Senate Bill Aims to Streamline Paramedic Training for Veterans.

While some of the skills the military does teach, a lot of the education in a paramedic program does deal with stuff that is not the focus of the military. Cardiac, pediatrics, and elder care are some big ones that I can think of off the top of my head.
 
My understanding is that the goal of this bill was simply to shorten paramedic programs for these people so they don't have to redo the EMT portion first. The article mentioned they're already certified as EMTs. I'm not familiar with how these paramedic programs function, but it seems they're implying that EMT is either a pre-req or taught as the first few months/semester of the paramedic course. If they just take that off I don't have any issues with it. If they actually take out some of the major curriculum components assuming they've had exposure elsewhere I would have more of a problem with it.

I think the biggest thing to remember is how different the focus is for military medicine versus civilian. Working a majority of young, healthy, and fit trauma patients in their teens and twenties is a totally different animal than the 90% elderly medical patients we deal with in the civilian world.
 
I am pro veteran but anti this.

Military medic to NR EMT Basic or Advanced, absolutely.

Paramedic, not so much, the skills and patient load are just vastly too different. They should be required to go through full curriculum given what they'll be tasked with on the civilian side.

But the GI bill should cover any school a vet wishes to attend, and they should get priority registration.

As far as I'm concerned all medic programs should be degree programs, so there's that too.
 
i pretty much agree with you sandpit.
its cutting corners and like many people, i think paramedic should be at minimum an AA degree requirement. We cant scream take us seriously then offer accelerated programs. In some ways, i dont think its long enough. NCTI kicks their students out the classroom after 7 (?) months.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top