diverdown Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 I am starting PA school in August and have an AEMT cert that is expiring soon. I have been debating whether or not to renew it. On the one hand, the 300 dollars or so it would take to recertify could be used to help purchase PA books/equipment. Also, once I'm a PA having had an EMT cert will mean next to nothing. On the other hand, I feel it would just be nice to have in case I'm ever involved in any incident as a bystander and getting the cert was my first foray into the medical world so on a personal level it's kind of hard to let go of it. I wanted to get this community's thoughts on the matter as I'm sure some of you have been in a similar situation. (I think this discussion could apply also to CNA, MA, phlebotomist, etc.) Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hustleforthePAC Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 You could always teach an emt class- or use it as a discount card for theme parks - museum entry - but the discount you get would be less than the recert amount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MT2PA Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 I kept all my certs through PA school. You just never know what might happen. You also may want it when you have several months of sitting around before you're credentialed to start working as a PA. I let them lapse after I was gainfully employed as a PA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thatgirlonabike Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 If you are NR AEMT then you can put your cert on hold for a couple of years. I plan on keeping my NRP because I love working on the truck and may volunteer during school. I'm also keeping it as a safety net for after graduation. I've heard of a lot of folks who spend months looking for work or waiting for their state license to go through and I'll just work as a Paramedic until then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmdpac Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 It's a personal decision what to do with it. I haven't worked as a paramedic since PA school. It's been almost ten years now and my NRP is still current although inactive status. I can't let it go. It's a personal issue for me to maintain it even if I never use it again. MT2PA's suggestion to keep it through school is sound. It's nice to have it as a fall back. It's nice to have it as an option while waiting after graduation for licensing and a job to start. What you decide to do with it after starting work as a PA is then up to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diverdown Posted March 11, 2019 Author Share Posted March 11, 2019 Thanks for the input everyone! I have decided to go ahead and renew. This will be an insurance policy for me. It will expire again towards the end of PA school and I'll reevaluate at that time if it's worth renewing again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHU-CH Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 I kept up my NREMT through PA school. Not sure if this is still the case, but I was able to use most of my classes for recert hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAE198 Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 I'm getting my medical assisting certification renewed this year, even though I'm starting PA school this summer. It just feels too much like tempting fate to let it lapse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted March 13, 2019 Share Posted March 13, 2019 I too have kept my NRP. While in school (it was NREMT-P in those days), I got credit for school classes (the director signed a letter to that effect.) I was thinking of letting it go this year but saw that you can challenge the national registry test instead of taking a refresher and CEs. I did that and passed, so that's an option (it costs $125 to recert that way -- cheaper than the 48 hour live online refresher). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diverdown Posted March 30, 2019 Author Share Posted March 30, 2019 On 3/13/2019 at 5:22 PM, UGoLong said: I too have kept my NRP. While in school (it was NREMT-P in those days), I got credit for school classes (the director signed a letter to that effect.) I was thinking of letting it go this year but saw that you can challenge the national registry test instead of taking a refresher and CEs. I did that and passed, so that's an option (it costs $125 to recert that way -- cheaper than the 48 hour live online refresher). Yeah I went with the recert by exam option. About $150 for the exam and a third party online study program to get me back into some NREMT-style questions. Passed it and got the inactive status with no issues! BTW, your book just arrived in the mail yesterday. Looking forward to reading it! I'm 30 (which feels really old to me haha) and also am switching to PA after another completely unrelated career. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted March 31, 2019 Share Posted March 31, 2019 Yeah I went with the recert by exam option. About $150 for the exam and a third party online study program to get me back into some NREMT-style questions. Passed it and got the inactive status with no issues! BTW, your book just arrived in the mail yesterday. Looking forward to reading it! I'm 30 (which feels really old to me haha) and also am switching to PA after another completely unrelated career.Enjoy the book, and good luck. You will be surprised about how many of your skills from whatever you did last will serve you well as a PA.Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diverdown Posted April 5, 2019 Author Share Posted April 5, 2019 On 3/30/2019 at 8:12 PM, UGoLong said: Enjoy the book, and good luck. You will be surprised about how many of your skills from whatever you did last will serve you well as a PA. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Barry, I wanted to let you know I read your book in about three days. Fantastic read! I wrote down some notes on one of the blank pages near the front and will keep it with me during school. The value of your words goes so far beyond the $13 I spent on it. I've been kind of nervous about starting such a rigorous program but reading your book actually switched me to feeling very excited about the upcoming year. By the way, my former "unrelated career" was as an intelligence officer in the army so we have something in common there with military service. I was at Fort Drum for a couple years about an hour north of your hometown and actually spent some time in Rome near the airfield; we had some soldiers there on a temporary duty assignment and I went down there to check on them a couple times. Anyways, I wanted to thank you for writing the book and taking the time to give advice and insight to the next generation! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted April 5, 2019 Share Posted April 5, 2019 9 hours ago, diverdown said: Barry, I wanted to let you know I read your book in about three days. Fantastic read! I wrote down some notes on one of the blank pages near the front and will keep it with me during school. The value of your words goes so far beyond the $13 I spent on it. I've been kind of nervous about starting such a rigorous program but reading your book actually switched me to feeling very excited about the upcoming year. By the way, my former "unrelated career" was as an intelligence officer in the army so we have something in common there with military service. I was at Fort Drum for a couple years about an hour north of your hometown and actually spent some time in Rome near the airfield; we had some soldiers there on a temporary duty assignment and I went down there to check on them a couple times. Anyways, I wanted to thank you for writing the book and taking the time to give advice and insight to the next generation! Thank you so much for the kind words. If the book got you to the point where you believe this is a doable adventure (which it really is) and you are now looking forward to it, then great! There will be challenges but you should be up to them. If you've overcome other kinds of obstacles and know how to work hard (which you clearly do), it will be fine. Please keep me posted as to how school goes for you. You can message me through the forum and I'll share my regular email address. Best wishes as you start out! Barry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thatgirlonabike Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 @UGoLong I saw that your director signed for your classes but do you think they would be able to sign as your medical director in the National Registry forms? I'm actually reading your book now so I see that you worked during school so you actually had a medical director. I'd like to do the same but I'm not sure it will be possible as I am moving out of state so I won't have the same connections. Thanks for the book by the way..... I am 40 and starting school next month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 5 hours ago, thatgirlonabike said: @UGoLong I saw that your director signed for your classes but do you think they would be able to sign as your medical director in the National Registry forms? I'm actually reading your book now so I see that you worked during school so you actually had a medical director. I'd like to do the same but I'm not sure it will be possible as I am moving out of state so I won't have the same connections. Thanks for the book by the way..... I am 40 and starting school next month. Glad that you're enjoying the book! Enjoy the adventure ahead. In my case, I was still a functioning paramedic with a medical director so getting signed off was easy. I just needed proof for the CEs/refresher equivalent, which is what the PA program director's signature was for. Then the medical director certified my skills. In your case, you will not be active as a paramedic, so renew as an inactive medic. You are still a medic and can go active again at a later time, should you affiliate with your old EMS unit or a new one. The big thing is that you keep the certification alive. Hope this helps. In Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diverdown Posted April 8, 2019 Author Share Posted April 8, 2019 On 4/5/2019 at 8:03 AM, UGoLong said: Thank you so much for the kind words. If the book got you to the point where you believe this is a doable adventure (which it really is) and you are now looking forward to it, then great! There will be challenges but you should be up to them. If you've overcome other kinds of obstacles and know how to work hard (which you clearly do), it will be fine. Please keep me posted as to how school goes for you. You can message me through the forum and I'll share my regular email address. Best wishes as you start out! Barry Barry, I tried sending you a message through the forum but was unable. I think you may have to adjust your settings to be able to receive messages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UGoLong Posted April 8, 2019 Share Posted April 8, 2019 1 hour ago, diverdown said: Barry, I tried sending you a message through the forum but was unable. I think you may have to adjust your settings to be able to receive messages. Sorry, the inbox was full. Try again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thatgirlonabike Posted April 10, 2019 Share Posted April 10, 2019 @UGoLong Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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