Choosing EMT course

[Nathan Silva]

Should i take an EMT cert course that is 2 nights a week only, or 2 nights a week plus all day one day per week? Is either better?

 

[DesertMedic66]

It they are both offered by the same program or institution then it likely doesn’t matter and it comes down to which one works better for your schedule. If they are offered by different programs or institutions then there could be a big difference between them.

 

[Nathan Silva]

Is this case, they're being offered by two different community colleges. Specially, Greenfield community College, and Mount Wachusett community College, both in Massachusetts. I'm just curious in general if either schedule works better for passing the exams. These just seem to be the standard models I see out there (two nights, or two nights/ one day all day a week) for most course.

 

[DesertMedic66]

Really doesn’t matter. They typically offer the night courses for students who already have a full time 9-5 job. It allows them to get off work and then do a night class.

There are all sorts of EMT class schedules. 1 day a week for 16 weeks. 2 night classes a week for 16 weeks. 2 days a week for 8 weeks. There are even some all day 5 days a week for 3 weeks.

Find the one that works best for your schedule. If they all work then you can try to ask around for recommendations on the program itself. You can also compare the prices of the programs.

 

[Nathan Silva]

It's puzzling to me when people say these classes are designed for people who work full time day jobs. I asked an instructor from one course, and he said that students typically spend 3 hours of studying for every 1 hour of in the classroom. I know people have bills to pay, but that kind of time commitment sounds kinda remarkable. Anyway, I didn't know if there was any benefit to spending more time in the classroom, or spending that time on self-guided study. I guess it all depends.

 

[DesertMedic66]

That’s pretty much standard for what colleges tell you. Does it actually happen? Maybe by some but I would hazard not a lot of people follow it. For instance this semester I am taking 7 units (not really a whole bunch) while mixing in a full time job, 2 per diem jobs, and some vacations. It really just comes down to time management and really only studying the stuff you don’t understand.

 

[berkeman]

he said that students typically spend 3 hours of studying for every 1 hour of in the classroom. I know people have bills to pay, but that kind of time commitment sounds kinda remarkable.

For either of those courses, are you able to buy the textbook a month or two in advance and go through it on your own before classes start? That helped me a lot -- I had read worked through the whole textbook before the first day of class, so that helped to make it a lot easier to absorb the material the way the instructors were teaching it. The first time through the Anatomy chapter will be difficult for you, but later chapters keep re-using the material from the anatomy chapter, so by the time you get to the end of the book, you are a lot more comfortable with it.

 

[DrParasite]

It's puzzling to me when people say these classes are designed for people who work full time day jobs. I asked an instructor from one course, and he said that students typically spend 3 hours of studying for every 1 hour of in the classroom. I know people have bills to pay, but that kind of time commitment sounds kinda remarkable. Anyway, I didn't know if there was any benefit to spending more time in the classroom, or spending that time on self-guided study. I guess it all depends.

Wow... As someone who went to EMT class in high school in the 90s, and has taught EMT classes that are two nights a week with the occasional Saturday, as well as someone who is taking a non-EMS class at the local CC Monday and Wednesday from 6:30 to 930pm next month, while working full time, and part time, and studying for a work certification, I have to ask this: are you ready for the commitment of taking a class? Do you have the maturity and dedication to put forth the time and energy for an EMT class?

I am not saying it's impossible, but it is a time commitment, and you said in the other thread "so my studying skills are not great to say the least", so are you willing to put forth the time and energy into the class? you can do what you want, it's your money, but you should be aware that you will need to do reading outside of class, you will need to study for your exams, and you will need to attention to the lectures and during the hands on practical sessions in order to pass the course.

 

[Akulahawk]

I have to reiterate this... doing EMT school is a time commitment. Community college classroom/home study ratios (typically 1:3) are designed for the average college student. The information itself is not all that hard, nor is it all that complicated, but there is a LOT of it presented in a short period of time. The classroom stuff MUST be attended specifically because you will be taught physical/hands-on skills that are difficult to figure out on your own even with on-line video learning that's available today. The in-person stuff gives you immediate feedback in how to do those skills. You will need to do the reading and note-taking and pay attention to the in-class stuff. You can't short-cut this stuff.

I wasn't an average student when I did EMT school, Paramedic School, nor RN school. I actually did VERY well overall. However, I do get bored very easily and am prone to procrastination. What saved my bacon is knowing HOW I learn most efficiently. If you don't know how you study most efficiently, I would actually suggest that you look for a study skills course that explores various study methods as this will only help you in the future as you'll learn the study method that works most efficiently for you. A related skill is time management. If you have difficulty with this, it makes studying difficult too... I know. See "bored easily" and "prone to procrastination." Get these 2 things solved and you'll likely do just fine in EMT school and well beyond.

It's all up to you to figure out if you have the willingness to do the work and put in the commitment of time. It really isn't hard stuff, but the volume of info can be challenging if you don't find a way to keep up with the pace.

Good luck!

 

[Jon]

Hey @Nathan Silva. I don't know either of these two programs, so I don't have a strong opinion on either one.

EMT programs can run a whole gamut from super good prep courses to barely adequate programs.
Some things to consider - What is each school's completion/passing statistics? Is one school doing significantly better on preparing students for the exam? Some places have had classes where less than 50% of the students who complete the course pass NREMT the first attempt, other programs do 95% or better. That number is going to speak much louder than anything else.

Beyond that, look at total instructional hours. Is one class giving you more hours for the same material? That might include review time and help ensure your success.

 

[Martyn]

Really doesn’t matter. They typically offer the night courses for students who already have a full time 9-5 job. It allows them to get off work and then do a night class.

There are all sorts of EMT class schedules. 1 day a week for 16 weeks. 2 night classes a week for 16 weeks. 2 days a week for 8 weeks. There are even some all day 5 days a week for 3 weeks.

Find the one that works best for your schedule. If they all work then you can try to ask around for recommendations on the program itself. You can also compare the prices of the programs.

How times change...13 years ago when I qualified my course was 3 days a week for 5 months!!!

 

[Tigger]

I am shocked to learn that there is an expectation that people put 400+ hours into studying for an EMT class. At that rate why not just self study the whole thing.

I think our paramedics probably get close to the 1:3 ratio (though I question time t still), but EMT class just doesn’t present that many concepts, complex or not.

Any educational experience requires commitment outside of class. Be prepared to do some work. But many, many people do not struggle with cirrocumulus and require much less study time than cited above.

I hope educators are not relying on such high hours, at that point their teaching is doing the student no favors.

 

[VentMonkey]

After a two decade layoff from school, I’ll admit going back for my bachelor’s degree seems slightly daunting with a FT job and 4 kids, but I am easing into it and have always been good at time and task management so I am trying to remain optimistic about it.

An EMT course seems like such a stretch of a comparison in contrast, especially with the variety of types of courses that they offer now. That said, I can relate to the workload worries.

 

[DesertMedic66]

After a two decade layoff from school, I’ll admit going back for my bachelor’s degree seems slightly daunting with a FT job and 4 kids, but I am easing into it and have always been good at time and task management so I am trying to remain optimistic about it.

An EMT course seems like such a stretch of a comparison in contrast, especially with the variety of types of courses that they offer now. That said, I can relate to the workload worries.

I just started my bachelors this semester. I lucked out and I really only have 2 chapters of reading, 2 tests, and 1 essay per week until midterm.

 

[VentMonkey]

I just started my bachelors this semester. I lucked out and I really only have 2 chapters of reading, 2 tests, and 1 essay per week until midterm.

So far, the workload seems the same, but I also just started my 1st semester. I anticipate some things will pick up along the way, which is expected. I opted to start PT this semester, but the company makes it pretty hard not to take advantage of educational opportunities.

 

[lexfitz]

Should i take an EMT cert course that is 2 nights a week only, or 2 nights a week plus all day one day per week? Is either better?

Considering my own positive experience with EMT courses taken twice a week during the day, I would suggest that the option of two nights a week might be more convenient and consistent. It allows for a manageable balance with other responsibilities. However, the choice ultimately depends on your personal schedule and learning preferences, so consider what aligns best with your circumstances.