First of all THANK YOU for all your valuable advice! My character has very poor education, she did not go to school and was only taught the basics by her parents. She can't attend a university, but receives medical training as an adult. At the time of the story the character is in her early 20s, so she wouldn't have many years to catch up. Could she still become a doctor? Is it more plausible to title her as a medic? What things can doctors do, which medics can't? Thanks again!
Hey there nonny! As a paramedic who never finished uni, I can absolutely say that medics can, in some places, work without degrees. (In the UK and Australia I believe paramedic is a bachelor’s degree, and some types of paramedic are 4-year programs in Canada; in the US it’s either a certificate program or a 2-year associate’s degree.)
If your character cannot afford college, at least in the US, there is no way in hell that she can afford medical school, and she won’t be able to get in to medical school without doing extremely well in a Bachelor’s program.
A quick rundown of the differences:
Doctors perform surgery, medics can’t.
Doctors write prescriptions, medics can’t.
Doctors work in hospitals, medics work in the field or do transfers.
Doctors are respected and have authority. Medics aren’t and don’t.
Medics push a very limited selection of drugs; doctors have entire pharmacies at their disposal.
Even simple things like wound care and stitches may be outside the purview of paramedics in your area. Of course, that doesn’t mean we’re not capable of any of those things, it just means we’re not allowed to do them.
If you’re looking for an intermediate compromise, look into a Physician’s Assistant, or a PA, role for your character. PAs work under doctors in basically all the same settings -- I honesty don’t know if PAs can do surgery but my gut instinct is no . A PA program is a Bachelor’s program. PAs can do basically anything else a doctor can do, although they may face some restriction writing narcotic prescriptions. Depending on where they are, they may or may not be able to have a relatively independent practice.
Finally, nursing is usually a bachelor’s degree, but nurse practitioners go through additional training (Master’s degree), can have their own offices, and are, in some/most places, slightly more independent than PAs. Nurse anesthetists are nurses with Master’s degrees, who are basically anesthesiologists with a nursing background. And they can make so much freaking money, nonny. SO much cash. CRNAs are wealthy, wealthy nurses.
I hope I’ve given you at least a place to start your research!
xoxo, Aunt Scripty
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