LoRezSkyline Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 Ditto the recommendation on EMT as a route towards obtaining some baseline medical knowledge - I'm about to start as an ED tech in the next month, and I'm extremely grateful I have at least a sliver of knowledge going into this! EMEDPA - I've followed your posts on this board for quite a while now, and you've been immensely informative. I found it surprising you'd namecheck the Unitek EMT-in-2-weeks program, though? I suppose it might be a good option if someone was really up against the wall to get a certification, but in all honesty do you think someone could digest the material, learn the skills and be prepared to pass Natl. Registry in 2 weeks flat? EMT class wasn't especially tough, but there's still a good amount to learn in that short a period of time and I found the Natl. Registry exam to be tricky in spots. I'd hate to see someone travel, pay all that money & think they're a shoe-in only to fall flat on their face when confronted with the Registry exam :( I took my EMT over the course of a semester while working fulltime - one 8-hr. class once a week on Saturdays, 4 hrs. of lecture and 4 hrs. of lab/skills after a break for lunch and that seemed to be a manageable schedule. Even so, our class of 50 winnowed down to a graduating class of 20 or so when it was all said and done. I went to Pasadena City College, which for those of you in Los Angeles is another nearby option that's significantly cheaper than the UCLA Center for Prehospital Care course - PCC cost me about $140 total, $26/unit plus nominal fees & parking as it's a community college? UCLA was about $695 last time I checked? Glendale Community College (also adjacent to Los Angeles) offers EMT training as well for the CC rate, but I can't speak to the integrity of that program one way or the other! PCC was a great option for me though, and I'm glad I went that route... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted June 23, 2006 Author Moderator Share Posted June 23, 2006 in the los angeles area there is also the regional occupational program(rop) taught as an extension course on some high school campuses. it is (or at least was) very cheap. I did my emt 1-a there in jan-june 1987 as a 3 hr class 3x/week plus a few weekends and at the time I only had to pay for the textbook and a few supplies + a fee for the cpr card. I checked the site below. they still offer emt courses. look under "health" on the class menu. http://lacorop.org/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ablazina Posted June 23, 2006 Share Posted June 23, 2006 I'd have to agree that obtaining an EMT-B certification on the road to attending PA school is the way to go. I attended EMT school at a local community college during the summer (in between semesters) while completing my BS at the University of Florida. This allowed me to work as and EMT-B in a urgent care clinic to gain the several thousand hours of patient care experience. They trained me in other areas while working there and the MD's and PA's I worked with wrote great letters of reccommendation! Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest EMT2PA Posted June 24, 2006 Share Posted June 24, 2006 LoRez: I did the Unitek program and passed the NREMT easily. The course however is not easy and anyone who is not an exceptional student, will struggle. The director of the program was an excellent instructor who not only wrote portions the the EMS book, but also wrote many of the questions on the NREMT exam. With his background, he was really able to teach us in a way that prepared us for this exam. If you have the bucks and need it done asap, I'd highly recommend the program. My only suggestion is that you insist that they mail you your books at least a month prior to your start date, you'll be glad you did! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Edivocke Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 I make $11/hour as an EMT-B for Transcare in Baltimore City. Good job to have while in college not to mention being on a strictly BLS ambulance rocks (my area is practically all ALS EMS). I'd highly suggest EMT-B's getting a paid EMT-B job. I've volunteered over 3000 hours and that's it for my lifetime. Getting paid for the same services rocks! I make around $700 - 800 a week (nothing to you PA folks) depending on call volume and distance of calls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLB Posted June 27, 2006 Share Posted June 27, 2006 does anyone know of a good website where you can search for EMT training by location? Thinking i might try to get EMT certified while up in Philly, doing undergrad work. thanks guys brittany Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Edivocke Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 no. However, I would advise you to go to your closest VOLUNTEER fire department to inquire about how you can volunteer and get training as an EMT-B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreatx Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 You can also look into the jucos in the area. Generally cheap and can be done over a semester or over the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted December 27, 2006 Author Moderator Share Posted December 27, 2006 free emt training/housing/loan repayment. great opportunity. thanks to crooz for making me aware of this! http://www.rvfd.org/volunteer/livein/livein.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrthoSurgeryPA Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 free emt training/housing/loan repayment.great opportunity. thanks to crooz for making me aware of this! http://www.rvfd.org/volunteer/livein/livein.htm Wow, this is a great program! I got my start in EMS through a service similar to this in VA. Riding in the Rockville, MD area will afford one great learning experiences as well. Great post.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrthoSurgeryPA Posted December 27, 2006 Share Posted December 27, 2006 The program I started through prior to joining the USAF: http://208.21.160.218/media/documents/emsbrochure.pdf These guys are the real deal. You will get thrown right into the "meat and potatoes" of EMS because it is in an area that encompasses the greater Richmond, VA area. Lots of trauma, lots of helping out the community. I had the chance to work special rescue situations and get advanced cardiac training. I paid $0, they only ask that you put in the time to help the community with your skills.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Patrick.Steele Posted January 13, 2007 Share Posted January 13, 2007 I begin my EMT-B certification course at Barton CC on the 17th of next week. A full 12 hour course along with 12 credit hours at Kansas-State university, 24 credit hour semester, this is gonna be interesting :D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted March 1, 2007 Author Moderator Share Posted March 1, 2007 thanks to contrarian for the following info: EMT-B in One Month... - Yesterday, 07:13 PM These places offer EMT-B in a one month resident program. A month in Belize or the Pacific Northwest should be a blast...!!! Check them out!!! Global Medical and Rescue Remote Medical International Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrthoSurgeryPA Posted March 5, 2007 Share Posted March 5, 2007 thanks to contrarian for the following info:EMT-B in One Month... - Yesterday, 07:13 PM These places offer EMT-B in a one month resident program. A month in Belize or the Pacific Northwest should be a blast...!!! Check them out!!! Global Medical and Rescue Remote Medical International I will have to put this on my "to do" list for sure. Anyone here been through this or a similar program? I mean besides Contrarian of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ffvinnyny Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 Here is an online emt-B, intermediate and medic. You can schedual your hands on all at once and they will work with you to get your clinical hours done. Not too expensive and great if your deployed. http://www.techproservices.net/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sunah Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 I recently became EMT-B certified. However, I found out a little too late that EMT-Bs in my county (Brevard County, FL - ie Cocoa Beach and Melbourne) are limited to non-emergency transport agencies (only one here!) and ED-techs. There are very very few spots open for the two. Other than that, Brevard's EMS system is primarily ALS-based. Doing clinicals for EMT has been exciting I would pursue Paramedic except for the fact that the trend is now moving towards the practice of hiring firemedics; sending their firefighter/EMT-Bs to cross train as medics, and sending medics to cross train in fire school. I understand that it expands resources, but what if I don't think I'm cut out for handling 200 pound hoses and heavy axes? I'm a 120 lb. 24 y.o. girl....not saying it can't be done. However, I much prefer to do the saving in the back of a truck with needles, syringes, and monitors. Is the rest of America moving towards this firemedic requirement? Until a tech position opens up I'm afraid I have to gain my experience as something else, much as I'll miss the emergency excitement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff88881 Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 I recently became EMT-B certified. However, I found out a little too late that EMT-Bs in my county (Brevard County, FL - ie Cocoa Beach and Melbourne) are limited to non-emergency transport agencies (only one here!) and ED-techs. There are very very few spots open for the two. Other than that, Brevard's EMS system is primarily ALS-based. Doing clinicals for EMT has been exciting I would pursue Paramedic except for the fact that the trend is now moving towards the practice of hiring firemedics; sending their firefighter/EMT-Bs to cross train as medics, and sending medics to cross train in fire school. I understand that it expands resources, but what if I don't think I'm cut out for handling 200 pound hoses and heavy axes? I'm a 120 lb. 24 y.o. girl....not saying it can't be done. However, I much prefer to do the saving in the back of a truck with needles, syringes, and monitors. Is the rest of America moving towards this firemedic requirement? Until a tech position opens up I'm afraid I have to gain my experience as something else, much as I'll miss the emergency excitement. Have you checked with Rural Metro in Orlando? It's been awhile, but I remember they oftentimes paired up an EMT-B and a paramedic on 911 trucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medic25 Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 Is the rest of America moving towards this firemedic requirement? Until a tech position opens up I'm afraid I have to gain my experience as something else, much as I'll miss the emergency excitement. The IAFF is doing there best to make it a reality unfortunately. I've worked in several different models of EMS system, and I've never been impressed with the fire/medic setup. While this may not be true nationwide, in my personal experience you get too many people becoming paramedics because it will get them an FD job, rather than doing it because of an interest in medicine or patient care. If you want to be a firefighter you should be able to do it without having to provide EMS care, and vice versa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted June 30, 2007 Author Moderator Share Posted June 30, 2007 The IAFF is doing there best to make it a reality unfortunately. I've worked in several different models of EMS system, and I've never been impressed with the fire/medic setup. While this may not be true nationwide, in my personal experience you get too many people becoming paramedics because it will get them an FD job, rather than doing it because of an interest in medicine or patient care. If you want to be a firefighter you should be able to do it without having to provide EMS care, and vice versa. AGREE- I have worked in several ems systems as a medic and I always tried to avoid as partners the guys working ems to get experience to apply to the fire dept, they were always the yahoos with minimal skills and a poor attitude. I never wanted to be a fire/medic. there is a reason people run OUT of burning buildings when they are on fire.... I would rather flex intellectual muscles at work than biceps..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sunah Posted June 30, 2007 Share Posted June 30, 2007 Yep, I've checked with Rural Metro too. They require a year of experience... Thanks for the suggestion anyway! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danno711 Posted January 20, 2008 Share Posted January 20, 2008 Here is a link to a EMS Training Institute in West Chester, PA. About 40 minutes SW of Philly. http://goodfellowship.com/ They have courses for EMT-B and EMT-P. I volunteer here and it has needs for volunteers all the time. Good place to volunteer and they have a great group of EMTs that work there. They are associated with Chester County Hospital (share same parking lot). They are not associated with a Fire House, they are a independent EMS for West Chester. Though there are two Fire Houses near by. If anyone lives near and looking to get EMT certified, good place to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just_me Posted February 1, 2008 Share Posted February 1, 2008 free emt training/housing/loan repayment.great opportunity. thanks to crooz for making me aware of this! http://www.rvfd.org/volunteer/livein/livein.htm Does anyone know of something like this in FL....specifically Central Florida (Orlando, Daytona, Cocoa etc)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest km1414 Posted February 2, 2008 Share Posted February 2, 2008 Lots of good info in this thread. I'm going to start my EMT training sometime in the spring and hope to work in a hospital till I apply to some PA schools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Contrarian Posted February 9, 2008 Share Posted February 9, 2008 For the adventurous Types: "A Short Course In Wilderness, Remote, and Expedition Medicine Concepts"! Its FREEEE... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest carolanimal Posted February 29, 2008 Share Posted February 29, 2008 emedpa, would you recommend an emt course at a hospital over one at a community college? The community college course is quicker, but I'm hoping (like anyone else who would apply at a hospital I suppose) that I could get maybe hired there. it also looks to be a rather selective emt-b program. for example, you have to sit for an interview. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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