# Percom online



## bigrich117 (Jan 18, 2014)

Percom Online - why is it so hard to get ahold of them? Im a paramedic but im trying to sign my 2 boys up. Both over 18. I just talked to someone that told me that it is hard to schedule clinicals with them and advised me not to sign them up. To much trouble, however, my sons work as emts at a transfer service in the Dallas - Ft Worth area and are highly motivated for paramedic schools. They have bills so they cannot attend a traditional school. Having doubts about this program. They dont answer the phone nor answer emails. Anyone attending Percom? I dont want to waist my money. Any info will be appreciated.


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## polisciaggie (Jan 18, 2014)

I'm a former student but I still get updates from their yahoo group page and they are apparently having email issues. One of the faculty members email was hacked and their IP address was blocked by a lot of email services. 

It's a fantastic program though, hopefully you can get in touch with them soon.


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## bigrich117 (Jan 18, 2014)

I will try again next week. Hopefully they'll have it fixed.


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## VA Transport EMT (Jan 18, 2014)

i can't wait until I get started in february! How is the A&P?


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## anthonyccamargo (Jan 19, 2014)

yea i replied to the military link as i have been trying to get in touch with them, but have had no luck. ive sent about 3 emails  hope they fix it soon


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## bigrich117 (Jan 20, 2014)

Did you get hold of them yet?


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## Obstructions (Jan 20, 2014)

Recently graduated medic here. 

The clinical program is amazing, possibly the best available. I'm being completely honest here. No complaints whatsoever with the teaching.

The administration of the program is awful. It's like they work 2 days a week and nobody knows what the hell they're doing. That was my biggest problem with them. I think they just need more administration workers, or a better system.


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## NomadicMedic (Jan 20, 2014)

Have you been part of or seen any other clinical programs? Why makes it "the best available"?


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## Handsome Robb (Jan 20, 2014)

So  why can't your sons go to a traditional program?

I had bills in medic school too. You know what I did? Sucked it up and pulled 7 days weeks to get through school and support myself.

Bills is not a good excuse.

Hopefully they get back to you soon.


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## bigrich117 (Jan 20, 2014)

Good for you Robb for sucking it up. As far as my sons having bills, sucking it up and wanting to do school online, that's really their prerogative.  I’ve been a Paramedic for the past 14 years, Instructor 1 and 2, Master Fireman. I also have a Fire Science degree and I use to teach paramedic school. I’ve been a full time fireman for the past 13 years. I have been teaching them among other things Cardiology from reading EKGs, 12 leads, in depth study of the heart. I also bring them to work and go over the many manikins, medications, EMS tools available to me here at my FD training center. From knowing how to start IVs, Intubate etc… all this knowledge and not even in paramedic school yet. I’m confident that online will be perfect for them as I feel that online is the wave of the future. Struggling is not what we do. We succeed as a family and fail as a family.


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## VA Transport EMT (Jan 22, 2014)

:censored::censored::censored::censored:, I couldn't handle 18 months of school, that's why i'm doing Percom.


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## newmedic33 (Jan 23, 2014)

Im currently doing percom's program and getting close to finishing the intermediate portion (I've already taken an accelerated intermediate program through my department) but its good info just have to read it over and over and really beat it in, great information and the instructors are good too, I'm planning and hoping to be done with everything other than clinicals and stuff by march hopefully and hopefully have my card by june or so. I started in October btw but I think your sons will love it, I really had no other options as attending traditional school. Only ones close (within 200 miles) were community colleges that required 5 semesters and Im really impatient, all the rest required out of pocket and I couldn't afford to move and support myself for 6-10 months so I chose percom and just work extra hard well try. I also work full time at a fire dept who does BLS/ALS 911 response and IFT's seems to help me.


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## MedicBadge192 (Jan 30, 2014)

I heard that Tulsa Community College is starting up an online EMT & online paramedic program. I know they have a refresher for sure.


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## Obstructions (Feb 1, 2014)

DEmedic said:


> Have you been part of or seen any other clinical programs? Why makes it "the best available"?




I "toured" three other medic schools before choosing on PERCOM. One was local, the another 3 hours away and the other a hybrid online course.

PERCOM had more emphasis on critical thinking and understanding what is happening in the body. All of the other schools didn't have near as much advanced study as PERCOM did.  They focus heavily on advanced pharmacology understanding, cardiology understanding, and anatomy and physiology. 

How do we learn that you ask? You write scholarly papers. A lot of them. I think in my medic program I wrote approximately 12 papers averaging about 15 pages each. All with sources from paramedic text, nursing text, mainly medical journals, and other advanced reference material.

They see you as a substitute emergency room physician on an ambulance, so they will attempt to education you like one. 

Their clinical skills testing that they have for students goes beyond the scope of most medics will see in their lives. We where taught how to place Foley's, NG/OG tubes, and other skills that paramedics do not commonly get to do/see.

Acutal clinical time depends entirely where you go/work with them to get a contract. I choose a large urban/suburban EMS system for my ride along time (was amazing), and a Level II community/academic center in my home town for hospital time.


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## chaz90 (Feb 1, 2014)

Obstructions said:


> They see you as a substitute emergency room physician on an ambulance, so they will attempt to education you like one.
> 
> Their clinical skills testing that they have for students goes beyond the scope of most medics will see in their lives. We where taught how to place Foley's, NG/OG tubes, and other skills that paramedics do not commonly get to do/see.



The first part of your statement here is utterly ridiculous. We are in no way, shape, or form a "substitute" for any sort of physician. We may act as their surrogate as we function under their license, but don't believe for a second that anything we do is simply taking the place of an MD/DO on an ambulance.

Foley catheters and NG/OG tubes are commonly under paramedic's scope of practice. I too placed many Foleys and several OG tubes during paramedic clinicals, and have also used NG/OG tubes in the field. I'm glad to hear PERCOM emphasizes literature review, but don't believe everything about a program when they claim to be the best.


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## Handsome Robb (Feb 1, 2014)

I'm interested to hear what other skills you were trained and tested on beyond Foley catheters and OG/NG tubes.

We weren't tested on either but learned both. Foleys are less common but OG/NG is an integral part of advanced airway management.


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## NomadicMedic (Feb 1, 2014)

How about the placement of central lines and pericardiocentesis? Those were taught in my paramedic program. I also wrote my share of scholarly papers, learned how to read and interpret a research paper and my program heavily stressed critical thinking. At no point were we ever considered "substitute ER physicians". Anyone who believes that is a goal of a paramedic program is naive or just a fool.


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## Handsome Robb (Feb 1, 2014)

DEmedic said:


> How about the placement of central lines and pericardiocentesis? Those were taught in my paramedic program. I also wrote my share of scholarly papers, learned how to read and interpret a research paper and my program heavily stressed critical thinking. At no point were we ever considered "substitute ER physicians". Anyone who believes that is a goal of a paramedic program is naive or just a fool.




I'm going to add chest tube placement and management to the list as well.


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## Ridryder911 (Feb 2, 2014)

MedicBadge192 said:


> I heard that Tulsa Community College is starting up an online EMT & online paramedic program. I know they have a refresher for sure.



I am enrolled in their refresher. The lead instructor is the former Oklahoma City Community College (OKCCC)  Program Director, which has had an online program for several years ( I used to teach part of it). It alike nursing, RT, etc requires scheduled lab days and associated studies. I know OKCC is an accredited program and has been for several decades. 

I have found that though, if the program is truly credible most of the students will find it as much or more time consuming and as difficult as the traditional studies. I know in the program I was associated with thesis and in-depth discussion were made as well as testing to ensure the student not only mastered the subject; but develop the professional and academic educational knowledge. 

I highly recommend that anyone seeking education also look at the clinical phase. I know that obtaining clinical arrangements is now harder and almost impossible at many hospitals and EMS. The competition between institutions are fierce. I would predict an individual seeking on an individual basis would be harder. EMS and hospitals are drowned in students and many are now requiring teachers/staff on site. 

R/r 911


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## 8jimi8 (Feb 2, 2014)

bigrich117 said:


> Percom Online - why is it so hard to get ahold of them? Im a paramedic but im trying to sign my 2 boys up. Both over 18. I just talked to someone that told me that it is hard to schedule clinicals with them and advised me not to sign them up. To much trouble, however, my sons work as emts at a transfer service in the Dallas - Ft Worth area and are highly motivated for paramedic schools. They have bills so they cannot attend a traditional school. Having doubts about this program. They dont answer the phone nor answer emails. Anyone attending Percom? I dont want to waist my money. Any info will be appreciated.



have you tried calling them? i've got their numbers in my phone, but it is easily accessible online.


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## polisciaggie (Feb 2, 2014)

DEmedic said:


> How about the placement of central lines and pericardiocentesis? Those were taught in my paramedic program. I also wrote my share of scholarly papers, learned how to read and interpret a research paper and my program heavily stressed critical thinking. At no point were we ever considered "substitute ER physicians". Anyone who believes that is a goal of a paramedic program is naive or just a fool.



Unless it has changed since I went through, we were not taught how to place central lines (management of them, yes) or perform pericardiocentesis. Nor did I ever have to write scholarly papers 15 pages in length. 

Now there were are a lot of "case studies" in a question and answer format that were around 15 pages each, but you never have to write 15 full pages. My writing assignments for my Bachelors degree were much more intensive. 

That being said I still feel that PERCOM is among the top medic programs, at least in Texas. Also, I never heard "physician substitute" being used. Considering the lead Paramedic instructor is an attorney, I highly doubt he would ever say such a thing.


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## ash90 (Feb 2, 2014)

*since we're on the topic of percom here..*

I am a new EMT as of January. Just about to get on with a logistics position at an ambulance co. to get my foot in the door for EMT when it opens at that company. Also am currently in the process of getting on with a fire dept as a volunteer, starting out.. I was looking into percom to go ahead and get started on my AEMT until I got on as an actual EMT somewhere..  the cost is about $2700 or so. I was wondering if that's a decent deal? since I'm not actually an EMT somewhere, I don't believe anyone's going to pay for or reimburse a course, but I want to keep my education going and not lose my knowledge and skills while waiting on an EMT position to open up. so is that a decent price for the education I'll be getting?
also, is it silly to go ahead and get started on AEMT without real experience? I just don't want to be stagnant and am really hungry for knowledge in this field. :/


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## NUEMT (Mar 1, 2014)

*Percom contact*

Hey,

I was able to talk to them yesterday.  It looks like they are in the middle of figuring out some big issues over there.  It was explained to me that a recent ruling would not let them train people in states that they did not have a medical director for.  I live in Illinois and they have no Doc on staff certified for here.  THis was the reason they got the CAHEP accreditation in the first place.  So essentially this ruling just gutted their business.  I guess it was like 3 weeks ago.  THis does not affect anyone in texas, but I am sure it is a quite a scramble time there.  Just keep calling them.  I have heard from multiple people that they are solid.  But be patient.  They are in the middle if a @#$% storm. Copy?


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## fm_emt (Mar 6, 2014)

Yep. 

"1) The program must have a formal 
relationship with a physician currently 
authorized to practice in each state where 
the program’s students are participating in 
patient care, to accept responsibility for 
the practice of those students. "

That's the interpretation that just came out recently. Not sure what's going to come of it, and fortunately I'm in Texas, but still.. what a headache that could cause. 

i've been really happy with the Percom program as well.


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## talusmonkey (Mar 26, 2014)

fm_emt said:


> Yep.
> 
> "1) The program must have a formal
> relationship with a physician currently
> ...



Im looking to go to Lenoir and they require you to get a physician in your own state to be your medical oversight for clinicals and ride time.  Working on that now.  Hopefully I am successful.


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## PotatoMedic (Mar 26, 2014)

Why requires you to get a physician to be your medical oversight?


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## talusmonkey (Mar 26, 2014)

FireWA1 said:


> Why requires you to get a physician to be your medical oversight?



Because as said above they do not have a formal relationship with a physician in my state.


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