EMT or Paramedic

[firefightermfd1]

I know there has been alot of discussion on here about this but. I am going to be testinig for a lot of the chicago suburbs and most of them will make you become a paramedic, if they dont require it to apply. Now my question, should I go ahead and get my medic now or should I wait until I get up there and see where I end up. I am also testing with non-ALS depts, so if I were to get hired with a non-ALS dept I would be wasting my time getting my medic lic. I am an EMT-B now and I am one of those people that dont mind runing EMS calls but I dont really want to be a medic. I would like to stay at the EMT-B or even EMT-I level. What do you people suggest?

[PFDTruck18]

I would suggest finding a department or two that provides the service that you want to provide. Concentrate your effort on them. I would bet that medic class wont be fun or easy if you truely dont wanna be a medic.

[pfd4life]

I know there has been alot of discussion on here about this but. I am going to be testinig for a lot of the chicago suburbs and most of them will make you become a paramedic, if they dont require it to apply. Now my question, should I go ahead and get my medic now or should I wait until I get up there and see where I end up. I am also testing with non-ALS depts, so if I were to get hired with a non-ALS dept I would be wasting my time getting my medic lic. I am an EMT-B now and I am one of those people that dont mind runing EMS calls but I dont really want to be a medic. I would like to stay at the EMT-B or even EMT-I level. What do you people suggest?

This can be a can of worms especially in Ill. A long discussion the other night with a guy I work with (former CFD medic, and in suburbs) reveals that medic in Ill isn't what it is elsewhere. Your certification may not transfer to other states around the US, WI is one of them, you would have to take paramedic over again. If you don't plan on moving outside if Ill. then it's no biggie, but if you do, think abnout going outside the state to take the medic classes, and then operate within your trauma zone protocols, be it ALS or BLS, and hey can it hurt to be trained as a paramedic even if you ar enot initially with a non ALS company? what if they decide to go ALS after you get there....it's a plus. Do it if you want it, don't do it if you can't be committed to it. Perhaps you could even sway a non ALS dept into going ALS.

[firefightermfd1]

See that is why I dont know what to do. I am going to be testing all over not just in IL, and I dont want to do the medic class now and then have to do it all over again if I get a job out of state. I know there is the NR-EMT-P but I have heard it is a B***H to pass.

[Bostonjake1240]

This can be a can of worms especially in Ill. A long discussion the other night with a guy I work with (former CFD medic, and in suburbs) reveals that medic in Ill isn't what it is elsewhere. Your certification may not transfer to other states around the US, WI is one of them, you would have to take paramedic over again. If you don't plan on moving outside if Ill. then it's no biggie, but if you do, think abnout going outside the state to take the medic classes, and then operate within your trauma zone protocols, be it ALS or BLS, and hey can it hurt to be trained as a paramedic even if you ar enot initially with a non ALS company? what if they decide to go ALS after you get there....it's a plus. Do it if you want it, don't do it if you can't be committed to it. Perhaps you could even sway a non ALS dept into going ALS.

Are you sure?? In Massachusetts we do not allow out of staters to just walk in and get a Medic ticket, they have to challenge the test. I have never heard of a state requiring you to retake the complete paramedic course. They may make you take the hole testing process over, but the complete course I have never heard of.

[wnwd00]

i believe the illinois parmedica training program as of the last time i heard does not have the hour requirement to allow you to sit for the national registry P test.

also as far as i know most states require at least the national registry HOUR requirement for the class to allow you to sit for their as is the case in massachusetts. i had my Mass P cert many years ago, and that was the deal, your initital paramedic class had to be at least the length of a NR class. if you had a NR cert, or a cert from a certain list of states then you could sit for their test.

also on a side note, in general if you go to a good paramedic program the NR test is not big deal, if you go to the easiest or cheapest, well all i can say is good luck. in my class of 30, 28 passed all NR the first time.

[Dave1983]

If you have the time (and money) to get your medic, do so. Even if you get on with a non-ALS dept, you can keep up your cert. Besides, whos to say the dept you start with is the one you will finish with? Keep your options open for bigger and better things. A medic cert will make you more "marketable" to better paying depts.

I know if you were down here in Fla, with a medic patch you can pretty much pick your dept. In fact, they will be looking for you, not the other way around.

[firefightermfd1]

Well I have the 5 fire officer classes and 2 gen eds left until I am finished with my degree in fire science. If I havent been hired by the time I am finished, then I will put a lot more thought into medic school.

Thanks for your input.

[Bostonjake1240]

[QUOTE=wnwd00]i believe the illinois parmedica training program as of the last time i heard does not have the hour requirement to allow you to sit for the national registry P test.[QUOTE]

What is the requirement today to sit for the NR?? For some reason 900 hours come to mind.

[ADSNWFLD]

Most of the better paying jobs in my area want you to be a medic.
I can't speak for the National Registry, I've been a medic for 15 years and I can sign up for the test whenever I want.
Their are a lot of departments that will allow you to drop after a few years, so I'd go for it. EMS is the majority of our work so you will be in a better position if you are part of it. Many departments by me have ALS engine companies, even if the MICU is contract.
Good Luck

[FCDave24]

If you can, get hired and have the department send you to paramedic school. They'll pay for the tuition and pay you OT for your time.

That being said, many department don't want that expense. More and more departments are including the EMT-P to their list of requirments. Also, your chances of being hired are much better. Skokie or Arlington Hts. may not require EMT-P, but they might have 600-800 people show for their test. I seem to remember Bloomingdale requiring FF II and EMT-P...they had less than 100 people at their test. Lastly, there are several departments that operate "home rule", which allows them to pick whatever candidate they want (Palatine, Park Ridge). Having the EMT-P saves them the time and the money. Something to think about.

If you really need the National Registry. I'm pretty sure that Northwest Community Hospital, in Arlington Hts., follows the NR curriculum. I think they even take the test.

Good luck

[pfd4life]

Are you sure?? In Massachusetts we do not allow out of staters to just walk in and get a Medic ticket, they have to challenge the test. I have never heard of a state requiring you to retake the complete paramedic course. They may make you take the hole testing process over, but the complete course I have never heard of.

Not 100%, I'm only going off of what my co-worker said. The WI DHS told him that he had to take the entire course over, due to a difference in the Ill. training curriculum or somthing like that..so, back to EMT-B for him.

[BIGBOS1]

NWCH is still state from what I understand, I applied for their class this fall, so hopefully I can get in on it.....

Like he said above, a lot of places that require it to apply are sometimes a lot less competitive to get into.....a guy who I went to EMT school with went to Paramedic school the following semester and was on a departments list....they saw that he was doing this and they skipped over many people to get to him......so indeed I can say that seems to pay off...

[MontvilleFire39]

I strongly urge you to do some hinking of what you want to do in this field, and stick to that. Do not become a medic to make more money, do not become a medic just to open up jobs on some departments. (why would you work there if you don't want to be a medic?) If you don't want to be a medic, school will be hell, and you probably won't be to good of a medic. Good luck with your decision.

Cheers,

Ben

[firefightermfd1]

I dont want to be a medic, or at least I dont think I want to be a medic, I didnt want to be an EMT but now that I am one I like it. My main concern is geting stuck on an ambo for life. It just seems like more and more depts are going to ALS or already are ALS. If I went to medic school I would only do it to open more doors for myself.

[MontvilleFire39]

If I went to medic school I would only do it to open more doors for myself.

And that my firend is a poor reason to become a medic. Medic school is a grueling and demanding one year process. Having a predisposistion against it will only make it harder, and after medic school what kind of provider will you be? If you got ejected from your car on your way home from work today, who would you want working on you? A medic who has a true passion for the field or a medic who only didi it to be a fireman? You seem to have the passion to become a firefighter, so do it. There are opportunities out there.

Ben

[FCDave24]

I dont want to be a medic, or at least I dont think I want to be a medic, I didnt want to be an EMT but now that I am one I like it. My main concern is geting stuck on an ambo for life. It just seems like more and more depts are going to ALS or already are ALS. If I went to medic school I would only do it to open more doors for myself.

-I agree with Montville, if you don't want to be a medic...don't become one. There are still departments in Illinois that don't require EMT-P: Cicero, Chicago, Wheaton, St. Charles, Springfield. There are other departments that have a waiting list for guys to get their medic lic: Arlington, Skokie.

This being said, if you decide, "I don't want to be a medic"...don't test for a department that requires it before the end of your probation. Leave that job for the guy who likes doing EMS and Fire. There are enough bitter firemen working on the box.

[firefightermfd1]

This may sound funny but I dont mind doing EMS and Fire, I just dont want to be certified at the EMT-P level. I dont mind running EMS calls because that is what keeps me busy. I dont want to get hired by a dept and have them stick me on the box for my first 3-5 years. I work PRN for an ambulance co now, so its not the EMS calls that bother me I just dont want to be a medic.

I agree with what has already been said, if you dont want to do it dont, because what kind of care will you be providing.