Hey everyone - I want to become a paramedic and am trying to decide whether to go the apprenticeship route (apply to be an AAP then progress to EMT then paramedic) or go to college, do a Paramedic Science degree and apply directly for jobs as a qualified paramedic, I've heard quite a range of stuff about which is best so looking for any wisdom folks here have to offer.
For background I'm 24 and working as an HCA, currently in psych but have done the same role in different departments as well, was in social care and community mental health services before that. I'm a US citizen on a health & care worker visa, planning to apply for ILR once I'm eligible. I have a manual B-class drivers' license and C1 provisional, currently doing my full C1. I have a GED and am studying for GCSEs (Math, English, Biology, Chemistry & Physics). Got a fair amount of basic clinical skills and some workplace training but no formal medical qualifications, I'm also a first aider and do a lot of voluntary work in that sector (very low-level stuff though not anything like actual paramedic skills).
I'm leaning towards the apprenticeship option at the moment - I love the idea of learning on-the-job and know that works for me as it's how I trained for my current role and in previous jobs. It's also very affordable and fits well with my lifestyle, and I meet the eligibility requirements (or I will once I finish my GCSEs (November), I'm looking to apply after that). However I'm worried that I won't get the AAP job in the first place, there seem to be very few of them available and I assume they're pretty competitive.
My primary interest in doing the degree route is that it might be quicker (although this seems to be very questionable), I also feel that it'll potentially give me better clinical skills, and there seem to be a lot more places (obviously it's still pretty competitive, but it's more of a defined path and might be easier to get my foot in the door with). I also like the idea of going to college just for the experience (maybe, although I guess I equally might end up hating it lol, I'm not really the academic type in general although I have enjoyed the healthcare-specific training I've done). I'd be working as an HCA or something similar while studying, I wouldn't want to just study and be out of the workforce entirely (can't afford to do that anyway), I think I'd probably be ok with that but it would be kinda annoying not to be working directly in the ambulance service. I would also need to do A-levels (which I could, but obviously they're additional time and expense and I may not do well enough) and figure out the whole uni application process (which sounds the same or harder as the apprenticeship one!)
What should I do y'all?