rsqdvr Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Not sure if this is the correct forum to post, but what the heck. I've been a PA for almost 2 years now (how time flies) and it is time to re-new my paramedic license which has been current for almost 10 years. Just a question to all of you current PAs/former paramedics...do you keep your paramedic cert current? If so, what's the value? Eric, feel free to chime in. :=D: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medic25 Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 I absolutely keep my paramedic license, and will never let it lapse. Plenty of good reasons, but one of the biggest is the fact that you put in so much work to earn it, so why let it go? I'm sure you were very proud of gaining the EMT-P, so it would be a shame to let it go. For me personally it is very useful, as half of my job is EMS related, so the paramedic at the end of my name lends extra credence when I'm out on a call or during a CME lecture. You never know where your career will take you, so at some point in the future you may want to even start working as a paramedic again periodically (local vollie ambulance, per-diem medic job for fun). It's a much bigger headache getting your card back after losing it than it is to keep it up, so you may as well keep the EMT-P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted May 24, 2011 Moderator Share Posted May 24, 2011 YUP, agree with above. emt-p gives you "street cred" and if you ever want to work/volunteer again on the rig it's easier to keep than get back if lapsed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firemedic13 Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 I just wish it was easier to get back if it lapses... MERF. Ultimately since it is such a GIANT pain in the butt to get back it is probably worth keeping. I'm keeping mine through law school and beyond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Steve Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 The National Registry on line testing for re cert is brain dead simple. Pay a bit of money, jump through some very easy hoops, sit down and bang out a multiple guess on line test that takes about 30 minutes. No more 48 hour refresher courses, no more filling out tedious proof of CMEs...silly not to keep it. But I'm not a PA yet so I sorta need it to put food on the table right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paproof Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 How do you guys feel about letting an EMT-B cert expire? Mine expires in about a month and I'm debating whether or not to renew it. I'm not really attached to it at all; it only took me 3-4 months to obtain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted May 24, 2011 Moderator Share Posted May 24, 2011 emt-b less of a big deal.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dm123 Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Nope. Mine lapsed before their was a national registry. Besides, I'm to old for that kind of stuff anymore. Adrenaline tends to right the check my body can't cash. Like any job, parts of it I hated. We had 24 on 48 off, killer hours. To many hot meals left on the table replaced by a loaf of bread and a pack of luncheon meat ate in the truck. If on rare occasion we did get to bed seems we had to go do standby at a central location. I did develop a liking for the wine "Os" though. Except for the grace of God and all that. Definitely a love/hate relationship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted May 25, 2011 Moderator Share Posted May 25, 2011 I never had natl registry: worked in ca before it was a registry state, then moved to pennsylvania for pa school and worked there before they were registry. to re-up in ca. I would need a 1 week class and 10 field als cotacts. in pensylvania I have a lifetime emt-p cert so would just need a few field als contacts to activate my cert there again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dm123 Posted May 25, 2011 Share Posted May 25, 2011 When I first became a Paramedic, we were call "Mobile Intensive Care Technicians" or MICT for short and were certified that way. Paramedic rolls off the tongue better. The public always wanted to know what the heck that was. They new Paramedic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted May 26, 2011 Moderator Share Posted May 26, 2011 YUP, I was a MICP(mobile intensive care paramedic) at my first job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fireguy Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 I keep mine. Still work in the Engine every third day for my 24/48. In between I knock out a few ER shifts as a PA. Much easier to keep than lapse and reacquire. And EMT-P (or LP, MICT, APP, or whatever acronym you use) certification will differ from state to state. Many use National registry exclusively, some use it in conjunction with individual state certification, and other states do not use it at all. Assuming that you know the rules and regulations of your current state, if you move to a new state, a quick call to the state EMS board should clarify your options. Oh, and my NCCPA CME requirements have nicely translated to the EMS CED requirements with LOTS of extra hours to spare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brookspa Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 eventually let mine go..too much hasssle to maintain active. and ga did not have an inactive status at the time. AL, GA, and Nat Reg...let them all go. does give cred to the medics, and when you speak to a group to add up letters after name. ill not be in a truck again, this i know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbellin Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Washington State has moved to having two options for recert. Participate in county approved on-going training or CME and take a state recert test. PA CME other than ACLS, PHTLS, etc. is not recognized as qualifying medic CME. Makes it tough to keep CME for being a medic and PA too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medic25 Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Washington State has moved to having two options for recert. Participate in county approved on-going training or CME and take a state recert test. PA CME other than ACLS, PHTLS, etc. is not recognized as qualifying medic CME. Makes it tough to keep CME for being a medic and PA too. Connecticut makes it a little easier: 1) Fill out license renewal card 2) Write check to state for $150 3) Mail it back 4) One year later, repeat same Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohiovolffemtp Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 Going to keep mine. I'll run vollie in my home town - I like prehospital medicine. For fire, I'll try to engineer more and hump hose less. My medic card gives me more creditability when I teach: EMT's & medics, and even ACLS in the hospital. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo Posted May 28, 2011 Share Posted May 28, 2011 Im in school still, but once Im certified as a PA-C I will still keep up my P card and all my instructor certs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsqdvr Posted May 31, 2011 Author Share Posted May 31, 2011 Thanks everyone for your comments, I think I've decided to go ahead and renew the thing. As someone said, I worked pretty hard to get it and my current CME will count for their CE so I might as well just keep it. Plus, I'm now on a DMAT team so it might help a bit. Although I now live in Washington my cert is still in California. Unfortunately, neither Oregon (where I just moved from) and Washington will allow someone to move a cert unless they have a position already secured with an EMS agency. As I really have no intention of jumping on a rig again in the near term, that isn't really an option. That said, who knows what I might want to do with it in the future. Thanks again, guess I'll be sending CA my $250. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedicMovingOn Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 rsqdvr -- can your DMAT team be your sponsoring agency in WA? Anyone on your DMAT team a member of a local agency who could bring you on in an "instructor" capacity and recert through them? Just some thoughts. I'm assuming your are not Natl reg -- I just re-certed but went on "inactive" status. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted June 1, 2011 Moderator Share Posted June 1, 2011 oregon dmat will allow you to use their team for your emt-p practice site, I imagine wa would as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsqdvr Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share Posted June 1, 2011 Interesting thought on the WA DMAT, I never thought to ask. I'll have to check in to that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ Bunnell MSHS PA-C Posted June 5, 2011 Share Posted June 5, 2011 I let my Paramedic cert expire and I regret it. I don't have the time now but would love to get back to it. Those were my roots and it was a shame to let it go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsqdvr Posted September 16, 2011 Author Share Posted September 16, 2011 So a quick update. After deciding that renewing is the way to go I may end up losing my medic license after all. I checked in to Washington (where I currently live) and they require that I 1. take the National Registry Exam and 2. work for an EMS provider. I have no intention of doing either. The Washington DMAT (of which I am a member) used to be a designated Prehospital Provider but apparently after several years of harassment from Washington EMS, they decided that it was too much trouble to continue. My current cert is in California. Last time I renewed I was a student and I sent a combination of school credits a CE (Level 1 AMA) which they took. They are now telling me that they won't accept BLS, ACLS, or ATLS because the certificates don't say which State I took the class in (sounds like complete bull**** to me) and they they do not accept CE, only prehospital CME. Seems like CE should trump, or at least be equivalent to, CME to me. I plan to talk to a supervisor by the end of the week but it's not looking good. Wish me luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crieman Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 I'm running into the exact same problem here in Spokane County. Likely going to lose my cert due to the CME issue. I wish it was easier to keep. Mine expires next month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medic25 Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 It's not convenient, but Connecticut doesn't require you to be working as an EMS provider to maintain your paramedic license. Once you get your initial card via reciprocity, you just have to mail them a check once a year to maintain your license. http://www.ct.gov/dph/lib/dph/ems/pdf/paramedic_app.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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