is paramedic school important?

[psychotic]

hi i am 19 currently an emt-b working at a private ambulance in California and about to receive an associates degree from a community college in a year and i was wondering how much would going to paramedic school help with my chances getting hired. some people tell me that it isn't gonna make much of a difference and it is not worth the time and money to do it.

[PaulC.]

Hi psychotic-

If you've got your emtp license and experience, it can be a great help by putting you into eligibility for smaller testing fields for "Paramedic Only" hiring opportunities. That being said, you should be mastering the testing process and taking all the tests you can right now. If you don't know how to take the tests, it won't matter what certifications you have.

Best,

PaulC.

[OHFirestopper]

Paramedic "not being worth the money" is completely false, I made up the whole cost of my medic tuition plus some in my first year on a dept.

[senatobiafire]

The "P" beside your name is the golden ticket. As the fire service continues to evolve, more and more demand is being made on the EMS aspect of the fire service. In the future, IMO, this will be the norm, just like FF 1 & 2. Go ahead and get it while you're young, I wish I had it...

[ffmedicintheCLE]

paramedic is VERY important. Granted it is still tough to get a job but it is a whole lot eaiser to get a job with a paramedic.

[paulLepore]

I too am in California. I can tell you that having a Paramedic license will dramatically increase your chances of getting hired on the job. I would make sure you are getting QUALITY first-in 911 experience where you are working side by side with the medics. This will better prepare you for the rigors of your paramedic field internship.

Additionally, I would encourage you to attend a basic fire academy FIRST. I believe you will find most of the medic jobs require a fire academy graduation certificate in addition to a paramedic license. If you go to PM school first, you will have to take a keave of absence to attend the academy. Private medic jobs are really hard to find right now because we are not hiring on the fire department. As a result, the private medics are not leaving.
Go to the academy first as it will allow you to take more entry-level tests....
Good luck and good work on getting your degree!