I just became a emt b bls provider in NY. I got offered to take ALS in September for a year for free. If I don't take that then I have to pay if I wanna become ALS. I know all my protocols by heart and I ride about 100 calls a month. What are pros and cons of doing it 6 months after becoming an emt? My career path is to become a PA so this I'd like to do until and maybe even after then. Thanks
Pros and cons of doing ALS (emt-cc) right after bls ?
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PotashRLS
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I think it would be fine to take it, especially if it is free. Plus, 100 calls per month on average is very good experience in my opinion. That call volume for one person is nothing to sneeze at. There are rural DEPARTMENTS that don't run 600 calls in 2 or 3 years. You personally, in 6 months time, will have gained a lot of valuable experience. I think there are many Paramedics that begin classes fresh from EMT-B licensure. Go for it and good luck.
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Do it. No question about it. It's free and you're still in the classroom/test-taking set of mind. I've never bought into the whole "Work as a basic for one or three or twenty-seven years before you get your medic." I see no purpose and very little experience gained from this. Most of the best medics I know went straight through. I did it and had absolutely no problem. As far as for PA school, having your P (and hopefully using it) will be a nice addition to your HCE required for most PA programs. Plus, a year course shows more of a desire for the field than a couple month basic course (let's avoid any education, or lack of, banter...)
DrParasite
The fire extinguisher is not just for show
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if it's free, go for it, what do you have to lose?
I'm just scared because all the medics here are saying don't do it because It will make me a bad bls and ALS provider because I'm rushing into it. I mean I think by the end of class I'll be a bls for a year and a half that should be plenty but everyones like wait two years before you go to ALS. I have my pharmacy tech certification so I'm good with drug names and dosages. I just don't want to have it rushed.
It sounds like you're bumping into other people's agendas. Your original post wasn't about career paths; it was about education -- more vs. less, right? How can more not be better?
TransportJockey
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There's no upside to staying a BLS provider for a long period of time. Get more education as soon as you can
TransportJockey
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Theres your answer then. If you are ready for it, then do it. Don't worry about what burnt out old timers tell you
byoung57
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You would be crazy not to do it! You will have challenges that an experienced EMT would not have, but they are not insurrmontable. Study hard and stay current on your coursework. It already sounds like you have the right work ethic and that is half the battle.
Bill
Bill
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firetender
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What kind of medic do YOU want to be?
Typically my stance is that in the long run it pays to have a year or two at least of practical BLS experience before getting into advanced stuff. My position is that MASTERING the complexities of BLS and learning to be a good assistant to a paramedic (or other more advanced provider) allows you to build automatic responses; basically, learning how to act and not get lost in the thinking.
There's another level that no one really talks about and that is learning how to really handle human beings in all their complexity BEFORE you bog yourself down with focus on technique. This is developing discernment. I hear so many people going right to protocol and leaving the patient behind. Often, a few simple words or gestures at the outset will help you avoid resistance that could easily set back the course of recovery of the patient. As esoteric and woo-woo as it sounds, you really CAN learn how to mobilize a patient's healing mechanisms BEFORE you start pumping drugs into him/her!
But then again, this is coming from a guy who looks at this work as an art as well as a science.
But I'm also practical, come from Brooklyn and would be amiss if I didn't honor the power of the word "free". Since your end-goal is P.A. school which will actually put you in to a career track, and since you do get 100 calls a month, if that means you will continue to work as you go to school, then I say you should NOT pass up an opportunity to move forward NOW!
(I have no problems contradicting myself!)
If it means no working and you get lost in the schooling all that means is that you'll have to slowly integrate the BLS skills you didn't master, and that has to do with your personal comfort level. Fumbling for a while is part of the job regardless.
So, screw the opinions of others, including mine, and check in with yourself to decide HOW you want to be a medic and what kind of medic you want to be. That's where you'll find your answer; which direction would make YOU feel you're setting yourself up to give your best?
Typically my stance is that in the long run it pays to have a year or two at least of practical BLS experience before getting into advanced stuff. My position is that MASTERING the complexities of BLS and learning to be a good assistant to a paramedic (or other more advanced provider) allows you to build automatic responses; basically, learning how to act and not get lost in the thinking.
There's another level that no one really talks about and that is learning how to really handle human beings in all their complexity BEFORE you bog yourself down with focus on technique. This is developing discernment. I hear so many people going right to protocol and leaving the patient behind. Often, a few simple words or gestures at the outset will help you avoid resistance that could easily set back the course of recovery of the patient. As esoteric and woo-woo as it sounds, you really CAN learn how to mobilize a patient's healing mechanisms BEFORE you start pumping drugs into him/her!
But then again, this is coming from a guy who looks at this work as an art as well as a science.
But I'm also practical, come from Brooklyn and would be amiss if I didn't honor the power of the word "free". Since your end-goal is P.A. school which will actually put you in to a career track, and since you do get 100 calls a month, if that means you will continue to work as you go to school, then I say you should NOT pass up an opportunity to move forward NOW!
(I have no problems contradicting myself!)
If it means no working and you get lost in the schooling all that means is that you'll have to slowly integrate the BLS skills you didn't master, and that has to do with your personal comfort level. Fumbling for a while is part of the job regardless.
So, screw the opinions of others, including mine, and check in with yourself to decide HOW you want to be a medic and what kind of medic you want to be. That's where you'll find your answer; which direction would make YOU feel you're setting yourself up to give your best?