MedicMovingOn Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 I have had my NREMT-P recert paperwork since November and made the decision to "let 'er go" I just haven't made the time to attend a refresher (and all the other excuses that go along with recert) Anyway, March 31st looms large and I'm having second thoughts. Currently I'm unaffiliated with a service so I suppose I could go on "inactive status" but I still need all the other CME I've got CPR and ACLS, and I thought maybe I could just comb through my didactic year and pull the topics from my syllabus and match them hour for hour with the mandatory/flexible core sheet. Has anyone done this? Does anyone have experience recerting by using PA school alone? Long shot, but I thought I'd throw it out there. Finishing up soon and angling for an EM job. As EMEDPA has said before, it tends to give you "street cred" when teaching or interacting with the crews (I know it has helped during ED rotations!). There isn't enough room on the name tag for "former paramedic" oh well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesssphys Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 I am a LCSW working in an ED. I plan to keep my license active. Even though I won't be practicing, I think with this economy it can't hurt to have multiple options and I agree that it could give you a leg up in EM. Even if practicing as a PA, I am sure the paramedics will respect your background and who knows, maybe some aspire to pursue a similar route and you could inspire! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 6, 2011 Moderator Share Posted March 6, 2011 keep it. it's a pain in the butt to get back if you let it lapse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Being a NREMT-P you can simply sit for the exam and if you pass, BAM, you are recerted. Hustle up and get thee to the NREMT-P site, do a search to find the link to get your stuff approved...you apply to test, pay some money, they sit on it for a day or so, then you can go back to the site and print off a letter that is "authorization to test". Pearson runs the testing network and have testing centers all across teh country. You make an appointment on line via Pearson, show up with your letter at your appointment time, and sit in front of the computer. The catch is it needs to be knocked out before March 15. May be a tight squeeze but worth a try http://www.nremt.org/nremt/EMTServices/emt_re_reg_form.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COTA for now Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 Might need it to fall back on after graduation while you are job hunting. I think it will be important on paper...but I don't currency will matter in terms of street cred. If you put in the time, and are part of the culture, they're not going to be googling your cert number to respect you. Your EMT-P experience will still be there. I think mainly it will help make you stand out on paper, and be a source of income while taking PANCE and interviewing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 6, 2011 Moderator Share Posted March 6, 2011 I think you are underestimating the st cred angle(if you work in em). instant bonding with all the medic crews when they see my i.d. I have had "pa-c, emt-p" on every i.d. tag I have ever had as a pa and it goes a long way....one facility wasn't going to credential me for intubation until I pulled out my medic cert then they said" ok, no problem, we know medics can intubate...". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedicMovingOn Posted March 6, 2011 Author Share Posted March 6, 2011 I appreciate the responses. EMED: I hear you , brother. COTA: No going back into the field for me. I would be maintaining it for the sake of having the credential. Just Steve: I looked at the testing deal, pretty spendy, but an option if my hours thing doesnt work out. For those who care about this sort of thing here is the deal: I'm looking at the refresher info and if you do the continuing ed option for recert you need 24 hours of mandatory core content and 24 of flexible core. Then you need an additional 24 hours of Continuing Medical Education of any kind. So...my Emergency Med course was 5 credits which equates to 15hrs/wk x 15wks=225 plus some conferences I went to. should be OK, just didn't know if anyone else had used their PA school time to recert. I will try it this way and see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booone0 Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 I am using undergrad university classes to recert this cycle. I'm going to call the National Registry tomorrow to make sure I am doing it correctly and I'll post here if I think about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedicMovingOn Posted March 7, 2011 Author Share Posted March 7, 2011 Alright, I guess I'm not ready to let go... Called NREMT, not a high-yield conversation. From what I can discern from multiple conflicting sources is this: 1. For the 24 hours of EMS related CE: A MAX of 12 hours may be from college coursework. This is a stipulation for I-85/99 and Paramedic. 2. For the 48 hours of CE (in lieu of an actual refresher, or taking the recert test) you can use hour for hour coursework, no max as long as each topic is specifically addressed. With that understanding, I sent the application in with a transcript and we will see what happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Just sat for the recert exam this morning. I don't have my results yet but I found the test to be stupid simple with only a couple of questions requiring me to slow down and think about things for a moment. Usually it was a wording issue more than a complex presentation. If there are other NREMTP's following this thread and are considering taking the exam next year (testing date cut off for this cycle is March 15), I highly recommend it due to the simplicity. They require you to be an active medic affiliated with a medical organization so I am not sure this would help out the folks who are coming off of an inactive status. Of course I don't have my results yet for a couple of more days and I may have biffed it completely, but somehow I doubt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustinPA Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Personally I think I'm going to let my national registry certification go. I did the renewal by exam last year and really I think it was a waste of money. I live in Michigan, and they only require the national registry for the initial licensure. I plan on keeping up my actual state license though. To continually keep up your NREMT-P by exam you'll have to be working in EMS still which I don't plan on doing after graduation. I just don't see how it's worth the money to renew every 2 years, when it's not required to maintain my state license(at least in Michigan). It might be different in your state though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 8, 2011 Moderator Share Posted March 8, 2011 pennsylvania emt-p = lifetime certification. how sweet is that? cert card says expiration: none Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted March 9, 2011 Share Posted March 9, 2011 Maybe it's a little nostalgia but also a back up plan. Being a NREMTP facilitated me in finding work in Oregon which allowed me to move from the exile state of Maryland (where I was living) and being able to find work and enable me to get the family back home to the proper coast. I live on the Oregon/Washington border and I may find interest in carrying both states. In addition, I haven't gotten through PA school yet so I think it's wise to keep an Ace up the sleeve. For me personally, I look forward to a clinic job and all that it entails. With that being said, I can't just turn my back on the ambulance...it has been home for me for over 20 years. I can forsee some volunteer time I live in the saddle between two very popular glaciated Cascade Range volcanoes, Mt. Hood is the second most climbed glaciated mountain in the world (second only to Mt. Fuji), Mt. Adams covers more land mass than Mr. Rainer. (Which to say is huge) Needless to say, the SAR communities are active and I'd like to keep a hand in it. I am hoping to someday hit the Wilderness Medicine Education circuit. While you don't need an active cert in the ER to gain street cred with the incoming medics, having those letters helps when your name is on a brochure for speaking at a conference and you're trying to attract attendees. We have an active PA who also works for the same company as I...I asked him why he comes to work the unit part time when he makes more money working in a local ER...he explained that his role in that particular ER is to take the less critical patient to enable the MD's to tend to the more severe patients. Being sequestered to the land of fast track has edged him out of getting to place ET's, run codes, make critical decisions in less than austere conditions...you know, the fun stuff. By coming to the ambulance as a paramedic part time he still gets that rush. Yes, he could find an ER more suitable to his preference but he loves where he lives, they pay him quite well and it's a good balance for him. I can see his point and feel I may fall in that same circle. And if you are curious, I asked him directly if he ever feels the urge to treat a patient in the EMS setting as if he was a mid level provider and he came back with a very firm "not on your life...not worth the paperwork nightmare that would ensue, including a possible breach of contract with his SP" To each their own...I'm just surfing the thread to procrastinate studying :-) Typing for the sake of hearing my fingers move. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedicMovingOn Posted March 18, 2011 Author Share Posted March 18, 2011 Today I received a notification that I have been re-registered as a NREMT-P, with inactive status, as I requested. I submitted the 48 hrs of CE with my transcript and it was allowed. I'm glad I didn't let it lapse. Thanks for the advice, all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriarMedic Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 We have an active PA who also works for the same company as I...I asked him why he comes to work the unit part time when he makes more money working in a local ER...he explained that his role in that particular ER is to take the less critical patient to enable the MD's to tend to the more severe patients. Being sequestered to the land of fast track has edged him out of getting to place ET's, run codes, make critical decisions in less than austere conditions...you know, the fun stuff. " My thoughts moving forward as well. The PAs I've shadowed or seen working in the EDs are handling the less critical racks. I know this is not the complete realm, but I assume it's more the norm in urban areas. So I fully intend on keeping myself active in the EMS community. There is a PA around here that works as a flight medic-- lifeflight here is very competitive and I'm told that the PA license was his foot in the door, despite only being credentialed as a medic when he flies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
booone0 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Hey, sorry for the delay in posting on this. Good to know you came to a solution. For the record, I called the national registry today and the lady I spoke with very confidently assured me that I could use university course hours for the entire portion of the 24 hour requirement. She said that 1 semester credit hour equated to 8 CE credits. Obviously you should call to confirm if you're going this route to be sure. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.