New policy adopted Tuesday at the 2015 AMA Interim Meeting calls for support of federal, bipartisan legislation that would expedite and streamline paramedic training for returning veterans who already have received emergency medical training while in the military.
Introduced by U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., the Veterans to Paramedics Transition Act of 2015 would authorize federal grants for universities, colleges, technical schools and state emergency medical services agencies to develop curricula that would help experienced veterans more quickly become eligible for paramedic certification.
“The men and women who serve in our nation’s military as medics and corpsmen receive excellent training that should translate into work as paramedics as soon as possible upon their return to the civilian workforce,” said AMA Board Member David O. Barbe, MD.
“Requiring these skilled service men and women to go through redundant, entry-level training is costly, timely and undervalues the relevant experience they’ve already received,” Dr. Barbe added.
