Opinion: Should states limit entry into EMT B/Paramedic courses?

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ethomas4

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Wondering what you all think.

Should states limit EMT and Paramedic course entry?

Pretty much, anyone willing to pay can get into EMT B and Paramedic school. (obviously the school, states etc want the money). But this just FLOODS the job market and makes it extremely difficult for people to get hired.

In many EMT programs in CA, they have lowered the passing rate to 75%...and I know for a fact that at one junior college they lowered the acceptable passing rate to 69%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I know because I was a volunteer instructor there, and I was against the policy)

If they did this, there would be fewer EMTs and PArmedics, thus giving those that do graduate from these courses a much better chance at finding employment. Unfortunately, most of my EMT and Paramedic friends/colleagues spend money, time and put forward many emotions to become an EMT or Paramedic yet they find NO JOBS!!!! HOW SAD.

Should it be more like law enforcement? where you are only trained if they have decided to hire you (for the most part).

Any ideas on how to fix current lack of employment in EMS?

Thank you for your opinions. :)
 
pa132399

pa132399

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i would say no on restricting the number of people because usually the testing process will weed some people out and in the case of EMT-B it is difficult to get a job because we are a dime a dozen medics on the other hand its a lot of schooling and usually the people willing to do it have a job in the field and in my case i have a job in ems and when i finish school i will have a medic slot at my current company.

Also in medic school we started with 40 and we are down to 28 we are only just under halfway through so its has its own attrition and weeds out the people who would be flooding the field. its all a matter of how much you want the 9 extra letters or in PA the orange.
 
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ethomas4

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great response.

however, i have seen in recent years that testing no longer weeds anyone out. I will never forget the day that I heard an EMT B instructor, on final testing day, say "dont worry, we will not fail anyone, do you guys know what it would do to our reputation if we had a low passing rate? no one would go through our course."

I would like testing to be a bit harder and actually weed people out...maybe it is like that in pennsylvania, which would be a good thing. I think that NREMT should be more demanding of EMTbs.

so maybe the answer is no to limiting but yes to actually making people learn things.

thanks
 
pa132399

pa132399

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i agree on the learning portion of it and PA when i took mine two years ago and i think still has its own state test which was decently difficult and people from my class of only 8 still managed to fail it but im currently in luzerne county community colleges paramedic program and its tough and the tests are an absolute mind**** but it makes me learn the material.

we shall see though i have heard rumor that with the new national standard that you will have to achieve each level from emr , emt, aemt, and then medic. but who knows it will be interesting
 
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DesertMedic66

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It's kind of hard to limit a class that anyone can get into. I believe that the colleges that teach EMT and Medic programs should be limited. I'll bite the bullet and say that in my personal beliefs Fire departments should not have any kind of EMT or Medic programs (just personal beliefs based on EMTs I've seen with only Fire department EMT programs).

Testing still does weed out the students. Normal rates for my school is 46 students per one of the three classes. After day one it usually drops to 40. Then midterms will drop it down to 25 or less.

And then again with the personal beliefs but I think Medic schools should have a prerequisite of working as an EMT for at least 6 months. Not trying to start an argument just my beliefs.
 
pa132399

pa132399

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i agree with cc on it the number coming in can only benefit the state and many emts generally in PA are running with volunteer community ambulances
 
pa132399

pa132399

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firefite i agree with the minimum requirement to be accepted into medic school i was shocked at how many people in my class have only been emt's for less than a year. i still think that you should have a decent dose of field expierience befor you devote a year of your life to something you dont know if its for you.
 
pa132399

pa132399

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tu tu tu day junior .. jk but i agree a medic program should be run by a college or a hospital based education program unless the fire dept runs both fire/ems
 
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Handsome Robb

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pa132399 said:
firefite i agree with the minimum requirement to be accepted into medic school i was shocked at how many people in my class have only been emt's for less than a year. i still think that you should have a decent dose of field expierience befor you devote a year of your life to something you dont know if its for you.
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Meh, I did it and I love my job. I was hired as an Intermediate after starting medic school. Everyone is entitled the their own opinion.

I don't think programs should be limited just because of availability of jobs. There's a limited of availability of jobs in many fields, engineering or nursing come to mind.

I will agree with the statement about fire department programs, however stand alone programs aren't all bad. My school is run by the local EMS agency and I have heard plenty of bad things about the CC program as well as heard many grads from the CC say they wish they went to my school.
 
Mountain Res-Q

Mountain Res-Q

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I am doing my part and failing students every time I skills test college students. Unlike many of the other proctors, if you try to insert an NPA in the mouth, I fail you... I know... I am mean... :blink:
 
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Handsome Robb

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pa132399 said:
nvrob how is school going for you so far
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Going well man, going well managed to pull a 95% overall for didactic. Not sure how I did that one. We just started clinicals. How about yourself?
 
pa132399

pa132399

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our program is split into three semester so far its going well we just got back into the second semester on the 17th and we are starting itls and then next month acls. we do clinical all throughout and then after april 22nd we start our als internship and need to get 50 team lead calls.

tests are ridiculous and im lucky to be one of 3 out of 28 who have passed every test on the first shot so its going good we are doing iv's now so ive actually just got back from clincal today now sitting at work putting them into our clincal website
 
pa132399

pa132399

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Mountain Res-Q said:
I am doing my part and failing students every time I skills test college students. Unlike many of the other proctors, if you try to insert an NPA in the mouth, I fail you... I know... I am mean... :blink:
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bahahaha roflmao
 
SanDiegoEmt7

SanDiegoEmt7

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What they should do is require greater education, which would in turn result in great levels of care for its citizens.

It would self limit cause it wouldn't be 4 unit or 2 week emt program, or shake n bake medic program.

Your desired economic outcomes would follow (less workers, better matched to job demand)

But you don't just limit the amount of slots and let the standards remain so low
 
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