# Looking for Paramedic Schools... Help!



## dminna (Oct 29, 2009)

I am a new member and this is my first post. If I am asking a question that has been answered, I'm sorry but would someone please point me in the right direction with a link or idea?

I am currently an EMT-B and a reserve FF.  My goal is to be hired on to a Fire Department as a FF/Paramedic. I have been around the medical field and around Firefighters my whole life so I have a good basic knowledge of what is ahead.  I do not have a year of EMT experience, but I have studied up on various Paramedic topics. 

I live in southern Ca, so I'm trying to stay in this area, but I will do whatever it takes to become a Paramedic.  Any advice would be helpful. Thanks in advance!


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## flhtci01 (Oct 30, 2009)

If you have looked at any other threads, they suggest using 'Search'.  Most questions and have probably been posted and discussed at one time or another.  If you don't get your answer using search, post away.

Welcome to EMTLife.


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## Number1Monkey (Oct 30, 2009)

There's quite a few in Southern California, almost all of them at junior colleges. The most "prestigious" (I guess...) would be Mt. San Antonio College. (Mt. SAC) It's in Walnut (near Diamond Bar) I hear it's a tough program but you get awesome training. There are also medic programs at Rio Hondo in L.A., Victor Valley College, Crafton Hills, UC Riverside, UCLA... Take your pick I guess... Almost all require at least 6 months- a year's experience, 2 letters of reccomendation, a slew of vaccinations, TB test. Usually have to do an interview and maybe an emt test. It will probablytake more than six months to be ready for a program, because working here in SoCal, you will not get a lot of 911 experience your first 2 months at most ems jobs. Remember a medic school will require a field internship where you will be running the show on calls... If you aren't comfy as an emt you will be hard pressed to beso as a new medic. 

My2cents.

Mike


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## mct601 (Oct 30, 2009)

I'm not from SoCal so I can't point you in any direction, but I can tell you that a good place to start is checking the websites of the community colleges in your area.


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## DigitalSoCal (Oct 30, 2009)

There is also one at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo.. that's where I got my EMT-B


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## jgmedic (Oct 30, 2009)

Number1Monkey said:


> There's quite a few in Southern California, almost all of them at junior colleges. The most "prestigious" (I guess...) would be Mt. San Antonio College. (Mt. SAC) It's in Walnut (near Diamond Bar) I hear it's a tough program but you get awesome training. There are also medic programs at Rio Hondo in L.A., Victor Valley College, Crafton Hills, UC Riverside, UCLA... Take your pick I guess... Almost all require at least 6 months- a year's experience, 2 letters of reccomendation, a slew of vaccinations, TB test. Usually have to do an interview and maybe an emt test. It will probablytake more than six months to be ready for a program, because working here in SoCal, you will not get a lot of 911 experience your first 2 months at most ems jobs. Remember a medic school will require a field internship where you will be running the show on calls... If you aren't comfy as an emt you will be hard pressed to beso as a new medic.
> 
> My2cents.
> 
> Mike


Mt. SAC might have the highest fail rate, but it sure as hell doesn't have the rep as the best.  There is also no paramedic program at Rio Hondo College or at UC Riverside. 

http://www.emsa.ca.gov/paramedic/default.asp

go to that website, under the heading Paramedic Information there is a list of all paramedic programs in the state. Good Luck.


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## dminna (Oct 30, 2009)

Thank you all for your help, I really appreciate it!


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## Number1Monkey (Nov 3, 2009)

Sorry... I was wrong about Rio Hondo. I thought they had one. I must have confused it with thier fire academy. And I had UCR confused with Riverside Community College... 

As far as Mt. SAC, the medic I worked with Saturday told me he had seen too many horrible medics who went to mount sac... so you're probably right. I think any school's education is what you make of it once you get your license. The best medics WANT to be the best medics. I will probably end up at VVC myself.


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## jgmedic (Nov 4, 2009)

Number1Monkey said:


> Sorry... I was wrong about Rio Hondo. I thought they had one. I must have confused it with thier fire academy. And I had UCR confused with Riverside Community College...
> 
> As far as Mt. SAC, the medic I worked with Saturday told me he had seen too many horrible medics who went to mount sac... so you're probably right. I think any school's education is what you make of it once you get your license. The best medics WANT to be the best medics. I will probably end up at VVC myself.



I have seen good medics from Mt. SAC, also bad ones, the thing is there are going to be good and bad from any program. I just wouldn't myself go to a program whose director takes pleasure in failing people. I would look into programs where the instructors place a high value on critical thinking and not so much on rote memorization of facts.


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## atropine (Nov 4, 2009)

RCC is very good, and they PT


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