rachie Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 I am a senior in college, with no health care experience whatsoever. I have plenty of volunteer hours, and 2 years of research experience.. but no HCE which is the most important! I was considering of applying to PA school in June 2012, however w/ my low GPA (3.2), i am discouraged, i don't think ill have a chance to get in. I'm always looking for any sort of "non-certified medical assistant job" but they all require some sort of experience as well. My question is, Has anyone took a CNA/EMT course (or any sort of certification course) WHILE still a full time student at a university? I do not want to take a semester off from school in order to obtain a certification as a CNA/EMT I will be taking classes in the summer as well and my Plan is to graduate December 2012. Any advice or suggestions.. please let me know.. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricki117 Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 I did my CNA full time during days, which took about a month, but there was also a part time night class. I'm not sure how long it took to complete, but check around your area to see if anywhere offers night classes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mktalon Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Yes, I did it while in school full time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seijou Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 It's possible! I did my EMT while going to school full time. Although I wouldn't recommend it because it was quite a strain, I would say that if you're going to do it then try to eat healthy for that period of time (if not indefinitely) - I felt like that was what really kept me going even though I was mentally and physically fatigued every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackjacks Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 It's definitely possible. In my state, it only takes 3 weeks full time to be a CNA so I did it during a school break but there was an option to take a class over a few months that was doable in addition to a full course load. If you are in a college town or city with many colleges, you might have luck finding a job as a home care aide/helper for a student with disabilities without being certified. Friends of mine found jobs like that on a student jobs postings board and did that for a semester to get experience that helped them to get MA jobs without any certificates except BLS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winterallsummer Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Same here. Did mine while a full time student, before that I was working 40 hours a week in an office job, afterwards I work 36 (though more like 40) hours a week while doing full time school. Plenty of us work full time and do school full time. It's just a matter of discipline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator EMEDPA Posted February 10, 2012 Moderator Share Posted February 10, 2012 took my emt mwf nights 630-930 pm + a few weekends for a semester while a full time (high school) student during the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkwee Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 I'm in a similar situation. 3.3 GPA and took EMT course in my university that's supposed to be among the best in Illinois. Difficult but pays off. I say do it. Now. Because of it I'm able to get an interview to a local hospital as a cardiac patient care tech next Monday the 20th. Excited but nervous. If your have any questions let me know. Sent from my Samsung Galaxy SII. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DLuong Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 I enrolled in a night course EMT program while working 50 hours a week. Not easy but is 100% possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohiovolffemtp Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 The key thing to remember is getting the EMT or CNA certification is only the 1st and smaller step. The more important one is using that certification to get HCE: not just hours, but actual experience. Sooner or later you have to pay the learning curve of learning how to interact with patients and their families, knowing what "sick" looks like, etc. If you've seen a patient with a condition, it provides a base of understanding when you learn about it in PA school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cole.b.janini Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 I took an EMT-B night course that met 2 nights a week 5:30-10 with occasional Saturday meetings that lasted from 8-4. The course ran from November 2010-March 2011. I was enrolled full time while school was in session (off for Thanksgiving and Christmas break) and I also worked 30 hours/week in the biology lab. The classroom material and skill assessments were nothing to worry about and the biggest challenge was fitting in the 96 hours of clinical rotations (including two 24 hour shifts with Paramedics) in a 3 week span. All of this to say that balancing a full time class schedule with EMT-B training in the evening is no problem. If you can manage your time even remotely well you should be a certified EMT in no time. Hope this helps, good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haeriphos Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 It's possible! I did my EMT while going to school full time. Although I wouldn't recommend it because it was quite a strain I attended night EMT classes while working a full-time job during the day. That combination was a breeze compared to PA school. Learn how to handle the increased workload now so you're ready when you get the PA-S invite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkimee Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I just finished my CNA class which was only 21 days while being enrolled in 13 semester units. The class is very straight forward and a majority of the class is common sense. If it makes you feel any better, I interviewed at a school last year with a 2.9 GPA and had no HCE. I did not get accepted, but it gave me hope to continue pursuing this career. I am a firm believer that if you really want something you will be able to obtain it. So keep a positive attitude and make sure this is what you want to do. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsRonSwanson Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 Do it in the summer if you think you may have a difficult time fitting it in with your class schedule. The CCs around here have CNA and EMT courses all year long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnConner Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 I agree. The sooner, the better. I will have a similar GPA when I graduate and I'm doing everything possible to compensate with other factors such as 7,000+ hrs direct patient care and volunteering at the local county health clinic. Rack up those hours and look for programs that really emphasize HCE although it seems more and more schools are shifting to the 4.0 GPA student with minimal HCE, so yes-sooner is better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenM88 Posted February 28, 2012 Share Posted February 28, 2012 I also completed an EMT-B course while taking 18 semester units in college. It was a night class plus 5 or 6 Saturdays. It is very doable. It's a great way to get your feet wet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esklar Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Not sure if this is the right place to post but I didn't want to start a new thread for a simple question. I start EMT-B class on Monday at a college around here. I signed up somewhat late and the coordinator is dealing with a family medical program so he hasn't been very responsive. I was just wondering though for those who did it, is there anything that I definitely need to know/bring for the first day of class? I asked about textbooks and supplies but he has not responded and I don't want to bother him while he is helping his family member. Is there anything specific I should wear? I'm assuming the first class is mainly lecture-based but I just want to make sure I'm covering all my bases. I do plan on bringing a notebook/pencil to take notes but any other advice you all could give would be awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkwee Posted March 1, 2012 Share Posted March 1, 2012 Not sure if this is the right place to post but I didn't want to start a new thread for a simple question. I start EMT-B class on Monday at a college around here. I signed up somewhat late and the coordinator is dealing with a family medical program so he hasn't been very responsive. I was just wondering though for those who did it, is there anything that I definitely need to know/bring for the first day of class? I asked about textbooks and supplies but he has not responded and I don't want to bother him while he is helping his family member. Is there anything specific I should wear? I'm assuming the first class is mainly lecture-based but I just want to make sure I'm covering all my bases. I do plan on bringing a notebook/pencil to take notes but any other advice you all could give would be awesome! My class had a specific textbook, and we needed a stethoscope and bp cuff, as well as a penlight. But we didn't need to bring it with us to the lectures, only for practicals. Bare minimum go ahead and bring your pen and notebook. Have you gotten tb tested? Mine requires a two-step so I'd get it over with right now while waiting. Hope that helped. Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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