Sandog
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Not at my school, and I see no reason for such a requirement; however, for something like a bio degree you must take calc prior to physics.
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Paramedics: If you could do it all over again...
- Thread starter EMSrush
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Not at my school, and I see no reason for such a requirement; however, for something like a bio degree you must take calc prior to physics.
VCEMT
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I'd be a D.I. in San Diego. Not have let some dumb woman mess with my mind.
Depends on the school. I was originally a biology major and was required to take physics, but it was algebra based.
pa132399
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im one that really shouldnt be posting on this yet. but i will and my opinion on this is maybe down the road i will have said it would have been a better option to go to med school or get a bachelors or just a degree at some point. i would like to finish my associates in ems. but ive put a lot of time and thought into going and getting my medic and plan to make a career out of it. but to be included in the career portion id hope to eventually end up in a ff/medic job with a pension and great benefits which will hopefully come with time.
Set2det617
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I am a Basic in RT school, i find i am far ahead of curve so you will excel! I wont lie though, with the hours of school and clinical hours i find myself often missing my truck and the slow pace of school is a killer! I am ready to dive into tubing people in the ER but have a long time to go!
Go luck if you do it! You might get a little rigsick at first but its worth it!
Go luck if you do it! You might get a little rigsick at first but its worth it!
NYMedic828
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Assuming thats directed at me, thanks.
I'm guaranteed to be "promoted" in January or July as a firefighter. My fingers are crossed for july.
If you want to go career ff, start looking now. Takes years to get hired in most places.
NYMedic828
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If you make it to a paid establishment, its best not to inform them you volunteer.
Why?
NYMedic828
Forum Deputy Chief
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Few reasons.
1) You are doing a union man's job for free.
2) By their standards, you know nothing until you have their teaching.
3) You don't wanna be the guy they pick on for answers.
Best to be seen, not heard.
This depends on the part of the country you're in.
Where I volunteered previously in south Alabama we had a handful of active volunteers that were also paid FFs. In some ways it was encouraged.
NYMedic828
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FDNY will give you crap if they notice you have so much as a blinky light on your windshield.
They run a very strict paramilitary academy.
That doesnt surprise me.
abckidsmom
Dances with Patients
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If I had it to do all over again, I would do basically the same thing, but I would have told my 18 year old self that I should have gone to the city to work instead of burning time volunteering in our rural system trying to screw up the courage to do it.
I knew the whole time that when we had kids, I'd be sitting out on my career to take care of them, and I should have thought of that when I was procrastinating on the big city job.
All that said, I'm exceptionally happy with where I am now, working part time in my home county as a firefighter/paramedic, homeschooling my kids the rest of the time.
The only thing that could be better is if I was able to work part time as a firefighter medic in a bigger system with more organization, but that's self-limiting because if they were more organized, they wouldn't need part timers.
I'm thankful that I took the time to get my RN, I think that while nursing didn't work out for me, it made me a way better medic in a time when there were no better options for paramedic education than patch factories. I graduated high school, spent a year doing nursing prerequisites, finished an associate's degree nursing program, then got my paramedic in a 7 month, once a week program.
I knew the whole time that when we had kids, I'd be sitting out on my career to take care of them, and I should have thought of that when I was procrastinating on the big city job.
All that said, I'm exceptionally happy with where I am now, working part time in my home county as a firefighter/paramedic, homeschooling my kids the rest of the time.
The only thing that could be better is if I was able to work part time as a firefighter medic in a bigger system with more organization, but that's self-limiting because if they were more organized, they wouldn't need part timers.
I'm thankful that I took the time to get my RN, I think that while nursing didn't work out for me, it made me a way better medic in a time when there were no better options for paramedic education than patch factories. I graduated high school, spent a year doing nursing prerequisites, finished an associate's degree nursing program, then got my paramedic in a 7 month, once a week program.
firecoins
IFT Puppet
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They run a very strict miliarty style remac exam where people are not even FDNY employees. I had no problem with it but some people couldn't follow simple directions.
The paid departments around here like it when you have had previous experience volunteering. I just got accepted as a probationary ff on a local vol dept and my captain is also a full time ff for one of the city dept's. Many of the career ff's I know started out as volunteers. Around here, the vol ff's are trained to the same level as paid ff's but they just don't have the certificate b/c of technicalities at the state academy. The county teaches the class and then recruits go to the academy for testing, where for paid ff, you spend the whole time at the academy, but you learn the exact same thing.
Undaedalus
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Just a few things to say here before this thread drains away. To the 22 year-old who wishes he could do it over again: you are still young, and from a more weathered perspective I will tell you, follow your ambitions now before you're ten years down the road, still wishing the same things, but less able to make the sharp corners in life. Do what you think will make you happy, but whatever you do, remember.. regret is a b-tch.
As for med school requirements, generally one needs a year of Physics, GenChem, Ochem, and Biology to be able to apply. Additionally, many schools may require BioChem, Calc, or some other such thing, making a broad foundation in sciences a good start. Course pre-reqs are entirely dependent on the institution, MS or UG.
Anecdotally, I have never heard of a PA program lasting 4 years. Generally, in my understanding, PA programs tend to be 24-30 months in length with about a year of clinical rotations after didactics. Also anecdotally, PA school and med school are WILDLY incompatible with employment. There is so much information to digest that attempting to work during school could spell disaster. Your mileage may vary.
Volunteer experience in my area is virtually required prior to employment with any paid service. Once hired, however, your volunteering days are over.
What would I do if I could do it all over again? What if the sky was green and the grass was blue? Who f-cking knows. I would probably get derailed in very similar ways. Maybe I wouldn't have spent my twenties at a ski resort, but then I wouldn't have skied so much killer pow. My early thirties seem like a good time to grow up a little. If you're young, have fun.. your body can handle it better. ^_^
As for med school requirements, generally one needs a year of Physics, GenChem, Ochem, and Biology to be able to apply. Additionally, many schools may require BioChem, Calc, or some other such thing, making a broad foundation in sciences a good start. Course pre-reqs are entirely dependent on the institution, MS or UG.
Anecdotally, I have never heard of a PA program lasting 4 years. Generally, in my understanding, PA programs tend to be 24-30 months in length with about a year of clinical rotations after didactics. Also anecdotally, PA school and med school are WILDLY incompatible with employment. There is so much information to digest that attempting to work during school could spell disaster. Your mileage may vary.
Volunteer experience in my area is virtually required prior to employment with any paid service. Once hired, however, your volunteering days are over.
What would I do if I could do it all over again? What if the sky was green and the grass was blue? Who f-cking knows. I would probably get derailed in very similar ways. Maybe I wouldn't have spent my twenties at a ski resort, but then I wouldn't have skied so much killer pow. My early thirties seem like a good time to grow up a little. If you're young, have fun.. your body can handle it better. ^_^
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VFlutter
Flight Nurse
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Oh I know. My nursing school is affiliated with them and we do clinical at their teaching hospital so I am just familiar with their program and they seem to be graduate great physicians. Also my close family friend (basically a grandfather to me) is a professor there so I grew up around it. It would be a dream to go there but I know that I will most likely never get accepted.
They do have a group of PA/NPs under Wash U as hospitalist that could be an option