Need help, advice, anything....

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Just got dropped from the Paramedic program for lacking emt b experience... not sure where to go from here. Kind of unexpected.... wind has kind of left my sails if you know what I mean

What state are you in? Are there any volunteer agencies you can join to get some experience, and then go back? How about commercial agencies? Patient care tech job in a hospital?

It seems rather unfair that you were admitted, and then dropped after the fact. However, my personal opinon is that 2 years of solid BLS experience should be required before STARTING a paramedic program.

Originally Posted by Farmer2DO

It seems rather unfair that you were admitted, and then dropped after the fact. However, my personal opinon is that 2 years of solid BLS experience should be required before STARTING a paramedic program.

This. As much as it sucks I think it will make you better in the long run.

Originally Posted by AntonL

Just got dropped from the Paramedic program for lacking emt b experience... not sure where to go from here. Kind of unexpected.... wind has kind of left my sails if you know what I mean

Was there an explicit requirement that students have EMT-B experience or did this materialize? If there was such a requirement, did you know about it and ignore it, or just not see it?

Originally Posted by atkinsje

This. As much as it sucks I think it will make you better in the long run.

Yes it does suck, but I second it will help you in the long run. Get the basics down first. The program I precept paramedic students for allows new emt's to get in to paramedic school. Let me just say having to teach the basics and als stuff is not so easy as you must have basics down first.

Keep your head up......and reapply with some time under your belt.

No required emt experience, I guess it was implied that it is preferred but no requirements. I'm in Oregon and just started with a rural agency and am applying to some urban type areas. I really wish I had just not been accepted because the instructors knew people with no experience struggle and mentioned it after the fact.

The best idea voluteer volunteer volunteer. remember most states have a 50 patent contact policy before you even dream of looking at paramedic school. so work as a emt Basic for a volunteer company. or a paid BLS service with Volunteering on the side. dont be discouraged rememeber all the best start as the low man on the totem pole so chin up.

Originally Posted by Julyjoe88

The best idea voluteer volunteer volunteer. remember most states have a 50 patent contact policy before you even dream of looking at paramedic school. so work as a emt Basic for a volunteer company. or a paid BLS service with Volunteering on the side. dont be discouraged rememeber all the best start as the low man on the totem pole so chin up.

I'm not sure what state you're talking about, but certainly not in NY. Our paramedic program is administered by the local community college. The program itself is pretty good; the senior faculty is an excellent instructor. However, the college loves the tuition money, so they aren't allowed to refuse ANYONE to the program. We have 18 year olds being accepted that have tested for the EMT-B original certification and haven't even gotten their card yet! By the time these kids are graduating, literally 90% of their lifetime field experience is their clinical shifts!

Originally Posted by AntonL

Just got dropped from the Paramedic program for lacking emt b experience... not sure where to go from here. Kind of unexpected.... wind has kind of left my sails if you know what I mean

I know it feels bad now ... but trust me, it was for the better. I took my basic class when I was 16, tested NREMT and passed but didn't get my card until I turned 18. Well since I had proof I passed the EMT-B exams, I was admitted to an EMT-Paramedic class at 17. I turned 18 in the middle of the class and was a certified basic for the first time ... having NO experience on an ambulance other than the 2 clinical rides in my basic class. Well I finished my paramedic class (the didactic portion, we do clinicals after didactic), and went to do a paramedic clinical ride, while I knew the book through and through, I SEVERELY lacked just basic common sense EMS skills that you can only learn from work experience. Learning how to use the stretcher, and intubate on the same day isn't a good thing.

Before/during my paramedic class I didn't think not working would be a big deal or anything, and I could pass by without any major problems ... well after my paramedic class ended, I took a YEAR off clinicals, and worked as a basic, then came back and did all my rides, and I was much more comfortable and confident.

Originally Posted by Farmer2DO

I'm not sure what state you're talking about, but certainly not in NY. Our paramedic program is administered by the local community college. The program itself is pretty good; the senior faculty is an excellent instructor. However, the college loves the tuition money, so they aren't allowed to refuse ANYONE to the program. We have 18 year olds being accepted that have tested for the EMT-B original certification and haven't even gotten their card yet! By the time these kids are graduating, literally 90% of their lifetime field experience is their clinical shifts!

the state is CT and basically all of the junor colleges that give the paramedic course are ran not by professors or docs but actual paramedics and a long time ago they got together and said we want to make sure you have at least some sembelence of whats happening out on the road as a basic before you get your paramedic. due to the fact in ct its really really nutz out there especally if your in a urban enviroment... bear in mind CT has one of the top ten most violent cities and one city inperticular which has more call volume then any other major metro city by capita then most of the nation. eaither way thoughs are the rules the DOH of our state set down and for the exact reasons specified. but mostly so you dont freek out on your ride and clinical times. I hope that clarifys

Originally Posted by Julyjoe88

the state is CT and basically all of the junor colleges that give the paramedic course are ran not by professors or docs but actual paramedics and a long time ago they got together and said we want to make sure you have at least some sembelence of whats happening out on the road as a basic before you get your paramedic. due to the fact in ct its really really nutz out there especally if your in a urban enviroment... bear in mind CT has one of the top ten most violent cities and one city inperticular which has more call volume then any other major metro city by capita then most of the nation. eaither way thoughs are the rules the DOH of our state set down and for the exact reasons specified. but mostly so you dont freek out on your ride and clinical times. I hope that clarifys

CT resident, paramedic, and paramedic instructor here (although now I'm in school and don't do any of those things anymore haha). I'm not sure that the "50 patient minimum" thing is state law. The college where I taught (one of the bigger programs in the state) did have that requirement, but it was very lax. All that was required to verify this minimum was a letter from "someone" who would testify to the applicant's experience, and patients encountered during EMT-B training counted towards that number. It seemed to me that it was more of a school preference rather than an actual mandate from the state.

Agreed that experience is essential, but I'm really not sure a "# of patient contacts" standard is really that good of a measure. Despite our experience requirements, we routinely lost a sizable portion of every class due to these types of issues.

Also in regards to your comment about faculty, my school had a pretty good mix. The instruction was mainly done by people with education degrees/PhDs, with a number of physicians and experienced paramedics that supplemented the course.

Hit the streets as a volley...my local volley station (career EMS but almost always a 3rd person) runs ~750 EMS calls a year...a couple other things to consider...

get your FF 1, haz mat ops and rescue tech/vehicle machinery rescue... being able to play any role is always welcome...they can be knocked out in under a year if you have your ducks in a row
get your EVOC... where I am from, a lot of the paid medics at otherwise volley stations are driver on the first engine out on a structure fire...frees up the other drivers for the truck or 2nd engine

make sure you are fully aware of your program and states requirements before you apply next go 'round.

lastly...don't get down on it...your not the first or the last this will happen to, and plenty of emt's go back and successfully complete the program

There is more to being a medic then just work experience, there is life experience. This is no offense to any of you highly motivated 18 year olds in medic school, but you really have alot going against you. At 23 I still have issues telling people 3 times my age how things work, and leading a team of folks double my age.

That being said I have also seen some "life long" EMTs go to medic school and fail miserably, because they brought a "can't train an old dog new tricks" attitude, I feel being at the BLS level for a long period is also detrimental. In my opinion, and this just some random guy on the internet, so take it with a grain of salt. The most successful folks that went to medic school had anywhere from minimum of 2 years maximum of 6 years EMT experience.

While at the time there was this rush to go to medic school, when all is said and done I now realize there is really no reason to rush. Had I waited and worked as an EMT for a year or two longer the only difference would have been an easier internship.

Just wondering, I can take the PTCB without going through any program or employer right?