with the forum. If it's an easy enough transition, perhaps many of us tech cert individuals could be encouraged to upgrade to a legit degree for the benefit of our pts, ourselves, and the profession.

 

[46Young]

Some of the education advocates may want to check out this link that promotes a degree over tech certs

http://www.worldwidelearn.com/online-education-guide/health-medical/emt-paramedic-major.htm

 

[46Young]

I found this real quick -

http://www.worldwidelearn.com/campus-information/302107/162008/

I already have the medic credentials, FF 1 and 2, as well as life experiences. It seems too easy, though. I'm wondering if schools like this are legit or are just joke degrees, only looking for your money.

 

[Nick647]

You brought up a good point here. One of the things I might to do to persure EMS line of work and eventually firefighting is to go and get my EMT Basic cert first. What might happen though is that I might go to a community college in maine that has a paramedicine program and a fire science program (it would be nice to double major if it is available). Anyways, with the paramedicine program though they have a requirement that you must have the Basic certification and must have 50 calls documented. So with that, I might go get my basic certification and atleast try to get on an ambulance company that I can get some experience with. One on the North Shore being Action because they offer facility to facility training. Another is the call/volly Fire Dept. in the town I live in because they have a rescue unit (two ambulances). So either way I might go and get experience with those two and then get a degree in Paramedicine and/or Fire science. Just thought I would mention.

 

[triemal04]

I'm betting the place you found online is a scam of one sort or another; I'm not a fan of online programs so I'm a bit biased but regardless it'd be worth looking into first. National College in Salem offers a paramedic degree also.

For anyone who's interested the first step would be to look around your state; find out which college, if any, offer a degree in EMS, and then contact them. If you are allready a paramedic that part will probably transfer (but may not so check) which would leave you with the core classes to finish. Given that you are allready a medic there isn't a huge rush to get it done, so if it takes a bit longer to finish the classes...meh.

Also be worth looking into these sites:
http://www.caahep.org/ Lists schools that have accredited health programs; if the school you choose isn't listed it's not a deal breaker for getting your degree, but it's worth checking.
http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ Lists all accredited colleges in the US. If your school is not listed that IS a deal breaker. Don't bother even talking with them.

 

[EMSLaw]

I found this real quick -

http://www.worldwidelearn.com/campus-information/302107/162008/

I already have the medic credentials, FF 1 and 2, as well as life experiences. It seems too easy, though. I'm wondering if schools like this are legit or are just joke degrees, only looking for your money.

Surprisingly (at least to me), Baker seems to be legit. They are accredited by the regional accrediting body, and have been around for a while (accredited for more than 30 years). Looks like it's probably not a scam, though I only saw that BS, not AAS that you mentioned.

 

[mikie]

Well, not an associates...

**delete***sorry

 

[46Young]

Update - Career Development advised me that all community colleges in VA have 100% transfer between them. These credits are also honored 100% by all 4 year universities in state as well. That's cool, because someone who seeks a 4 year degree only needs to pay the big bucks for the final two years.

The educational requirements for promotion are currently being restructured, but education will be weighed heavily. For certain, promotion to LT will require an Assosciate's, and promotion to Capt I and above will require a Bachelor's at the minimum. Degrees need to be job related, so RN, EMS, Emergency Management, Business Admin, EMS Management, etc. are all desireable. I won't need a Bachelor's for at least another 7-8 years, so I'll likely go EMS AAS, ASN, then EMS admin. I'll do fire science later, if I'm bored, as these other degrees will help career advancement to a greater degree.

I've been advised that a medic tech cert will satisfy 40-42 credits. I'm not 100% sure of the exact #, but 40-42 or so for someone with no previous college is closely approximate. The program totals 68 credits. If my credits from Baruch transfer, I can use my elem Calculus, Psy, Soc, Eng, etc. My accounting credits will likely be obsolete for possible future application for a BBA/MBA program in the distant future if I decide to go that route (not likely, but you never know). Add in pharm and A&P, and I'm looking at maybe 15-20 credits at the most to complete the degree. I don't know why this didn't idea didn't occur to me several years ago.

http://www.nvcc.edu/.../pdf/ememed.pdf

Given the current state of EMS education, it's unlikely in the near future that the majority of prospective medics will opt for a degree program when easier, more efficient options exist, and are also abundant. I don't see it. The field is largely transient in nature, no one can deny that. When touting the benefits and necessity of legitimate education to advance the profession, both on internet forums and in the field, I believe that significant headway could be made by persuading cert medics to upgrade to a degree. It's not as desireable as starting off with a degree, but it's certainly much better than doing nothing. Perhaps the instruction in tech schools was substandard (depending on where you go) but going Medic tech cert > EMS AAS will still result in a higher percentage of the workforce holding degrees, for the benefit of the profession. A tech cert basically covers 60% or more of a degree program, and the remainer can be done piecemeal, one class at a time if one desires. Someone who doesn't have 2-3 years to complete an AAS initially can still do it while working FT having gone the cert route.

 

[paccookie]

Try Darton College in Albany, GA. I went to paramedic school there and graduated with both a certificate and an associates degree (redundant yes, but I worked for it, so why not?). The associates degree basically includes all of your core classes for a 2 yr degree plus a medication math class (I think it's a 1 hr class online). Darton offers all of the core classes online, so it wouldn't matter where you live except for the amount of tuition that you will end up paying.

 

[terrible one]

Id be interested in an AA in paramedicine or even BA if offered. I think Loma Linda has something like that in SoCal

 

[VentMedic]

Id be interested in an AA in paramedicine or even BA if offered. I think Loma Linda has something like that in SoCal

Loma Linda has a great program but it would be of no interest to the OP.
http://www.llu.edu/allied-health/sahp/emc/index.page

For someone who types to a nauseating level on different EMS forums about his retirement accounts and brags about how much he makes, he isn't overly concerned or cautious about his education. Thus, he is a prime candidate to get suckered into some scam from an out of state school that promises something real quick.

 

[terrible one]

Thanks for the link Vent. Im def going to check them out.

 

[46Young]

Loma Linda has a great program but it would be of no interest to the OP.
http://www.llu.edu/allied-health/sahp/emc/index.page

For someone who types to a nauseating level on different EMS forums about his retirement accounts and brags about how much he makes, he isn't overly concerned or cautious about his education. Thus, he is a prime candidate to get suckered into some scam from an out of state school that promises something real quick.

This is where I'm going

http://www.nvcc.edu/curcatalog/programs/pdf/ememed.pdf The 2010 curriculum is basically the same A/P the Asst Dean, though I can't find the link for it.

37 credits for my prior training, plus another 12 from Baruch. 19 credits to go for the EMS AAS. The campus is only about 3 miles from my station, and around 30 miles from home. They also run a good number of these classes twice weekly to hook up the FF's who do shift work and cannot make it to one of them.

I never said that I'm not concerned about education, only that there's little financial incentive to rush through when I can do it smoother, maybe 2-3 classes at a time rather than 5. Earning these degrees won't have any immediate financial benefit, but will be important years down the road. My issue is with medical degree programs such as RN, RT, PA and such where the only option is to go for several years FT. Many already working FT as a necessity aren't able to make that great of a time commitment.

 

[46Young]

Try Darton College in Albany, GA. I went to paramedic school there and graduated with both a certificate and an associates degree (redundant yes, but I worked for it, so why not?). The associates degree basically includes all of your core classes for a 2 yr degree plus a medication math class (I think it's a 1 hr class online). Darton offers all of the core classes online, so it wouldn't matter where you live except for the amount of tuition that you will end up paying.

Thanks for the tip, but I've found a school close to home and even closer to work.

 

[jgmedic]

Id be interested in an AA in paramedicine or even BA if offered. I think Loma Linda has something like that in SoCal

LLU has the BA in Emergency Medical Care. Many of my medic instructors have gone through it and loved the program. My medic program(RCC) will issue an AS in EMS after completion of the paramedic program and your general ed.

 

[ExpatMedic0]

http://www.camdencc.edu/departments/paramedic/distancelearning.htm Ive planned on doing this for a while. looks great!

 

[46Young]

When moving from an AAS to a 4 year EMS degree, what additional clinical knowledge is taught? Is it mostly admin? I know that you can go to EMS admin for a 4 year. What other EMS related degrees/career paths can be built off of an EMS AAS?

 

[VentMedic]

When moving from an AAS to a 4 year EMS degree, what additional clinical knowledge is taught? Is it mostly admin? I know that you can go to EMS admin for a 4 year. What other EMS related degrees/career paths can be built off of an EMS AAS?

Look at the Loma Linda link I posted earlier in this thread for the different tracks.

 

[46Young]

Look at the Loma Linda link I posted earlier in this thread for the different tracks.

Checked iout the core curriculum, thanks. On first look the link mentioned prep for career leadership roles, which is quite a generalization.

You've mentioned that cert medics are ill prepared for IFT txp, particularly CCT and flight. I can see that. Do you feel that an EMS BA would be considered adequate prep, to then be built upon for the chosen specialty? What about only an EMS AAS? For sake of argument I'm referring to accredited schools, of course.

 

[VentMedic]

Checked iout the core curriculum, thanks. On first look the link mentioned prep for career leadership roles, which is quite a generalization.

You've mentioned that cert medics are ill prepared for IFT txp, particularly CCT and flight. I can see that. Do you feel that an EMS BA would be considered adequate prep, to then be built upon for the chosen specialty? What about only an EMS AAS? For sake of argument I'm referring to accredited schools, of course.

If Paramedics at least had college level A&P and pharmacology classes it would seriously be easier to teach them the advanced concepts needed for CCT and Flight. It is sad when we have to dumb down explainations for something like CPAP to "it pushes lung water" rather than discussing how it affects the hemodynamics of the cardiopulmonary system. Or, when the pharmacology is dumbed down to "lido numbs the heart".

For those who want to teach, they should have no less than a B.S. or B.A. I had to get a Masters to teach in the college system. Part of the reason EMS is lagging is that there are too few educated mentors. In the tech schools, where being an instructor usually requires just a cert in EMS, you have the very minimally educated trying to teach those who may meet only the entry level of a GED or high school diploma.

You have been too closed minded in your FD that you are clueless as to what is out there in the world of EMS and what the profession needs for leaders. You also have a negative attitude about any "management" unless it is in the ranks of the FD.

Leadership also does not always equate "management". The leaders we need are the educated individuals providing patient care. For Flight and CCT, RNs and RRTs are expected to have much more than just a mere 2 year degree. Their educators in the colleges have no less than a Masters degree. Professionalism at the bedside and the foundation to advance in clinical knowledge is a necessity. It requires much more than just getting a couple of weekend cert patches. To some in EMS, the ACLS class is the equivalent of a college degree. That mentality needs to go away. As well, so does the monkey see monkey do way of teaching with just a skill and no education to back it up.

It is time EMS steps up to become critical thinkers with guidelines rather than recipes that must be followed exactly. That is what Flight and CCT teams should be and EMS should get to that level also or at least strive for it. That is the "leader" of tomorrow.