Prompt Cast
The Role of Paramedics in Emergency Medical Services
TLDR Paramedics, who work alongside doctors and nurses, provide emergency medical care in the field. Despite high demand and rigorous training requirements, paramedics face challenges such as low pay, overcrowded emergency rooms, and conflicts with ER staff.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Paramedics work alongside doctors and perform the same type of medicine as an ER doctor or nurse, but in the field.
05:04
The idea of having trained medical professionals in ambulances to provide emergency care originated in the late 1960s.
10:14
The Emergency Medical Systems Act was signed in 1973, which called for a standardized system of emergency medical services nationwide, and in 1977 the first national standard curriculum for EMTs and paramedics was published.
15:24
To become a paramedic, you must first become an EMT, which requires about 120-150 hours of coursework, and then complete an additional 1200-1800 hours of training to become a paramedic, operating under the license of a physician.
20:13
Paramedics are in high demand, with an expected increase of 53,000 jobs in the next decade, despite the relatively low pay of around $31,000 per year.
25:13
The podcast hosts discuss a personal story about a car accident where no one was seriously injured, but the host's brother, in a state of shock, mistakenly said a curse word when asked for his name.
30:06
Paramedics are sometimes criticized for not running to the scene of an emergency, but there are actually good reasons for this, such as the need to bring calm and professionalism to the situation and the risk of getting injured while running.
34:38
Paramedics need to be cautious and assess risks as they approach an emergency scene, which is why they don't run, and driving in the ambulance is actually the most dangerous part of their job.
39:20
Paramedics often provide medical assistance without being paid for it, as Medicaid and Medicare only reimburse ambulance services if the patient is transported to a hospital, leading to overcrowded ERs and conflicts between paramedics and ER staff.
44:29
Private ambulance services have become widespread with the idea that competition will improve response times, but in practice, they have often been late and less preferable than public EMS services.
49:18
This section does not contain any relevant information about how paramedics work.
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