Re-enter EMS after time away

[emtp6811]

I was an EMT and Paramedic for 6 years before going back to college to complete the pre-med requirements. A little over a year in, I was still bright eyed and gung-ho, so I allowed all my certs to lapse including my state EMT-P and NREMT-P certs with the thought that I'd go straight from pre-med to med school. Now, I'm a year from graduating and I *need* a year off before matriculating. I'd like to work EMS again during that time, but I can't quite figure out what the NREMT stance is on re-testing after a lapse in certification. I assume at least a paramedic refresher course and ACLS, PALS, and ATLS at a minimum. Anybody know, or can point me in the right direction of a definitive answer?

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[Dwindlin]

Lapsed Certification

If your National EMS Certification lapsed as a Paramedic within a two year period or you are currently state licensed as a Paramedic, you can obtain National EMS Certification by completing a state-approved Refresher course and successfully completing the cognitive and psychomotor examinations. If your EMS certification expired more than two years ago, you must complete an entire state-approved Paramedic course and complete the cognitive and psychomotor examinations.

Hope this helps.

 

[MedicFL]

I can tell you once you are lasped most states will make you go back through the whole course if you are lasped more than a month or two. NREMT is also very strict on lasping so good luck but you are fighting a up hill battle..

 

[Dwindlin]

I can tell you once you are lasped most states will make you go back through the whole course if you are lasped more than a month or two. NREMT is also very strict on lasping so good luck but you are fighting a up hill battle..

NREMT isn't that strict. You have a full 2 year window where all you need to do is take a refresher and get CPR/ACLS back, then pass written/practical.

 

[deleted6669]

several states(like ca) just require cpr/acls/pals/phtls or btls, completion of a 2 day refresher course, a few days of field contact with a field training officer to demonstrate you still know your stuff and a note from the county ems medical director. you are then eligible to retest for nremtp.

 

[howelljolly]

Waaaa?????

If my NREMT-P expired more than 2 years ago, and I am an MD, I have to take the entire EMT-P course over again???

 

[Dwindlin]

Waaaa?????

If my NREMT-P expired more than 2 years ago, and I am an MD, I have to take the entire EMT-P course over again???

That's a great question.

 

[jbar]

The real question is why re-take it if you have the MD. There are other threads where this has been debated but it seems that in some states you may not be able to say "oh, I'm not a doc today, I'm working as a medic." So I would be careful about going through the trouble of getting your medic back if it isn't going to change what you'd be able to do in the field or where you could work.

 

[howelljolly]

The real question is why re-take it if you have the MD. There are other threads where this has been debated but it seems that in some states you may not be able to say "oh, I'm not a doc today, I'm working as a medic." So I would be careful about going through the trouble of getting your medic back if it isn't going to change what you'd be able to do in the field or where you could work.

Unless it does....

Some places require EMS Instructors to have a valid EMT-P cert, even if they have an MD.

 

[jbar]

Is that just for the person who is running the course as the instructor of record or apply to anyone who lectures to a EMS class? I can't imagine you can't teach any EMS without being a medic MD in most states.

Anyway, like I said, you should look into what the cert gets you in the state you want to be in before spending a lot of time and money on it. In some places it may be worth it, other not.

 

[Dwindlin]

The real question is why re-take it if you have the MD. There are other threads where this has been debated but it seems that in some states you may not be able to say "oh, I'm not a doc today, I'm working as a medic." So I would be careful about going through the trouble of getting your medic back if it isn't going to change what you'd be able to do in the field or where you could work.

Another reason I'm not willing to let mine lapse. On the chance I make it all the way through this process and still feel like volunteering I'm set if I need the cert.