Retroactively obtaining BLS experience.

Seirende

Seirende

Washed Up Paramedic/ EMT Dropout
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As some of you may have surmised, I went straight from EMT to medic. This, looking back, was a mistake; it was a very fun mistake, but a mistake none the less. My problem has been that I'm very good at school. EMT school was a breeze, so I figured, "Why not go straight to medic? They get more toys!" Medic school was tough only due to time constraints and personal life. I figured work in the field would be an adjustment, but I was prepared to make it my life for time while I learned. I obtained a full-time medic position with a company that I'd done clinicals with, then lost that job due to incompetence driving the ambulance.

What I gathered from the month+ that I spent full time in the field was firstly that I love EMS. I like working with people, I geek medicine; the whole thing was a kid in a candy store type experience. I enjoy dialysis runs, it's that bad.

The second major piece of information was that I wasn't ready, even outside of driving skills. It was good to get to know exactly what is expected of a medic and I believe that I can quickly adjust skills/knowledge-wise. Little things like patient assessment and scene management seem to escape me though. Not horribly so, but especially when under someone's eye, it was a struggle. Bad case of nerves, shall we say.

So at this point, I think that a decent option would be to go volunteer as an EMT for a while. My hometown is really looking for people, and while I live a good twenty minutes away now, I figure I can go sit in town when on call. They have a smaller call volume from what I can tell, but maybe that's for the better. I'm concerned about keeping up my ALS skills, but I'm on my city FD's IFT team and while I haven't actually made any calls yet (it's rather slow), I have access to the rigs and equipment and I can run through stuff there. Maybe even start running IFTs at some point. ;)

Really, my one career goal at this point is to become a good medic. Some days I think I can do it, some days not so much, but I can't make up my mind to give up. As a single young lady with few responsibilities, now is the time to get my stuff together; I'm just rather impatient with my progress.

Advice, thoughts, words of encouragement?
 
First, I'm really glad you wrote about this. We debate the value of EMT experience all the time without hearing a lot from people who become medics without it.

Second, I think your idea about volunteering as an EMT is sound. I learned a lot doing the same before I started working in the field.
 
You can do it, OP. A lot of people would say that as a new medic/EMT you shouldn't be driving anyways. Medics are in short supply almost everywhere so I'm sure you'll be able to find another job.

I became a medic with minimal EMT-B experience. It has been a fairly steep learning curve for me, but I think the worst of the growing pains are over now after 3 months on the job. I'm obviously still extremely green and need years more experience before I'll consider myself a good medic, but at least I'm starting to not feel like a complete idiot after every call which is nice. I'm sure the transition would have been easier if I had been a basic for 10 years, but all in all I think it worked out alright for me. I think you probably see dramatically diminishing returns after you have a few months of BLS experience, unless you have a work situation where you're doing legitimate 911 calls somewhat regularly and not just taxiing people to dialysis all day.

OP, here's one possible plan: get a job as an EMT-B and do transfers for a while. Get comfortable driving larger vehicles, work hard on your assessments, handoff reports, etc. After a few months look for a medic job (or see if you can move up to ALS at whatever company you're working BLS at) and you'll have an easier time.
 
I am also glad that this was posted for those who think it is a good idea to go straight through. I have long been a proponent of Basic experience before Medic school.

I applaud your courage to publicly recognize your error, and seek out solutions. You have the right attitude. You will get there! Do what is best for you.
 
Chewy20 said:
I never got that, you are going to have to get behind the wheel at some point.
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What's the dillema about driving? Is it usually reserved for the more advanced? I would have assumed the more experienced would be taking care of patients?
 
frankunder said:
What's the dillema about driving? Is it usually reserved for the more advanced? I would have assumed the more experienced would be taking care of patients?
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There is no dilemma. Some people suck at driving a car so why would they be good at an ambulance. You're supposed to be switching positions after every call or however you and your partner divvy them up
 
Thanks to everyone for the input.

Looking back at class, we had a small group. Started with 9, ended with 7. Those who dropped out or failed had no field experience; of those who graduated, four had field experience, three of us did not. Out of the other two in the 'no experience' group, I don't know if the other two ever passed the NREMT, while I know everyone else either has a good job, or is going the MD route. In the classroom, the difference between the groups was obvious while running scenarios. The experienced students really ended up helping teach the newbies, which they were cool about. Hey, at least we all looked good in front of the nursing students.

Gurby said:
I became a medic with minimal EMT-B experience. It has been a fairly steep learning curve for me, but I think the worst of the growing pains are over now after 3 months on the job. I'm obviously still extremely green and need years more experience before I'll consider myself a good medic, but at least I'm starting to not feel like a complete idiot after every call which is nice. I'm sure the transition would have been easier if I had been a basic for 10 years, but all in all I think it worked out alright for me. I think you probably see dramatically diminishing returns after you have a few months of BLS experience, unless you have a work situation where you're doing legitimate 911 calls somewhat regularly and not just taxiing people to dialysis all day.
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What have other readers of this thread done with going to medic? Did you get field experience first? How much? Do you wish you'd waited a bit longer or do you regret not jumping in sooner? If you did have experience as an EMT, what was the medic learning curve like for you?

...And, again, am I the only person who has found a ambulance that much more difficult than a car?

Parenthetically, I didn't mean saying that I'm good at school to sound as much like a boast as it did. I meant that I handle an academic environment much more gracefully than a practical one, vs. others who may test poorly but rock on the street. This contributed to my overestimation of readiness.
 
Theres plenty of people on here and elsewhere that have gone straight to medic school and are still doing it years later. Its a big learning curve, but after graduating your at least minimally qualified. The next classroom is the streets and you need to take it in stride.

Don't get a basic job if you are already a medic (unless you are really THAT bad with your medicine) get a medic job that is willing to give you the training to drive a rig. Run calls as a medic, if you get stuck, your FTO will be there. If you can never get the hang of it? The field is not for everyone.
 
I do not see this as an issue "because I went straight to medic"...I see this as an issue of 2 separate programs "failing" and not doing what is best by the students. Any quality program would have enough clinical time set up within the program to the extent that when you graduate you feel fairly confident. Sure, everyone will have their self doubt long after this but there should be enough time on the road and in the hospital where you would not feel so lost to the point where you need to regroup on basic skills.

I applaud your awareness of your self deficiencies and your plan to self correct, however you being in this situation was not the fast leap as I said above.
 
Long ago in VA, you had to be an EMT for two years before taking the pretest for EMT-Cardiac. Then you had to be an EMT-Cardiac for two years before taking the pretest for EMT-Paramedic. (VA had 5 EMT levels in the '80's).
 
If it were me, I'd be looking for an agency with a strong new-hire training program. My AMR operation does not particularly care about your previous experience and they have a program to mold medics to their (reasonably) high expectations. It starts with three weeks of classroom time (with EVOC and the like), followed by a two month minimum field internship with an FTO, who will help you work with whatever you struggle with, may that be driving or whatnot. Initially they have you as a third rider on the ambulance, so if you're driving sucks, you might just drive for a while. If you show progress, it'll just be you and the FTO. If not, you'll me given a change to remediate, and if that fails well there's other jobs out there...
 
Update: I met with my hometown's EMS coordinator and today with many of the EMTs as well. From what people have told me, it's a good group of people, the coordinator runs a tight ship, and they have persons who just drive, so I can just do patient care at first. Also, they have a self-loading stretcher :D. So, I'm going to ride with them and see if between that, medic IFT runs, and extra bookwork, I can't get beyond minimally proficient. If that doesn't work out, I'll go to med school. ;) I also have a short EVOC training coming up.
Tigger said:
If it were me, I'd be looking for an agency with a strong new-hire training program. My AMR operation does not particularly care about your previous experience and they have a program to mold medics to their (reasonably) high expectations. It starts with three weeks of classroom time (with EVOC and the like), followed by a two month minimum field internship with an FTO, who will help you work with whatever you struggle with, may that be driving or whatnot. Initially they have you as a third rider on the ambulance, so if your driving sucks, you might just drive for a while. If you show progress, it'll just be you and the FTO.
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*salivates* Hmm, know of any comparable companies in Wisconsin?
 
Sadly I know nearly nothing about EMS in Wisconsin.
 
At my company all new emts can't drive for 6 months. Companies logic is that they want the emt to get enough time in the back for assessments, vitals and whatever else. I agree with it.
 
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