So you Want to be a Paramedic???

[CALIFORNIA]

Nope some use Mosby, some use AAOS. Then you have the variables of how well the professors/instructors actually explain what is written. Some focus only on the test others focus on teaching you medicine. Big differences.

I stand corrected. I still feel the same though, I had a handful of instructors in my medic school that did not explain the material well at all some days. On those days I would make it a point to go over the material more thoroughly on my own. If I had questions I would usually seek answers from one of the instructors that could explain and relay what's written in the text.

 

[triemal04]

Yeah. The card does matter. It means you possess the absolute bare minimum knowledge needed to be a paramedic.

Yes, you should be learning how to be a paramedic before you are a paramedic. That's what ride times are for.

And it does matter where you went to school. It's a multiple choice test. Some pass out of luck...

Fixed that for you.

Yes...you should be learning how to be a paramedic during your field internship...unfortunately there aren't any that I have ever head of that last long enough for someone to truly come out of it a proficient provider who is completely competant as a paramedic. 200 hours (all that is required by NREMT and followed by many states) is maybe a monthes full time work. Think that is long enough to acutally figure things out? Learning how to do something and functioning at a mastery-level are two different things.

Wait...it does matter where you went to school, but it doesn't matter if you go to a crappy medic mill? I'm confused.

I doubt that anyone passed/passes the NREMT test by luck. When it was a paper test it was 150 questions; lousy odds if you are guessing each time. With the adaptive test that's being used now, even worse odds. While it doesn't show anything other than that someone possess a small amount of knowledge, to say that you can pass it out of luck and by guessing...no.

 

[Sasha]

Fixed that for you.

Yes...you should be learning how to be a paramedic during your field internship...unfortunately there aren't any that I have ever head of that last long enough for someone to truly come out of it a proficient provider who is completely competant as a paramedic. 200 hours (all that is required by NREMT and followed by many states) is maybe a monthes full time work. Think that is long enough to acutally figure things out? Learning how to do something and functioning at a mastery-level are two different things.

Wait...it does matter where you went to school, but it doesn't matter if you go to a crappy medic mill? I'm confused.

I doubt that anyone passed/passes the NREMT test by luck. When it was a paper test it was 150 questions; lousy odds if you are guessing each time. With the adaptive test that's being used now, even worse odds. While it doesn't show anything other than that someone possess a small amount of knowledge, to say that you can pass it out of luck and by guessing...no.

Maybe not luck but you can pass it without knowledge. Plenty of those who pass don't know their head from a hole in the ground.

It does matter where you went to school. Crappy schools will in general produce crappy medics. There is a reason they are crappy schools. There are always exceptions.

 

[Veneficus]

We have a medic who absolutely positively does not possess the people skills to be a medic, but he passed the registry. Now they're trying to figure out who's gonna precept him. Passing the test doesn't mean you have what it takes to be a medic.

Why do I get the sneaky suspicion that "who" is going to be you?

 

[Chan]

I was considering going to medic school, not I'm at another fork. PA or BSN.

 

[abckidsmom]

Why do I get the sneaky suspicion that "who" is going to be you?

I do love a good project. It would feel like an achievement if I got him to any kind of competent.

 

[medic417]

I stand corrected. I still feel the same though, I had a handful of instructors in my medic school that did not explain the material well at all some days. On those days I would make it a point to go over the material more thoroughly on my own. If I had questions I would usually seek answers from one of the instructors that could explain and relay what's written in the text.

But many students do not take any inititive. So if they get crappy instruction it is all they get.

 

[medic417]

I do love a good project. It would feel like an achievement if I got him to any kind of competent.

You do not have to be a people person to be a competent medic. You can perform every EMS skill and ask every required question w/o any human compassion.

 

[Veneficus]

I do love a good project. It would feel like an achievement if I got him to any kind of competent.

Better you than me. Good luck with it.

 

[abckidsmom]

You do not have to be a people person to be a competent medic. You can perform every EMS skill and ask every required question w/o any human compassion.

I disagree. There are entire subcultures in our country who will not communicate with people with whom they have no rapport. EMS is science, and also art. You need some of that to be able to deal with people and direct people to do what you want them to do.

 

[triemal04]

Maybe not luck but you can pass it without knowledge. Plenty of those who pass don't know their head from a hole in the ground.

It does matter where you went to school. Crappy schools will in general produce crappy medics. There is a reason they are crappy schools. There are always exceptions.

Well, no, by definition there is a certain amount of knowledge required to pass any test. ^_^ It's just very low in this case. And I think what you mean to say was that a paramedic who has the absolute bare minimum amount of knowledge required to become a paramedic doesn't know their head from a hole in the ground.

Then by your reasoning and personal example, it shouldn't matter where you go to school; if you are an idiot who meets the minimums then you'll still be an idiot if you go to a good school. If you aren't, then you'll figure things out on your own if you go to a lousy one. Way over simplified, but kind of accurate.

Not to say that people shouldn't find a good paramedic school or that there aren't benefits to going to one.

 

[triemal04]

You do not have to be a people person to be a competent medic. You can perform every EMS skill and ask every required question w/o any human compassion.

Yup. You'll just be a :censored::censored::censored::censored:ty provider.

 

[medic417]

I disagree. There are entire subcultures in our country who will not communicate with people with whom they have no rapport. EMS is science, and also art. You need some of that to be able to deal with people and direct people to do what you want them to do.

If they choose not to answer that is their choice. I agree some patients will not accept the bad attitude but honestly they are probably part of the 95% of patients that actually would be just fine not riding in the ambulance anyway. I would bet the majority of the remaining 5% of patients that actually do need the ambulance either can't speak or if can will answer anything from anyone in order to get the help they need. Thus while I would hate to meet them a medic with bad bedside manner can still do the job when it counts.

 

[m0nster986]

I will have to agree that a good paramedic demonstrate attributes of an adult learner. Someone who is compassionate and curious about medicine which fuels their fire to continue learning.

Unfortunately, many individuals become paramedics only as a stepping stone to reach their dream job of pulling hoses and ride in that big red fire truck...

This is why I am a strong advocate of education. If we make it a little more difficult to become a paramedic, it will filter the weak and allow for a stronger profession with better incentives.

 

[SoCal911]

So I can pick on medics and send my annoying patients bls to an ER for no reason, duh

 

[TatuICU]

Holy wall of text Batman!

Also, this just in, the Cosby show has been picked up for a second season.

 

[TatuICU]

Yup. You'll just be a :censored::censored::censored::censored:ty provider.

Not true. Best CV surgeon I've ever known was the coldest, most heartless :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored::censored::censored: I've ever met in my life this side of an honest to goodness sociopath. There are other people who were much, much nicer and much more polite, but their clamp times, pump times, and technique were amateurish at best compared to him.

 

[Craig Alan Evans]

Surgeons can get away with poor people skills. They introduce themselves, explain the procedure, and then walk away to return to an unconscious patient. Good people skills are required of a prehospital provider. I have seen many loose their jobs for inadequate people skills.

 

[EMTBHillbilly]

Is there any credence to looking at pass rates for schools as a way to judge their merit?

 

[DrankTheKoolaid]

Is there any credence to looking at pass rates for schools as a way to judge their merit?

In short yes. BUT................... Who is the school catering to? Fireman only looking to upgrade to paramedic for work and dont really care to actually learn medicine. Or to people looking to become paramedics to become paramedics.