Ambulance technician / paramedic

[eupharies]

Hey, well ive always wanted to become a paramedic. The last year i have not really done alot about it. So ive finally decided to act, im 20, have a clean driving license and live in cardiff.
Im looking to join as an ambulance technician, but am having a serious problem finding a route in. Have looked at some of the hospitals around cardiff and they just dont seem to be recruiting.
I had to camm paramedics out a few weeks ago for a friend, and i was speaking to them about it, they advised Uni isnt a must, You just need to pass the entrants exam for paramedic. But i cant even find a route in as a technician. Ive always wanted to become a paramedic as i love working with people, and im not just going to give up, far to much ambition to do that.
Just wondered if you could give me any advice on what job i could get in a hospital to then work my way up to technician level, or if you could advise me on how to enter as a technician.
Also about the D1 an C1 licenses, thing is 1 of them you cannot get until your 21 and im guessing you need them to be a technician yet the entry age for technician is 18... can you clarify that for me please.
Any advice would be much appreciated. As becoming a paramedic is what i desire.
Thanks and merry xmas

Anthony

[DrPie]

You could try working for the Patient Transport System (PTS). Recently a few of them were recruited as paramedics (much to the annoyance of current paramedics) as they weren't quite up to the appropriate standard even after a bit of training (I think they've stopped this now tho'). Theres a few unis that do paramedic degrees, not sure which.

[nqemtp]

Have you looked elsewhere in the UK beyond your hometown? It all comes down to how much you want the job, and how far you are willing to go to get it.

While Uni isnt a must, it is definite a feather in your cap. You must remember, there are plenty of people out there applying for the same job and you need to stand out. I believe Hereford do a 4 year BSc in paramedic science.

Also, have you considered voluntary work? St John Ambulance, red cross, etc. A lot of medics start off here. It should also give you an idea of whether the job actually suits you or not (it's not all like what you see on Casualty), and you may meet some more paramedics that could give you advice.

With regards being a tech at 18, I would imagine that this is the age limit for the course, but you will not be recruited into the service without the appropriate licences, ie: 21.

[eupharies]

Hey thanks for that, id love to go to uni but i moved to france after gcse so dont have the A-levels.
Shame as id not only be learning what i wanted but, also the uni lifestyle...
Ive looked at foundation degrees but for some reason they still require A-levels!!!!!
I kniw the best way going about it is to get a job with the nhs and then just progress, i had a look for PTS but couldnt find any jobs for it;

[eupharies]

Hey i was wondering about the extra licenses needed? If i say managed to get ajob as maybe a pts or care assistant or something along those lines, and indicated i wanted to progress to an ambulance technician, would the NHS pay for me to take these licenses or would i need to pay out myself??
Thanks

Ant

[Medic2013]

ok, so you wanna be a ambulance dude-i respect you! now for some advice-there are two entry methods, degree and via the PTS. do the degree in my opinion and that of many others, cos its the way forward (structure, guaranteed access to EMT1-2-3-Para). with the PTS option, i recommend it for those who have no amb experience and who are undecided bout their desire. as additional experience, you may wish to join st john ambulance, as many ambulance crews welcome a "third hand" as they are referred to to accompany them (you need to be over 18, have a first aid at work and some other qualifiactions-but i recommend you join st john before you go further). now to the degree-there are BSc's and Foundaton degrees. BSc's are standard quals and make you big, but beware-time is running out fast for appliactions as the UCAS deadline closes in. with the foundation degree, you apply direct to the institution, but a Fd may not be as academically recognised.

abou yer a-levels, if you choose the PTS route, then a levels are no problem (far as i know-dont take my advice for gospel). with the uni route, most unis ask for one at most i think, and i vaguely remember a couple who idnt specify anything at a-level, but things may have changed (i refer to greenwich and kingston/sgeo)

for your categories, as most of the *full* ambulanes are over 3.5 tonnes, you require C1. via PTS, the nhs pays for it (i think as long as you promise them your soul and a year's contract ). with the uni route, some ask for you to have, others provide it one the course-again, please check.

see the following amigo, and i sincerely wish you the best of luck...

http://randomreality.blogware.com/bl...1/1334202.html

http://randomreality.blogware.com/

http://search.ucas.co.uk/cgi-bin/hsr...=0&button1.y=0

http://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/careers/careers1.html

edit-with job progression, those who go in via the EMT route can get stuck in EMT 2/3, meaning you wont become a paramedic for a while,but will have a job. however the degree route ENSURES you are a paramedic, but doesnt ensure certification as a healthcare professional within the nhs, which means you may have to go private, which is a shame.

[nqemtp]

Have you checked to see if your French equivalent to the A-Levels is accepted for entry into Uni? Degree is definitely the best option if you can manage it as it would open up many doors throughout your career. However, it is possible to get to these places from the PTS route, it will just require a lot more effort.

My other advice regarding the degree would be to make sure that you are up for the study; the level of science involved is very similar to the BSc Nursing degree from what I have heard. There are placements on the ambulance and in hospital, but college life takes up the majority of the time, at least in the early years. If driving around and meeting people is more your thing than becoming a clinician (and there is nothing wrong with this, no matter what anybody says to you these days), then the PTS route would be better. The worst thing would be to start the degree and then drop out, it would effectively scupper any chance of being taken serious at interview for an EMT job afterwards.

But dont take my word for it, contact your local service and see can you get a tour of the station, talk to a few people, and have a look at Ambulance Control if you get a chance. It is a pretty impressive sight and should tell you more about the job and give you something to talk about should you be invited for interview at a later date.

In my opinion, you have chosen a great career; sometimes you will be tired, hungry, and will wonder why you bothered turning up for work at all; other times you will be upset and annoyed by the responses of patients and their disregard for themselves and others; and occassionally, you will be on a total high after doing something really thrilling. But you will rarely, if ever be bored. Good luck with your application.

[Medic2013]

most true-the other thing i was gonna say was that you may want to look at a nursing degree and going in as a emergency care practitioner. nqemtp is right though-get some experience first to make sure you like it.

[turnip09]

I spent five years as a Technician with London Ambulance Service so i can only give an informed answer about London, but I think most services are similar.

You can either join direct as a Trainee Emergency Medical Technician, when your local service next recruits. It will be the Ambulance Service NHS Trust that recruits you, not the local hospitals. This route in requires a maximum of three points on your licence and requires you to have had a licence for at least two years and have C1/D1 endorsments. If you do not have these, the service is unlikely to pay for you to achieve them - you will have to fund it yourself. As an EMT you follow a 12-15 week IHCD Ambulance Aid course and which includes instruction on your local services protocols for drug administration etc as this varies from service to service. After that, you do 4-6 weeks out on the road with a Training Supervisor learning the ropes while attending real jobs. Once signed off, you complete a year as an 80%er, still a trainee, generally on 80% of your final wages and unable to work with another 80%er. After your final assessment at the end of the year, you are fully qualified and can then focus on moving up through the grades.

PTS staff are recrutied completely seperately, as are the intermediate tier Technicians, and although it is possible to transfer over, you will have to go through the same application procedure as anyone else.

The Paramedic Sciences degree is the other entry route, although it was rather controversial at the time I was serving as it is questionable how much patient time these guys get in relation to those who joined via the old fashioned route. Hertfordshire university run a 3 year course in conjunction with the LAS and Beds and Herts Ambulance Service and and guarentee a job upon sucessful completion. In this case, students may have their driving lessons paid for to upgrade their licence but it depends on the course.

Hope this helps!

[eupharies]

Thanks so much guys, really appreciated.
Im just going to check the links now, i would love to go to uni, and i think its unfair that you need A-levels to go for this kind of degree, instead of jsut pure ambition and the willingness to achieve the job that i want, but thats life ;p.
I was to my girlfried whos friend wants to become a parameidc, she has a degree, its not paramedical science but something similar, yet even she is finding it hard to get in, and said that alot of people go to australia to get the qualifications there.... and then come back fully qualified... Not sure how that works really as surely it would be more of a different degree.

Thanks

Ant