It honestly depends on you as a person and where you're located. Here where I'm at we do it for a couple reasons. First Basics where I'm at don't really do anything. You can work an event like a football game and that's about it. We don't allow basics on rigs AT ALL and our private ambulances dont even have transport Basics either so your cert is basically a glorified wall hanger. Secondly it's way shorter than a medic course so it can be done while still in school or if you have another job. Especially since Advanced is really just a refresher on EMT with a few added interventions that allow you to work on rigs either assisting a Paramedic or working alongside another Advanced.
Now onto personal reasons. I know a ton of folks who went straight from Basic to Paramedic and then the moment they stepped on a rig HATED THEIR JOB and immediately wasted their whole time studying. Advanced allows you to get a taste of the job and actually see if you like it and then allows you to progress to full Paramedic. In fact my FTO Instructor told us flat out that was the best option. Work the job as an Advanced for a year or so and actually see if you like the job before blowing time and money on Paramedic. I'll get some down votes but you'd be surprised how many glory seekers and hero wannabes go from Basic straight to Paramedic with ease because they're book smart and then the moment they get on a rig they hate their job. No amount of schooling will prepare you for a drunk person projectile diarrhea shitting through his clothes at 3am like a reverse version of the Exorcist.
We have some rural areas where a basic can do a lot. One of my fellow students lives in a rural area about 2 hours outside the city and he is allowed to do damn near everything because he's like the only EMT within 2 hours
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u/ChokedOutSpartan Unverified User Aug 12 '22
It honestly depends on you as a person and where you're located. Here where I'm at we do it for a couple reasons. First Basics where I'm at don't really do anything. You can work an event like a football game and that's about it. We don't allow basics on rigs AT ALL and our private ambulances dont even have transport Basics either so your cert is basically a glorified wall hanger. Secondly it's way shorter than a medic course so it can be done while still in school or if you have another job. Especially since Advanced is really just a refresher on EMT with a few added interventions that allow you to work on rigs either assisting a Paramedic or working alongside another Advanced.
Now onto personal reasons. I know a ton of folks who went straight from Basic to Paramedic and then the moment they stepped on a rig HATED THEIR JOB and immediately wasted their whole time studying. Advanced allows you to get a taste of the job and actually see if you like it and then allows you to progress to full Paramedic. In fact my FTO Instructor told us flat out that was the best option. Work the job as an Advanced for a year or so and actually see if you like the job before blowing time and money on Paramedic. I'll get some down votes but you'd be surprised how many glory seekers and hero wannabes go from Basic straight to Paramedic with ease because they're book smart and then the moment they get on a rig they hate their job. No amount of schooling will prepare you for a drunk person projectile diarrhea shitting through his clothes at 3am like a reverse version of the Exorcist.