academy vs. medic school

[stammy08]

hey everyone i got a question about my education. I am only 19 and I have been an emt for almost a year now. I want to go to medic school but I still know that I need to get an academy done as well. What would you guys out say is probably the better option for me right now. Suggestions?

Thank You

[zzyyzx]

Depends on what your area requires. If you stand a good chance to get hired now and the dept will work with you when you go to medic school in the future, I'd say get started now (pay and getting into the retirement system now would benefit you HUGE by the time you retire). Plus, some depts will pay for some or all of the cost of medic school, which is expensive.

If you realistically need to be a medic in your area to get hired, then that decision is obvious.

[merchan5967]

Some volunteer departments have free in-house firefighter 1 training. You could take that route and then get your medic afterward. Be careful with that though since some departments have pretty shoddy programs. Community colleges are the best route for both Fire and medic certs, but can be expensive.

[JMac73]

Here medic is the Golden Ticket. A lot of Dept will hire you as a Medic and put you thru the academy.

[ETFD16]

Here medic is the Golden Ticket. A lot of Dept will hire you as a Medic and put you thru the academy.

Same around here, you have to be a medic to sit for most tests.

[Chief_Roy]

Where I come from out in Washington, medic is also a golden ticket in the fire service. There were a lot of departments (including my own) that wouldn't hire you if you weren't already a medic.

As to the academy, be careful. While I assume you know what's required in your area, I know of a lot of departments that will require a probie to go through the academy, even if they've already been through it before. I knew of a couple of people who paid their own way through the academy and then got hired and were informed they had to go straight back through the academy again. It's a whole new level of ridiculous, but that's the fire service for you (see also Seattle, where they'll make you go through medic school again, even if you're already a paramedic).

[PFD072]

It's a whole new level of ridiculous, but that's the fire service for you (see also Seattle, where they'll make you go through medic school again, even if you're already a paramedic).

That may be the most ridiculous thing I've heard in a long time.

[Chief_Roy]

That may be the most ridiculous thing I've heard in a long time.

No kidding, and as far as I know they're still doing it. I knew one guy who had been a paramedic for over 10 years but when he got hired in Seattle they told him he had to go back through their program if he wanted to keep working as a medic. The long standing excuse I've always heard is that Seattle considers their brand of paramedicine so far above what everyone else practices that they don't trust any training except their own.