BLS experience prior to medic program?

[Glorified]

How important do you guys think working as a basic is prior to a paramedic program is? Is doing the bare minimum of 6 months ample, or should I really get my BLS skills to be second nature. Just confused on the route I should take especially since it is so hard to find work as a basic, especially as a 19 year old. I figure it might be better to volunteer for the minimum 6 months and then enroll in the paramedic program, but I am still quite confused on what to do. How important is BLS experience prior to medic program enrollment, and how much is enough?

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[AnthonyM83]

I'd say if it's a busy area, 6 months is good. If it's slow, maybe give it a few more months, but EMTB is a pretty low position and you really don't want to stay in it long, because you're limiting yourself in what you'll be learning. Get to your medic school as fast as possible, but while still having your basic skills down...which means every shift you do as a basic you have to have the goal of skill advancement in mind.

 

[deleted92121]

I work for a private company that has approximately 5,000 calls a month distributed across 10 stations. Of that, maybe 1/3 to 1/2 are ALS calls. The rest our BLS/Transfers. Because I routinely work ALS I may be a better candidate for Medic class than someone who is routinely BLS. But that is just the circumstances of my situation. Some people are prepared a few months out of EMT-B class. Some will never be ready...

Talk to your supervisors and the medics you work with in a few months and ask them if they think you would make a good medic or at least have the potential to become one.

all the best,
dxu

 

[viostorm]

A bunch of people on here will tell you it is mandatory. In the area that I was there used to be a several year requirement before you could enroll in EMT-P.

I'm completely opposite. I don't think it makes a difference in the long run. I don't see anything wrong with going and getting more education. Plus, medic school is usually 2 years, if you have something on the side doing BLS then you'll get the experience you need.

 

[TerraMedicX]

I really do think that a year to two years of experience on an ALS ambulance is truely important to becoming a good paramedic. Its too easy to forget the BLS skills you learn as an EMT if you don't spend a good amount of time actually using them before you add ALS. I've known medics who have done both, and in general I've found that the medics who spent less time as EMTs have to work MUCH harder! Beyond that, there's a LOT of additional responsibility involved with being a paramedic and you MUST be able to effectively run a complicated scene...if you don't have the experience to know how this works from having seen experienced medics do it in MANY situations, you'll find this to be nearly impossible. Scene control is probably the HARDEST, but most important skill required of paramedics!

I would also warn you that as hard as you think it is to find a job as a 19 year old EMT...it will be FAR harder to find a job as a paramedic. I was 21 when I finished my paramedic training and many of the companies I interviewed with were reluctant to hire a new paramedic who was so young. The only reason I got a job right away was because I got hired by a service I had volunteered with as an EMT, but it wasn't an ideal situation. Once I got six months or so of experience running ALS calls on my own I started to hear back from other companies. Also many companies won't hire under 21 for insurance reasons.

Nate.

 

[FoughtFyr]

In Northern Illinois, back in the days when I got my medic card (waaayyyy back!); a minimum of one to four years of BLS service (depending on the area, 911 versus transport, etc.) was required before medic school. I really think that requirement should be reinstituted. You can't run ALS well without BLS and BLS skills are too hard to come by and too often disregarded.

- H

 

[AnthonyM83]

Perhaps a better system should be based on number of calls you've responded to. Some areas run 1 or 2 calls a day, others like mine run 6 to 16 or more per day (higher if LA hospitals weren't so overstaffed with up to 5 hour wait times to transfer patient in ER).

 

[nyemt2005]

BLS before ALS. That is what it always comes down to. There are alot of bad paramedics out there because their BLS skills are horrible. A medic once told me that you should become the best Basic in your system before moving on to being a Paramedic. I tend to agree with that. You should be really comfortable and really confident in your skills. But if you feel like you can do it, go right ahead, what's the worst that could happen? Killing a patient?

 

[Glorified]

I haven't decided for sure, but I think I want to work as a basic while getting my undergrad degree and maybe taking an EMT-I course. This will give me at least 3-4 years experience as an EMT before moving onto paramedic school. I can also get the A&P, Pharmacology, Physiology, etc. courses out of the way while getting my undergrad. Sound good to you guys?

 

[Vee]

BLS before ALS. That is what it always comes down to. There are alot of bad paramedics out there because their BLS skills are horrible. A medic once told me that you should become the best Basic in your system before moving on to being a Paramedic. I tend to agree with that. You should be really comfortable and really confident in your skills. But if you feel like you can do it, go right ahead, what's the worst that could happen? Killing a patient?

so true. i worked with a new emt-b the other day and he was such a terrible basic. freaked on emergency calls and didn't even know how to board a fall. then i found out that he is already in medic school, after being a basic for about 35 seconds. all i can think is that he IS going to kill someone someday. i wouldn't want him near me or my family with a ten foot pole (as a medic).

 

[Glorified]

If this guy is this bad of an EMT, then don't you think that the intensity of paramedic school will weed him out? If he didn't know all his practical skills, then how did he ever make it through practical tests?

 

[TerraMedicX]

If this guy is this bad of an EMT, then don't you think that the intensity of paramedic school will weed him out? If he didn't know all his practical skills, then how did he ever make it through practical tests?

As much as I wish that was true, there ARE paramedic programs out there that are more concerned with graduating people (and taking their money) than producing good clinicians!

Nate.

 

[nyemt2005]

As much as I wish that was true, there ARE paramedic programs out there that are more concerned with graduating people (and taking their money) than producing good clinicians!

Nate.

the area I live in has a Paramedic program that is notorious for churning out horrible Paramedics. They cater to the area Fire Departments who send (or rather force) their firefighters to become Paramedics. I know non-fire people who are taking the program, and they describe class as being considered a joke. When asked why the students were in the program, the majority of students answered because their fire department union makes them go. In response to the weeding out question, in essence, you have people who don't want anything to do with medicine being trained to provide a high-level of care to high-volume 911 systems with very little accountability or oversight. I'm sure this type of thing goes on in many areas of the country where Fire Departments have taken over EMS. It's ridiculous.

 

[TerraMedicX]

the area I live in has a Paramedic program that is notorious for churning out horrible Paramedics. They cater to the area Fire Departments who send (or rather force) their firefighters to become Paramedics. I know non-fire people who are taking the program, and they describe class as being considered a joke. When asked why the students were in the program, the majority of students answered because their fire department union makes them go. In response to the weeding out question, in essence, you have people who don't want anything to do with medicine being trained to provide a high-level of care to high-volume 911 systems with very little accountability or oversight. I'm sure this type of thing goes on in many areas of the country where Fire Departments have taken over EMS. It's ridiculous.

Yup, we've got one or two of those in my area as well. Its an unfortunate trend in prehospital care. Fire departments have a VERY large and well established union backing them, and due to that (and the fact that EVERYONE knows that fire fighters are heros! 😛 ), fire has the money in prehospital. So, if you want to get payed well, you have to goto a fire department, but there simply is not enough time to maintain proper training in both EMS AND fire...and since they're a fire department, guess where their training priority is? Now, there ARE exceptions, the system I work in is a third-service/public utility model where we receive partial funding through property tax. It allows us to have fairly competative salaries (although still not quite what fire has) and GREAT equipment! IMHO, EMS needs to really step up and get the public to know who we are and how much we do for them. We also need to establish high enough standards that the rest of the medical community recognizes us as equals. After that, we might finally have a chance of making EMS the PROFESSION it should be!

Nate.

 

[SmallTownEMT]

I'm going through a paramedic program starting in August after two years as a basic. I'm glad I've spent that time gaining experience since I can complete a medic program in one year instead of two. I knew of a basic that took the class the same time I did and immediately jumped into an ALS class the following year (not for paramedic, but as Critical Care). She burned out so quickly that I think she's done with EMS. Get that experience first!

 

[emttim]

So here's a spin-off of the OP's question...what about 911 experience versus transport experience as an EMT-B before medic school? I plan to start a medic program next March, so I'll have about 7 or 8 months of EMT-B experience in, but I got hired on at an ambulance company that only does transport so I don't see 911 experience happening...at least anytime soon. Will this be an issue or not?

 

[146233]

So here's a spin-off of the OP's question...what about 911 experience versus transport experience as an EMT-B before medic school? I plan to start a medic program next March, so I'll have about 7 or 8 months of EMT-B experience in, but I got hired on at an ambulance company that only does transport so I don't see 911 experience happening...at least anytime soon. Will this be an issue or not?

I don't think it will be a big deal, Tim. Yes, you may miss out on the adrenaline rushing, sirens blaring, "What are we going to find?" stuff. However, plenty of patients go down the tubes during transports, have significant problems that need continual management, and you'll even find some hospitals where you're best off treating the patient as if you just found them on the street (i.e., the hospital didn't do anything, probably missed a GSW or two, etc.).

Truth be told, transport medics, depending on the contracts they have, typically become VERY good medical and trauma clinicians, due in large part to the longer transport times during which you're in charge. It's not the local FD that takes everyone to the closest facility and doesn't ever get to a secondary survey, let alone sedation & intubation.

You'll still get to practice all of your skills. Remember, every single patient gets a head-to-toe primary assessment, secondary assessment, and ongoing assessment. The routine is the same, just different circumstances. Besides, when the R/O ACS patient you're transporting 25 miles to the hospital "Where my doctor is," turns ashen, sweaty, and starts having 10/10 crushing substernal chest pain that radiates down their left arm, that's pretty much a 911 call now. 😉 Good luck!

 

[emttim]

I don't think it will be a big deal, Tim. Yes, you may miss out on the adrenaline rushing, sirens blaring, "What are we going to find?" stuff. However, plenty of patients go down the tubes during transports, have significant problems that need continual management, and you'll even find some hospitals where you're best off treating the patient as if you just found them on the street (i.e., the hospital didn't do anything, probably missed a GSW or two, etc.).

Truth be told, transport medics, depending on the contracts they have, typically become VERY good medical and trauma clinicians, due in large part to the longer transport times during which you're in charge. It's not the local FD that takes everyone to the closest facility and doesn't ever get to a secondary survey, let alone sedation & intubation.

You'll still get to practice all of your skills. Remember, every single patient gets a head-to-toe primary assessment, secondary assessment, and ongoing assessment. The routine is the same, just different circumstances. Besides, when the R/O ACS patient you're transporting 25 miles to the hospital "Where my doctor is," turns ashen, sweaty, and starts having 10/10 crushing substernal chest pain that radiates down their left arm, that's pretty much a 911 call now. 😉 Good luck!

Sounds good to me Zipmedic, thanks!