Paramedic school vs. getting on at a department

[Carichey]

I was just accepted to a year and a half paramedic school that starts in January. Will that demand on my schedule cause problems with finding department?


I started this career path to fight fire, not EMS. It just seems thats the direction the service is going, so I'm going to hop on the boat.

[croaker260]

Can I quote you on that?

:eek:


1- What area are you in, perhaps someone on here could comment on options.


2- Anyway, with out getting into a fire vs EMS debate, consider this...if you dont want to do EMS...by your own admission...how "good" (meaning would you excell? or just be "good enough") at it would you be at the ALS level, and perhaps staying at the BLS/ILS level is the best option for you?

[Carichey]

By the end of this program I'll be EMT-P, (if I can pass the tests that is). Most of the departments in my area are run all ALS trucks.

I'm in Kansas City, MO. I'm already FF2, BLS. I havent found a job yet, so I'm going back to school to get my medics liscense hoping that will be enough to get me on a department.

I was just wondering how much most departments are willing to work with me and my schedule while I'm in medic school.

[xroadsbombera]

I did the same thing that you're suggesting because ALS is the way our department is going and I got hired in no time, as did the other 23 medics in our class of 30..just remember that because ALS is in such high demand you'll rarely get to be on any fire apparatus..the majority of the medics in my class got their ALS certs to get hired and are planning on dropping the cert in a few years (we signed contracts saying we'd be ALS providers for at least 2 years) so also find out what the binding agreements are based on being an ALS provider when you get hired..
One thing I'd suggest is to find out if your department requires you to be a certified emt-p. Some departments do not require you to be an emt-p to be an als provider.
For example, in my department, the pay scale is the same for emt-i's and p's. (There is no difference in skills performed between an emt-i and and emt-p. Everything an emt-p does an emt-i can do as well, the only difference is that you can get your "i" in one semester and your "p" will take a year and a half - so that is the only difference, emt-p's have longer time in training..)
The reason i'm suggesting you find out is obvious - it'll save you time and money if you only need your "i" to get hired..
If ALS is the way the departments in your area are heading, i'd go ahead and get certified as an ALS provider and then apply because medic school is no joke, the time you have to put into that class will leave you with almost no free time at all, let alone the time to get on with a department and go through rookie school and all that..
good luck, and if you do check around about needing your emt-i or p let me know, i'd be interested in what you find out..

[wnwd00]

x,

i dont want to get into a whole thing with you but simple because one or a few agencies treat emt-i's and medics the same does not mean they are.

there is a substantial difference between the training, and skill that a new medic will have verse a new emt-i.

i am also under the impression that most agencies that do treat emt-i's the same as medics are doing it due to staffing not because they actually believe an emt-i has the same knowledge and abilites as a paramedic.

in addition i have also heard from several agencies that while they treat medics and emt-i's the same both most pass the same agency certification test and while most medics have little to no trouble, emt-i's are often required to put in extensive amounts of training and further study. if you job depends on you passing a test like this would you find an immense amount of stress on you while trying to study?

as to the original question, go for the medic cert start it at least keep applying to departments but just look at how many departments require or strongly prefer medics. so you may feel you are wasting a year and a half but with the amount of doors you will have opened in so many different places from california to texas florida and virginia i feel it will be may worth.

also just one more thing, in my knowledge and expierence the practice of treating emt-i's equal to medics is very limited, so while you may not waste a year and a half in medic school you also may not be able to find a job with an emt-i card.

[xroadsbombera]

x,

i dont want to get into a whole thing with you but simple because one or a few agencies treat emt-i's and medics the same does not mean they are.

You have to be more specific. emt-i's and emt-p's can perform all the same skills - bottom line. So in that respect, they ARE the same. Now, if you are talking about experience, and i did acknowledge that p's have more training, then yes, there is your difference.


i am also under the impression that most agencies that do treat emt-i's the same as medics are doing it due to staffing not because they actually believe an emt-i has the same knowledge and abilites as a paramedic.

The only additional training a p gets is an extra year of clincial and riding rotations, if you feel you need the extra hands on time, then by all means go for it. You will be better prepared, there's no question.

in addition i have also heard from several agencies that while they treat medics and emt-i's the same both most pass the same agency certification test and while most medics have little to no trouble, emt-i's are often required to put in extensive amounts of training and further study. if you job depends on you passing a test like this would you find an immense amount of stress on you while trying to study?

The emt-i course is very difficult due to the large amout of biology and medic skills you have to learn in such a short period of time. Unfortunately, some people are not honest with themselves about their knowledge base and think they can breeze through. I did have a biology degree when i went for my i, so i had no problem with just one semester..these are all just options for you to think about - look, if the dept. you go with considers i's and p's the same, you need to take that into consideration along with all the other things that have been presented here taking also into consideration your own time constraints, learning requirements, etc..


also just one more thing, in my knowledge and expierence the practice of treating emt-i's equal to medics is very limited, so while you may not waste a year and a half in medic school you also may not be able to find a job with an emt-i card.

True, so make sure you check around when you narrow down where you want to be and find out what their policies are..remeber, you can always get your i, get hired, and then further pursue your p if you decide you really like it, but i remember you saying that you weren't joining the dept. because you were interested in ems. that is another reason why i suggest going for your i and making sure that you want to be doing this...

[LRFPD60]

Missouri does not recognize the Intermediate level EMT. I heard they are starting to work towards it but have not heard anything substantial on that, someone with more knowledge may enlighten us on that situation.

As for medic and firefighting, unless you are around the KC or St Louis area most fire departments do not require or even run ALS. I know down here in Southwest Missouri all the ambulance and ALS is done by private or hospital based Ambulance services.