# Universal Careers; 14-day emt  boot camp



## bigjs20

Hello everyone. My name is James. I did the search for my question but nothing really came up that helped. I also search in real life, at a hospital, fire stations, ambulance companies, and some friends, but either didn't get enough info or no one  was avaliable.
I was on Craigslist and saw an offer from
UniversalCareers.org
offering 14-15 day training to become an Emt. Now, I'm in the Navy, and the navy offers this type of training also, and coincidentally, also happens to be about two weeks, give a few days maybe. So I send an e-mail, and they get back to me with a contact phone number. Here's the dealio:
-It's an over the phone recruit. It was pretty fast to which was fishy to me...
-For 450.00 dollars, they send you books, along with a CD-rom to complete a course online, (which must be passed with at least a B or higher before you go to there school) a felony check and some other minor things.
-You can either do 50, or 100 dollars a week until it accumulates to 450, and then they will send you the books and do the felony check.
-On the phone, you choose what month you want to attend the school, located in Bloomington Indiana, and since it's only 14 days and they don't want anyone to fail the cram-packed course, they make sure you passed with a B or higher on the self-paced course before you get sent to the school.
-15 day school for people that need a Cpr certification
-You are given two wish-lists on the website during recruitment, a wish-list for where you want to work after you complete the course, and what you would like to be doing i.e. helicopter, firefighter emt, emergency room (however he explains that I must work with the ambulance for at least one year before I can move up in a different position)
-The course is a bit over 8,000 in costs. You are refunded all the money back at the end of the course, because they do financial aid, and the only reason a person wouldn't qualify for financial aid is if they've committed a felony in the past or something.
-Upon graduation, wherever you wanted to work at, is where you will work at. They find you the job, and you have the choice whether to accept or not, but more importantly, a job is guaranteed at whatever location you wanted to work from.
I joined...but about 3 days later I backed out.....lost 100.00 dollars because it's not refundable, although if I want to join again, I will only have to pay the remainder of what the full amount is; also, even if I go through another program to become an emt, I can still go through them and they'll find me a job. These two bonuses expire after 3 years.
I backed out because it sounded to good to be true, I tried talking to people, but nooooo-ooone has ever heard of suck a program, and it was done all over the phone, along with there website. In the end I even asked them if they had a location where I live at, and he said no, and that I couldn't even ask the hospitals in my area about them for more info, because they wouldn't have time to talk to me unless I was a student.
I feel like it's a scam, and if it is I'd definitely want these guys caught. Nonetheless I have no real knowledge in ya'lls training programs.....
Any help is greatly appreciated...

P.S. they work with JobsandHeadhunters


----------



## terrible one

$8,000 for an EMT class?!?!?!?!? 

Total scam, I'm sorry you already sent in $100.
Run away from this place


----------



## LonghornMedic

$8,000 for a Basic course? Tell you what. Pay me $5,000 and I'll come to your house and kick you in the balls. You'll save $3,000 for the same experience. Seriously, put in the time at your local community college. Not only will you get training that someone will actually hire you for, but you'll save yourself a lot of money too.


----------



## MrBrown

Come to my house and give me eight grand bro, I will teach you how to take a blood pressure and give people oxygen then strap them to a backboard then you'll be ready to take the test.

Then I am going to run away with your eight grand and party up large in Vegas .... and I will still have enough to marry Mrs Brown in style.

... oh and then I will still have enough left over to get me an orange HEMS jumpsuit with "DOCTOR" written on the back.


----------



## JPINFV

Wow.. total scam. I do love how they worked the old Darian EMS high school EMTs news report into their website though, and they claim credit for it too! 

Edit: I also love the stock pictures, including the ambulance with the steering wheel on the right side of the ambulance.


----------



## EMDispatch

Personally I love the testimonials, because clearly everyone wears scrubs or corporate dress here on a rig. I also love the lack of any credentials  for instructors or proof of accreditation. Also I didn't know I could ride on a helicopter with just a basic certification...Who's been holding out on me????

Just went through the you tube testimonials... Amazing how a woman from Texas, and a man from Boston have the exact same room.


----------



## beandip4all

IMHO, stay away from any and all "rushed" 2-week EMT programs. 

They're NOT worth the $$ and really exist to separate students from their cash, not instruct them well to get out in the field.  Plus... looked down upon from the industry. 

Avoid at all costs!


----------



## JPINFV

As they are listed as being in Los Angeles, I just sent the following email to the LA LEMSA's contact person for EMS training programs. 

"Hello Ms. Reich,

I am a current Southern California medical student who has worked as an EMT in the past and currently stay active on various online message boards. Recently a poster requested information regarding an EMT training program called “Universal Careers” (http://www.universalcareers.org/). According to their website, the contact number zip code is the 213 area code and their head quarters is in Los Angeles, however no location was given for where they actually hold their courses. They are not currently listed on the Los Angeles LEMSA website’s list of approved training programs. Various Craigslist advertisements shows them advertising locally, at a minimum, in Florida and Texas (linked below), however on a Google search, an expired Craigslist Ad appears for Monterey and Fresno. Additionally, on their “review” page, several reviews are credited to people in California. According to the poster (link below), the accelerated EMT course is $8000 with a $450 enrollment fee where they send a package of CDs and books. Since the contact number and listed headquarters is in Los Angeles, I was wondering if you had heard anything about this, to use the term loosely, “company” and, since the entire website all but screams “Fraud!” know who to forward this to?

Thank you for your time,
[redacted]

Links:
Forum thread link: http://emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=20171
Company website: http://www.universalcareers.org/
Company review page: http://www.universalcareers.org/reviews.php
Craigslist advertisement for Florida: http://orlando.craigslist.org/cls/1971334849.html (notice the advertisement billing the course as “14 Day Medical School”)
Craigslist advertisement for Houston: http://houston.craigslist.org/vnn/1977879166.html 
"


----------



## beandip4all

deleted double post


----------



## beandip4all

here's the info from their who is lookup: 

Domain ID: D159637832-LROR
Domain Name:UNIVERSALCAREERS.ORG
Created On:12-Jul-2010 22:59:31 UTC
Last Updated On:11-Sep-2010 03:50:05 UTC
Expiration Date:12-Jul-2011 22:59:31 UTC
Sponsoring Registrar:eNom, Inc. (R39-LROR)
Status:CLIENT TRANSFER PROHIBITED
Registrant ID :c5ab731ccfca9abf
Registrant Name:Whois  Agent
Registrant Organization:Whois Privacy Protection Service, Inc.
Registrant Street1:  PMB 368, 14150 NE 20th St - F1
Registrant Street2:
Registrant Street3:
Registrant City:Bellevue
Registrant State/Province:WA
Registrant Postal Code:98007
Registrant Country:US
Registrant Phone:+1.4252740657
Registrant Phone Ext.:
Registrant FAX:+1.4252740657
Registrant FAX Ext.:
Registrant Email:npqyxwtx@whoisprivacyprotect.com
Admin ID :c5ab731ccfca9abf
Admin Name:Whois  Agent
Admin Organizati

sounds scammy to me!


----------



## medicRob

I paid $740 per semester for my EMT-IV program which was 2 semesters. They billed them as credit hours, Emergency Medical Technology I being 9 credit hours, and Emergency Medical Technology II being 9 more.


----------



## JPINFV

Did your program have a website that provided more than a contact form and stock pictures of EMS workers?


----------



## JPINFV

http://alabama-jobs.universalcareers.org/applying.php?jobtitle=16

Wait, is this an EMT job or a "System Sales Director" job?


----------



## medicRob

JPINFV said:


> Did your program have a website that provided more than a contact form and stock pictures of EMS workers?



Who, me? Here is the site for my program, which was taught through a community college, even though they only give their EMT program 1 page, ha ha. 

EMT-IV
http://www.mscc.edu/nursing/emt.html

Here is the page of where I got my Paramedic degree
http://catalog.volstate.acalog.com/preview_program.php?catoid=11&poid=453

Also, I find it noteworthy to mention that I got my original RN, AAS from the school above where I got my EMT-IV training, before I went on to transition to my BSN, and I used 
undergraduate general education hours from both my AAS, and my BSN program to apply toward the degree program of the second school. My "Survey of anatomy" that they offered, was actually substituted for "Biology 2010 and 2020, Human Anatomy & Physiology I and II (Nursing and Pre-med level)"

I see what you are getting at. As far as I know (and I may be very wrong, because I haven't really researched it) there are no EMT or medic mills in TN and all our paramedic programs have always been accredited.  I got my Original Paramedic certificate from a University, the only University in TN that offers a paramedic program, then just transferred that over to the program you see above along with my gen ed to give me my AAS in the field.  I would actually like to get a Bachelors of Paramedicine, but I honestly have no idea of any school in TN That even offers such a thing for EMS.


----------



## EMDispatch

They advertise having their "work-study" program in my area... Interesting since I've never heard of any persons or places involved. 

But darnit, I still wanna work on a helicopter... 

Also got to like how they still will let me apply for their course that started on the 9th.


----------



## JPINFV

medicRob said:


> Who, me? Here is the site for my program, which was taught through a community college, even though they only give their EMT program 1 page, ha ha.
> 
> EMT-IV
> http://www.mscc.edu/nursing/emt.html
> 
> Here is the page of where I got my Paramedic degree
> http://catalog.volstate.acalog.com/preview_program.php?catoid=11&poid=453


Yep.. and strangely enough, those two pages look 100 times more legitimate than "Universal Careers" website.


----------



## medicRob

I love this "testimonial" specifically:

"I've lost my job 6 months ago and I just couldn’t find any work. *I knew there were a lot of federal jobs available in my area for EMT and paramedics* but I didn't have the license to apply. I heard about Universal Career's 14 day emergency medical technician training through a friend and I was a little worried about learning everything in 14 days, but I gotta say, the instructors at Universal Careers really made everything easy to understand. Universal Careers can really make it happen…. Their instructors are extremely experienced and although it’s a rough program, I loved it. I was trained and ready to take my state license in only 14 days. It was unbelievable. I’m currently employed as a emergency medical technician and I owe it all to Universal Careers."

Also, they are gonna certify me to work in 50 states?!? Yipee! 

I have a hard time wrapping my mind around the concept of EMT-B, cause like I said in many posts before, here in TN our B is "IV" and that doesn't just mean IV endorsement as we were trained to the i/85 standards, yet we couldn't exactly call ourselves EMT-Intermediate either, because when we went to take the National Registry, we took the NREMT-B exam. The instructors actually tell you, "Dumb yourself down" for the test, think like an EMT-B not an IV, don't think too far into the questions. 

I am so glad to see EMT-Advanced coming to TN in Fall 2011, but according to the NREMT newsletter, the national registry won't even make a test available for "EMT-Advanced" until 2013. Therefore, I am wondering what TN is going to do in the mean time. I know that for a year, they are going to do the "Bridge up or go back" game where you either take the extra courses to bridge from EMT-IV to Advanced, or you will revert to EMT-B and will have your IV, IM, Subq, and other skills taken away, but I am wondering if they are going to test the new EMT-Advanced students at NREMT-B or NREMT-I/85 until the actual NREMT-Advanced test becomes available. 

I kind of feel sorry for the I/99s having to pay money out of their own pockets to bridge up to Paramedic because the "I" is about to be abolished.


----------



## medic417

beandip4all said:


> IMHO, stay away from any and all "rushed" 2-week EMT programs.
> 
> They're NOT worth the $$ and really exist to separate students from their cash, not instruct them well to get out in the field.  Plus... looked down upon from the industry.
> 
> Avoid at all costs!



They are looked down upon no more than any other emt class that does not give college credit and as been discussed on this site there are very few places care how you got your certificate.  95% or more services will just want to see you are approved to work in their state and never ask where you trained for emt or how long the class was stretched out. 

A basic class is 120 hours so 14 days is plenty.  Why stretch it out?

Now $8000 no way.  That program is a scam playing on the fears people have caused by the economy.


----------



## beandip4all

medic417 said:


> They are looked down upon no more than any other emt class that does not give college credit and as been discussed on this site there are very few places care how you got your certificate.  95% or more services will just want to see you are approved to work in their state and never ask where you trained for emt or how long the class was stretched out.
> 
> A basic class is 120 hours so 14 days is plenty.  Why stretch it out?



Respectfully disagree- several of the companies I have worked for or have colleagues working at won't even interview people from the 2 week programs, and I know of a few that wont even grant them ride alongs.  I think they got sick of the students coming in being totally clueless, not knowing any skills or medical knowledge.  

We have several respected longer non-two week programs here, such as San Francisco Paramedic Program and various JCs (foothill, skyline) that the EMT-mill programs around here pale in comparison.  After you have been working in the field for a while you can really start to see the difference in the caliber of student the two week programs crank out vs the longer programs.  

Perhaps this is not the case in your area- maybe the job market is so competitive, however here where we are very saturated with no-experience EMT-B job hunters, where you went to school really matters.  This is all the way down from municipals to 911 to BLS and IFTs.  

I feel bad for the students who make the mistake signing up for the 2-week program, can't pass the NREMT or even if they manage to pass the NREMT they can't get a job, then have to re-do and re-pay for their entire EMT-B program at another longer, more well respected program.  I've seen this happen enough times to have a very low opinion of the two-week crash courses.


----------



## medic417

Surprisingly most 2 week programs I am aware of have some of the highest NR pass rates in the nation.  As to the skills you learn it is 120 hours of class no matter how many days, weeks, months that you stretch it.  

Now I am not saying there are not bad ones, there are some of those just like there are some bad community college ones.


----------



## beandip4all

medic417 said:


> Surprisingly most 2 week programs I am aware of have some of the highest NR pass rates in the nation.  As to the skills you learn it is 120 hours of class no matter how many days, weeks, months that you stretch it.
> 
> Now I am not saying there are not bad ones, there are some of those just like there are some bad community college ones.



I'm sure there are some good ones out there.  Also, I think the two week programs are fine for a certain type of student- the ones who can drink from a firehose.  I've heard of people coming back from contract-gigs in Iraq and whatnot to pick up the two-week cert... it's a great deal for people in that type of situation. 

However, in my experience- most of the two-weekers in this area are sort of scammy-rip offs that crank out unprepared students.   In fact, there was recently an expose on them in SF Weekly about how those type of programs exist mainly to dupe students into taking out federal loans and hence giving easy money to the schools... the students are hand-held by the school admissions advisers through the loan process and teased with promises of a high paying job upon graduation and guaranteed career placement....  then after graduation the students can't find jobs and are stuck with lots of debt.


----------



## JPINFV

So... um... I've figured out what they do. They place EMTs in out of state programs. Through the powers of Google, I was able to find an acceptance letter (which I've sense downloaded and forwarded to Los Angeles LEMSA. I won't post it here since it includes the full name and address for the student, however the address doesn't Google map search to anyplace). 

What it looks like they do is place EMTs in out of state training programs. In the case of this letter, they were sending a person from Austin Texas to do an accelerated course in Inidiana. A breakdown of the costs goes:

Registration Fee: $550
Books: $100
Uniform rental: $25
CPR&NREMT Fees: $110
DOJ&Livescan fees: 65 (note: Livescan is California's background check system. How someone in Texas or Indiana is going ot get a Livescan check done, I'm not sure)
Service Charge: $55
Student Tuition Recovery Fund: $10
Textbook S&H: $20
Room, Board, Breakfast & Kitchen: $517.50
Resume Writing: $600
Job Placement Assistance: $1500
Administration Tuition: $3092.50
Out of State Prep Fee: $100
Pelham Training Center: $1500 (which is list price on Pelham's website)
Travel Credit: $300
*Total $8545.00*

But, they'll give you a work study grant for $3000, so it only costs you $5545. I hope that $1500 job placement assistance and $600 resume writing assistance is helpful.

On a side note, the letter keeps talking about "Universal Careers School of Medicine." Medical education is a relatively small community and, while medical students may not be able to name all 200 or so schools (MD and DO combined) off the top of our heads, we pretty much have heard all of the schools names at least once. There is no "Universal Careers School of Medicine" in the US.


----------



## bigjs20

Wow thanks sooo much.....I just gotta figure out what to do next.
I'm gonna report them to the Better Business Bureau, something doesn't feel right.....maybe I'll try to find them in belleveu, seeing as it's less than an hour and half drive from where I live.
I'm also gonna change my bank info.....does anyone have any other recommendations?

P.S. at the bottom of the websites page is "enrollment" which has you enter in your info, while on the phone with the recruiter.


----------



## JPINFV

Does anyone know if CAAS's icon is trademarked? After all, I don't think Universal Carrers Ambulance is actually CAAS accredited. Oopsie.


----------



## Foxbat

JPINFV said:


> Total $8545.00


That's more than my university charges a semester (15 weeks, full-time, in-state undergrads).
Not to mention it charges $5,700-$12,300 (depending on residency) for the entire medic program. EMT program is $125.


----------



## JPINFV

So LA LEMSA contacted them and got them to update their site to clearly state that they do all their training in Indiana. I guess it's a small step, it's just too bad that people fall for this junk. You can easilyfind a cheaper EMT course than a $1,500 course that you end up flying to.


----------



## TransportJockey

medicRob said:


> I love this "testimonial" specifically:
> 
> "I've lost my job 6 months ago and I just couldn’t find any work. *I knew there were a lot of federal jobs available in my area for EMT and paramedics* but I didn't have the license to apply. I heard about Universal Career's 14 day emergency medical technician training through a friend and I was a little worried about learning everything in 14 days, but I gotta say, the instructors at Universal Careers really made everything easy to understand. Universal Careers can really make it happen…. Their instructors are extremely experienced and although it’s a rough program, I loved it. I was trained and ready to take my state license in only 14 days. It was unbelievable. I’m currently employed as a emergency medical technician and I owe it all to Universal Careers."
> 
> Also, they are gonna certify me to work in 50 states?!? Yipee!



Actually, to work on federal property (ie bases) all you need is NREMT. No state cert is required if you are only working in a VA hospital or on a base.


----------



## Aidey

JPINFV said:


> Does anyone know if CAAS's icon is trademarked? After all, I don't think Universal Carrers Ambulance is actually CAAS accredited. Oopsie.



That photo is horribly photoshopped. You would think they would at least attempt to make it look real.


----------



## EMS/LEO505

Wow, I'm surprised anyone would fall for this haha


----------



## JPINFV

EMS/LEO505 said:


> Wow, I'm surprised anyone would fall for this haha



Yea, I feel bad for people who fall for this, but it looks perfectly "legit" (as legit as you can get for charging $2100 for resume and hunting for an EMT job) and legal.


----------



## medicRob

jtpaintball70 said:


> Actually, to work on federal property (ie bases) all you need is NREMT. No state cert is required if you are only working in a VA hospital or on a base.



I had heard about that, but I am not all that familiar with how the NREMT works within the military, aside from the well-known programs like the Para rescue jumpers, etc.


----------



## JPINFV

I've never been in the military, but even I can imagine the gigantic facepalm the recruiter is going to do when someone walks in and says, "Well, I'm here for the medic position. I've got me EMT cert through Universal Careers School of Medicine!"


----------



## TransportJockey

medicRob said:


> I had heard about that, but I am not all that familiar with how the NREMT works within the military, aside from the well-known programs like the Para rescue jumpers, etc.


PJs are trained to NREMT-P at Kirtland AFB NM by the UNM EMSA. Army medics are trained to NREMT-B level plus they add in lots of ALS type trauma skills. Navy Corpsman are trained similar to Army medics (NREMT-B plus skills).

And the NREMT cert to work on fed installations also counts for civilians working for the govt. I applied at several bases, including in FL, in states that my NREMT-I/85 cert would not be accepted by the state that the base is located in.

Not to mention that NREMT is what the overseas contractors all use as well.


----------



## jjesusfreak01

Have a friend about to start in the para-rescue program. I'll let him know what he's up against.


----------



## Paramaybe

jjesusfreak01 said:


> Have a friend about to start in the para-rescue program. I'll let him know what he's up against.



Tell him good luck!

I heard the pipeline for PJ's is one of the most difficult in all of the Military. It's like a two year deal.

http://www.afsoc.af.mil/specialtactics/pjtraining.asp

I wish that was something I would of considered when I was younger.


----------



## emt seeking first job

*I just logged on to post a thread about this place.....*

I did not even call them, is it me or was the website a giveaway, all the stock photos.......wtf?

Has anyone gone to this program?


----------



## emt seeking first job

JPINFV said:


> As they are listed as being in Los Angeles, I just sent the following email to the LA LEMSA's contact person for EMS training programs.
> 
> "Hello Ms. Reich,
> 
> I am a current Southern California medical student who has worked as an EMT in the past and currently stay active on various online message boards. Recently a poster requested information regarding an EMT training program called “Universal Careers” (http://www.universalcareers.org/). According to their website, the contact number zip code is the 213 area code and their head quarters is in Los Angeles, however no location was given for where they actually hold their courses. They are not currently listed on the Los Angeles LEMSA website’s list of approved training programs. Various Craigslist advertisements shows them advertising locally, at a minimum, in Florida and Texas (linked below), however on a Google search, an expired Craigslist Ad appears for Monterey and Fresno. Additionally, on their “review” page, several reviews are credited to people in California. According to the poster (link below), the accelerated EMT course is $8000 with a $450 enrollment fee where they send a package of CDs and books. Since the contact number and listed headquarters is in Los Angeles, I was wondering if you had heard anything about this, to use the term loosely, “company” and, since the entire website all but screams “Fraud!” know who to forward this to?
> 
> Thank you for your time,
> [redacted]
> 
> Links:
> Forum thread link: http://emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=20171
> Company website: http://www.universalcareers.org/
> Company review page: http://www.universalcareers.org/reviews.php
> Craigslist advertisement for Florida: http://orlando.craigslist.org/cls/1971334849.html (notice the advertisement billing the course as “14 Day Medical School”)
> Craigslist advertisement for Houston: http://houston.craigslist.org/vnn/1977879166.html
> "





Good job.

I would also suggest cutting and pasting that same text in a report on ripoffreport.com so when people search for the school, they will fins that, google spiders that website


----------



## EMS/LEO505

emt seeking first job said:


> I did not even call them, is it me or was the website a giveaway, all the stock photos.......wtf?
> 
> Has anyone gone to this program?



I sure hope not... if they have, they shouldn't be allowed to drive haha


----------



## JPINFV

emt seeking first job said:


> I did not even call them, is it me or was the website a giveaway, all the stock photos.......wtf?
> 
> Has anyone gone to this program?



They don't actually run the EMT class. A program in Indiana runs the course, this company just fills the seats and offers "help" with resumes and job placement.


----------



## rwik123

Paramaybe said:


> Tell him good luck!
> 
> I heard the pipeline for PJ's is one of the most difficult in all of the Military. It's like a two year deal.
> 
> http://www.afsoc.af.mil/specialtactics/pjtraining.asp
> 
> I wish that was something I would of considered when I was younger.



Yeah it is has the highest or one of the highest attrition rates in the armed forces. 

If I'm correct, alot of army medics now opt for nremt-p certs after medic school


----------



## uc-emtparamedic

*From UC*

Hi, My name is Jennifer Vasiliev from Universal Careers. I am here to explain some of the concerns people have about our program. Many of the things discussed are completely incorrect and based on misunderstandings/false assumptions.  

Firstly, yes the course has an $8k tuition price tag but no one pays that. You do not pay $8k and than get a refund like the other poster suggested... that's just not how our program works. If you actually went through the whole course you would know how it works.

The way it works is, as long as you pass the felony check, you will qualify for financial help and you do not have to pay for the course. So the course is basically free as long as you have no felony. However, you do have to pay for a few things such as room, board, transportation, test fees, textbooks, felony check, etc..

Also we work very hard to make the EMT/Paramedic program as beneficial to everyone as possible, and we do everything we can to help get people employed so please do not comment on a program that you have not gone through yourself. 

And because we are constantly optimizing our program for the better, please contact us directly at support@universalcareers.org for the latest fees, class schedules, and job placement services because whatever information listed here may be outdated. Our services may change once in a while but only for the better.


----------



## Ridryder911

We will continue to make such comments as long as we smell a scam. I will be contacting the NREMT to see if an investigation can be made from any and all of your applicants. 

Admission of having a poor web site design and even admitting poor distibution of information is not excuse enough to clarify the mistake. Even your poor comment of stating.."_Also we work very hard to make the EMT/Paramedic program as beneficial to everyone as possible, and we do everything we can to help get people employed so please do not comment on a program that you have not gone through yourself. .. _ is wrong as far as I can read, that you do not offer the Paramedic level. 

Please quit making false claims, be responsible and proof read your advertisements and website information. Then and ony then we will as professionals take you seriously. Oh, by the way ... I don't have to attend a program to recognize fraud and potential problems. 

R/r 911


----------



## Cohn

uc-emtparamedic said:


> Firstly, yes the course has an $8k tuition price tag but no one pays that. You do not pay $8k and than get a refund like the other poster suggested... that's just not how our program works. If you actually went through the whole course you would know how it works.
> 
> The way it works is, as long as you pass the felony check, you will qualify for financial help and you do not have to pay for the course. *So the course is basically free as long as you have no felony. However, you do have to pay for a few things such as room, board, transportation, test fees, textbooks, felony check, etc..*



Wait so how does this "company" make money? 


Oh wait I forgot its a scam... And all you need is the $100 that people pay that is nonrefundable to stay afloat. I wonder how much people fall for this a day?


----------



## emt seeking first job

*I have a few questions:*

Ms. Vasiliev:

1) which former USSR republic are you from ?

2) have any ofthe posters in this thread violated the law or the rules of the forum ?

3) do you have certification as an EMT b/p?

4) what will you do exactly to anyone who posts about your school ?

5) why does'nt your school list the instructors, have their photos, or list their cv's ?

6) why all the stock photos? it looks like a website for herbalife or amway....

7) 8K, tuition, not including room/board? What are students getting besides the emt training, they cant get for about 1k anywhere else?

8) have an alumni, working someplace post on this thread?

9) why do you throw out the word 'paramedic' so cavalierly on your website, when you only offer an emt-b class ?

10) why no photos of your classes and students training? Not that tough to do.....

11) Name all principals in your school, full names, any EMS CV ?

12) do you or anyone a your school have a criminal record ?

13) name another school in the US where students pay first and then get a grant/refund ?

14) People becoming emts have 8k to front like that, without family/credit cards/selling a kidney...?

15) why not post ayoutube video of your classes.....?

16) I am the stupedist person on this forum, with the least amount of EMS knowledge/experience....i saw your craigslist ad first, then your website, i came to this board to start a thread.....and there was one already running....how was it me of all people smelled bovine excretions.......?

17) why are we not allowed to question your school, this is the USA ?

18) why do scammers from the former CCCP think americans are so stupid.....?


I saw your type 25 years ago as a student travelling through Moscow, and I see it all over this country now.

19) the people that would fall for this scam/abuse are very vulnerable , and in this country we support and buildup the vulnerable, not exploit them....

20) there are new russians and old russians: the old ones when they came to the USA helped build something, Sikorsky, Pontiaff, Zwokin....the new ones (mostly) are here to suck society dry.....the same way the bolsheviks sucked russia dry their own system dried up within a century, so your type, this diaspora of deceit tries to suck the rest of the world dry


YOU ARE A SHAME TO ALL GOOD RUSSIAN PEOPLE TODAY AND YESTERDAY WHO COME HERE TO CONTRIBUTE.....


You realize people get pissed off by actions of scam outright or abuse and will work to expose it ?????????


----------



## emt seeking first job

Cohn said:


> Wait so how does this "company" make money?
> 
> 
> Oh wait I forgot its a scam... And all you need is the $100 that people pay that is nonrefundable to stay afloat. I wonder how much people fall for this a day?



They claim you get a grant from the govt....?


But name to program that would give 8k for an emt-b class ?

In NYS, there is a program to pay $800 for an emt-b class....


----------



## emt seeking first job

*A request to everyone reading this message:*

I hereby request everyone reading this message to ask around about this school and Jennifer Vasilieva.

Ask everyone at your ambulance service or school. Place a notice on the bulletin board.

Post a question about it on other EMS and Public Safety Message Boards.

Contact your State DOH and Regional EMS authority.

Email everyone in EMS in your address book with questions and suspicions.


----------



## emt seeking first job

*Lets get to the bottom of this:*

edit


----------



## uc-emtparamedic

Some of you are misunderstanding what we do. We do not train students at our own facility. We promote medical programs and refer the students to EMT/paramedics schools that are state certified. 

Some schools have a hard time getting students and thats where we are here to help. Also, many emt/paramedic schools does not help students find jobs once they complete their training (they mainly focus on helping students get their license/certification and leave it up to the students to find work) so our packages include everything from room, board, to job placement services.

Once again, students are not trained at our facility. They are sent to a EMT/paramedic schools that are state approved. We help them fill seats, provide packages that includes room, board and help the students get hired.

Any other questions please contact us directly at our email in the above post.


----------



## EMS/LEO505

If I join your program do I also win the Nigerian lottery and all I have to do is send you some ungodly amount of money for the cash to transfer in to my account? Hahaha, any one wanna call Chris Hannsen to catch this scammer?


----------



## JPINFV

uc-emtparamedic said:


> Once again, students are not trained at our facility. They are sent to a EMT/paramedic schools that are state approved. We help them fill seats, provide packages that includes room, board and help the students get hired.



I think you need to find someone to rewrite your website from scratch then. Even the updated statement (which is only updated because Los Angeles LEMSA asked you to clarify this after I sent an inquiry to them) states that it is 'your' EMT program.

"With training facilities in Bloomington, Indiana and customer support headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, UC is a state-of-the-art provider of training for individuals interested in joining the health care field, "
- http://www.universalcareers.org/about_universal_careers.php

Additionally, you need to have your website team up the security. According to an admissions letter available on your website (which, hell, I'll post now anyways), "I am very pleased to inform you that you qualify for financial aid and that the faculty of Universal Career’s Medical Studies would like to make you a conditional offer of a place on our National EMT Certification program in the Universal Careers’ School of Medicine."

As a second year medical student, I would be interested in hearing about the "Universal Careers' School of Medicine." 

http://www.universalcareers.org/images/pdf/universal_careers_enrollment_martina.pdf
File also uploaded.

The reason why there's outrage is because the program, and especially the website, fails the credibility test.


----------



## EMS/LEO505

That makes it look like more of a scam!!!! Lol, I'll check APDs records and see if they have anything pending here for this "wonderful" school


----------



## emt seeking first job

*Can someone post a "Maxwell Smart" gif for me....don't know how...*

1) Why on earth would anyone need a middleman to go to EMT or paramedic school ?

There are enough nationwide within commuting distance. The curriculum can be found within one hours travel of most everyone in the USA. This is not some specialty topic like theater or literature or physics.

Student success mainly is on the student in an EMT-b class.

All State authorized EMT schools are listed on each states DOH website.

2) With your EMT "placement" service....you are not placing actors, accountants, etc.

An EMT can only work at an authorized EMS agency, all of which, again, are listed on each states DOH website. Furthermore, candidates are selected on demeanor, personality, and knowledge of the EMT-b skills.

What is it that this "school" can do to "place" people that someone can not do by 1) taking an EMT class 2) studying hard 3) contacting EMS agencies on his or her states DOH website and 4) behaving well during the interview.

There are no hidden EMT jobs that only you know of. NONE !!!!

3) And where is this school you send people to? Name it. Does it have a website ? 

4) Do you think people, especially those suited for public safety work, could not just register direct with this school, book their own transportation, lodging, etc. to achieve this.....


Ms. Vailieva, Try a better angle, maybe a modeling school or "hedge fund management training school"......

Public safety people smell the equestrienne excrement several thousand miles away.


----------



## Shishkabob

emt seeking first job said:


> An EMT can only work at an authorized EMS agency, all of which, again, are listed on each states DOH website.





No.


----------



## emt seeking first job

uc-emtparamedic said:


> Some schools have a hard time getting students and ....yadda yadda yadda
> 
> Any other questions please contact us directly at our email in the above post.



Maybe because there is a market imbalance of schools versus people seeking the training.

And no, everybody, if anybody has any questions ASK THEM ON THIS BOARD, so everyone can see them and see YOUR response.

I am using every resource I have, including personal contacts in the Patriarchal Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Federation Consulate Offices, and the Russian Federation UN Mission to shed some light on who YOU are and who you are doing this with.

Many Russian people, fresh off the boat and here for many generations are sick of this c-r-a-p and what people like you do.


----------



## emt seeking first job

Linuss said:


> No.


 Perhaps I stand corrected, but it was my understanding Linus, that all EMS agencies, at least in New York State, are listed on the DOH website.

That an EMT works under medical direction and those lone EMT jobs standing by on movie sets on construction sites are illegal.


----------



## Shishkabob

All EMS agencies *might* be on DOH/ DSHS websites, I don't know, I haven't been inclined to go through all 50 states + territories.



But an EMT is not relegated to JUST EMS agencies.

Hospital tech, doctors office, camps, amusement parks, etc etc etc etc


----------



## emt seeking first job

Linuss said:


> All EMS agencies *might* be on DOH/ DSHS websites, I don't know, I haven't been inclined to go through all 50 states + territories.
> 
> 
> 
> But an EMT is not relegated to JUST EMS agencies.
> 
> Hospital tech, doctors office, camps, amusement parks, etc etc etc etc



Being a hospital tech does not require an EMT-b cert, does it ? It is a related field that people with EMT-b certs can fill, but so could a CNA with a phlebotomy cert, or a "medical assistant"....

The position of Emergency Medical Technician is for EMS agencies. People with that training when as an ER tech or a medical assistant in a doctors office are not employed as EMTs and may have those jobs without an EMTb cert?

Am I wrong?

And I thought those camp and amusement park jobs are limited to CPR and first aid, that you can not function as a full EMT ?

Am I wrong on that ?


----------



## emt seeking first job

*But Linus,*

There is something suspicious about this "program" regardless, IMHO....


----------



## medic417

What they are doing is becoming like a sports agent.  Basically robbing you to do what you could do w/o them.  The sad fact is most people that get excited about the lights and sirens as shown on TV or are in desperate financial straits do not know how to get into ems.  Along comes the agent and they help you file all the paperwork and other items you could have done w/o them then charge you an extreme fee for doing really very little.


----------



## akflightmedic

I spent an hour reviewing the website and it screams SCAM!

Whoever wrote it uses words and sentence structure not common for the average American. I am not basing this on the above posts by the woman with a foreign sounding name, but if you take the time and read all the little snippets, the descriptive words, it just is not American-speak. 

I copied this from the website: "Our former clients work in a wide ranging variety of emergency medical service jobs.  Our large client database gives us an “in” with a large number of employers in this field, after all; most of them were former students. 
We only employ first rate, top quality, high caliber staff and instructors.  Their portfolios speak for themselves."

This school was established in 2005 and in those 5 short years, they have managed to train "Most" of the current employers who are now looking to hire the next batch of students??? Sorry, I call bullschitt.

Also, the site mentions the portfolios...well, where are they? You should be proud, you should have these on display and they should be easily verifiable. I can pull up any number of legitimate schools (even other online schools) and very quickly see pictures and resumes of the instructors.

I read through all the testimonials from former students as well. Again, the language choice by these 14 day wonders simply do not sound realistic. We all know the job market and we know the salary for EMTs, yet every single one of them have had life transforming jobs and now they no longer live paycheck to paycheck and their kids are going to have such great lives because Mommy is now employed...it was absolutely ridiculous the stuff I read.

Then I started looking through the job postings. As most of you know, I keep my nose to the ground and if there is a job posted online, I usually see it. I review about 9 different job sites almost daily because I like helping people out (maybe I need to charge). Anyways, as you read through the jobs, there is nothing on there you could not find yourself from any search engine.

In addition to that, the jobs listed were not EMT jobs, they were for Intermediates, Paramedics, Home Health Aides, PAs...they just throw a whole bunch of crap in there to make it look promising. Also, the monster salary of "up to 54K a year" which is one of the large banners cleverly states EMTs/Paramedics can make up to this amount...some poor schmuck is gonna think his EMT patch is gonna make him those wages with minimal effort.

Finally, I printed off the acceptance letter/contract and reviewed it carefully for the legal mumbo jumbo. 

Here is what I found and want answers or explanations to:

Page 1 Para 1: UC is "associated with eight of the most prestigious doctors in the country"

Can you please name these 8 and tell me what the association is? Who says they are the 8 most prestigious and why? And what does association with them have to do with the program?

Page 1 Para 2: What is this School of Medicine that is constantly referred to?  I do not understand the rest of this paragraph...me flying to Indiana for the skills portion is contingent upon me achieving CPR, National Cert, State cert and an online GPA of 3.0???

How am I supposed to have these things if I have not flown out and done the skills portion?  To me, this indicates you want me to be fully licensed and then you are flying me somewhere for a ride along and hospital observation time...thanks I can arrange that on my own. If this is not the case, then your wording sucks and needs to be corrected.

Page 2: Fees...your list of fees looks like a bad mortgage broker's deal, maybe you took their lessons. 

Registration fee-High but expected

Books- Do you give the option of them finding their own...100 can be lower (which book is it?

Uniform Rental- Charge 25 bucks for what--a shirt? And they do not even own it at the end. Do they really need to be in a uniform for 2 weeks? Especially when you advise them to bring enough clothes for two weeks and money for laundry. Or is this the shirt they wear twice? Once on the ambo and once in the ER, 8 hours each time.

CPR/Live scan- Fees are high but is expected.

Service Charge- $55? What service? No unexplained fees please...

Student Tuition recovery fund- $10  What the hell is this? 

Textbook Shipping and handling- $20 bucks...are you serious? Couple dollars at most via US mail

Room/Board/Breakfast/Kitchen- You need to post pictures of where I will stay and the address so I can ensure my safety or health. You also clearly state later on that breakfast consists of bread and dry cereal only. This charge seems VERY LOW for 2 weeks worth of housing...hope the rats do not eat much.

Resume writing- 600 bucks!! I really need to get in this market if people are paying that for an EMT job which typically involves NO resume to get. You fill out an online application or paper application and that is it. Seriously, do employers really NEED to see a resume for an EMT position? We have had this discussion before on this site...WHAT A SCAM!

Job Placement Assistance- $1500!!! Another SCAM...your ads are from online search engines, you really have no more capability of getting someone in a job in their own town than they do by going in themselves. 

Do you give them the right to refuse the resume writing and job placement help or is it a take it or leave it deal? Screams scam to me...

Admin tuition...ok higher than any local college but you need to charge.

Out of state prep fee- 100 bucks!! What are you prepping for...this is just another bogus fee.

Pelham Training Center- High fees again

Travel Credit- 300 bucks  how is it a credit if you are charging for it??? And what is a travel credit????

Ok, now that I have dissected the bogus fees...let us look at the terms carefully.

Please note that EVERYTHING is NON REFUNDABLE.

Also, this is important: Their job placement assistance ENDS 30 days after your 14 days of training. There is no guarantee of a job and you have to ask yourself, how could a company in California possibly help you get a paid EMT job in Cheraw, South Carolina (pick any place). 

Ahhh Page 3...They allow you to take the test as many times as you want until you achieve a GPA of 3.0   

Page 4: YOU buy your plane ticket to Indiana.  They also make it sound so easy...after 14 days, get your national and get your state license. They do not mention the hoops you need to jump through or the fees you need to pay to individual states for this...that is all your cost and time.

Also remember this: Your job assistance ends 30 days after your 14 days of training. How many of you think you will have a state license before that 30 day period ends? no state license = no job!

I want to see the menu for this catered food, I want to see instructor's resumes/credentials, how do you assure "national certification in all 50 states" like page 4 says?

Page 5: Contradicts Page 4...you said catered meals and then you tell me only breakfast is provided but I can cook if I want in the hotel room or I can eat at local restaurants. Please explain?

Then you end with the job placement service which is offered AFTER I get my state license. Yeh, no thanks, I am a big boy and I can apply myself to local departments...please let me save the 1500 bucks you charge so I may use it for fuel driving around.

Page 6: Top 9 reasons...

#9 There are 210K jobs...how many of them are vacant?
#8 "most stable job offered by the state"  how many of you work for the state?
#7 Read it and laugh  "so many call 911 for help"...thats the reason
#6 Brag about dumbing down the profession...you also mention Paramedic.
#5 work anywhere I want eh? Just call local FD or hospital...umm how about the state licensing board...you are not even referring people to the right place...idiots!
#4 Yes there are job choices, but to make it sound so easy...poor form!
#3 No you dont have everything already set up...I have to do the state part.
#2 Start work right away? Really? How many EMT grads are still looking for jobs months later??
#1 Wow I get a free airport shuttle...who ever heard of such generosity??? The rest is just repetitive BS.

Yes I wrote a lot but I am pissed off. This is total BS and I do not want anyone to fall for it.


----------



## TransportJockey

emt seeking first job said:


> Being a hospital tech does not require an EMT-b cert, does it ? It is a related field that people with EMT-b certs can fill, but so could a CNA with a phlebotomy cert, or a "medical assistant"....
> 
> The position of Emergency Medical Technician is for EMS agencies. People with that training when as an ER tech or a medical assistant in a doctors office are not employed as EMTs and may have those jobs without an EMTb cert?
> 
> Am I wrong?
> 
> And I thought those camp and amusement park jobs are limited to CPR and first aid, that you can not function as a full EMT ?
> 
> Am I wrong on that ?



Wrong on almost all points. Some hospitals have a positions of ER EMT (CO and TX love that title), and some hospitals hire Paramedics to work as techs (with the job title of Paramedic) and function at full scope or higher. A lot of amusement parks operate full ALS level coverage IIRC. (Lucid, refresh my memory on yours, but I seem to remember you saying you had medics. And the big parks like Disney and Universal have full skills covered). 

You seem to be mistaking NY for the rule in EMS, rather than a horrible exception


----------



## emt seeking first job

*It is some cut-rate russian gang:*

I studied Russian years ago, I have many Russian friends, etc., I know the mistakes Russian people make with English.

Someone post a portrait of Jim Rockford scowling here.....


----------



## beandip4all

uc-emtparamedic said:


> The way it works is, as long as you pass the felony check, you will qualify for financial help and you do not have to pay for the course. So the course is basically free as long as you have no felony. However, you do have to pay for a few things such as room, board, transportation, test fees, textbooks, felony check, etc..



Huh... sounds like an awful lot like another example of a "poverty business," a term coined by Moyers (http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_21/b4035001.htm).  

So, the poor get exploited at least twice by the education system: 1) schools in poor regions get less money and are thus lower in quality; 2) they are then defrauded by hucksters who advertise low-quality education as high quality, and are ultimately forced to take on massive debt.

People who are poor are often desperate... people who are desperate are easily exploitable... that's when predatory practices and fraudulent companies like this come along.  :glare:

A few articles regarding programs like this which basically shuttle poor and low income students into taking on massive federal grants to pay for certification programs that they can't afford: 
http://www.sfweekly.com/2009-09-30/news/stimulus-wreckage/
and
http://www.sfweekly.com/2010-07-21/news/the-education-trap/


----------



## emt seeking first job

jtpaintball70 said:


> Wrong on almost all points. Some hospitals have a positions of ER EMT (CO and TX love that title), and some hospitals hire Paramedics to work as techs (with the job title of Paramedic) and function at full scope or higher. A lot of amusement parks operate full ALS level coverage IIRC. (Lucid, refresh my memory on yours, but I seem to remember you saying you had medics. And the big parks like Disney and Universal have full skills covered).
> 
> You seem to be mistaking NY for the rule in EMS, rather than a horrible exception




Is Walt Disney World listed on the Florida DOH webiste as an EMS agency ?

It appears I stand corrected on that point.

New York State has every EMS agency, paid or unpaid, plus hospitals, and designates them ALS or BLS and even lists non-transporting agencies.

I know Citifield for the Mets and the cyclones have EMTS on duty, however, they are employed by Corona and Midwood repsectivly....again maybe only NYS...?

Do you have any thoughts on the school, since you are so good at scrutinizing posts B)


----------



## TransportJockey

You guys covered the school pretty well. I don't see the need to beat this horse any more than already  

Although... Nationally registered in all 50 states? That part really jumps out at me and makes me wanna slap the person who wrote this crap for teh site. There are a bunch of states who don't take NREMT for ANYTHING. My home state of NM only takes NREMT for medic. Not basic or intermediate. Some states might allow you to use your NREMT card to test for state cert, but there's some that you just might as well retake the class in the state you're moving to

EDIT: And I know in NM, CO, and TX (from trying to find every single EMS service I could to apply for them), the services don't have to be listed on the state EMS web site.


----------



## akflightmedic

emt seeking first job said:


> Is Walt Disney World listed on the Florida DOH webiste as an EMS agency ?



You will not find Walt Disney World but you will find Reedy Creek Improvement District...rcid.org  which is the specially created tax district that is comprised solely of Disney property...therefore they pay taxes to themselves for all the wastewater, power, fire/rescue, road improvements, etc.

You never work for Disney as a medic, you work for Reedy Creek  and it is Fire Rescue.


----------



## emt seeking first job

akflightmedic said:


> You will not find Walt Disney World but you will find Reedy Creek Improvement District...rcid.org  which is the specially created tax district that is comprised solely of Disney property...therefore they pay taxes to themselves for all the wastewater, power, fire/rescue, road improvements, etc.
> 
> You never work for Disney as a medic, you work for Reedy Creek  and it is Fire Rescue.




My main point was that their are no 'secret' employers of EMTs that only some school would have access to.

And I have seen most "placement" services for jobs like home health aide or truck driver, where there are (oe were) more openings than positions, and the employers contact the schools and compete for employees.

Maybe two years ago in NYC, private ambulance services would visit emt-b schools and recruit there....now they do not 'need' to...


----------



## emt seeking first job

jtpaintball70 said:


> You guys covered the school pretty well. I don't see the need to beat this horse any more than already
> 
> /QUOTE]
> 
> 
> This subject is not a horse. It is a colony of cockroaches which as I can attest to the fact that you can never kill them all, just sort of keep them limited.
> 
> Scams of this nature are going to crop up more and more in desperation of our current economy.
> 
> It is sick evil people that would do this.
> 
> It may not be a crime, but it is arguably amoral to operate as they do.
> 
> This topic should be addressed as long as the website is up and they are posting in craigslist etc...


----------



## Sandog

> 18) why do scammers from the former CCCP think americans are so stupid.....?
> 
> 
> I saw your type 25 years ago as a student travelling through Moscow, and I see it all over this country now.
> 
> 19) the people that would fall for this scam/abuse are very vulnerable , and in this country we support and buildup the vulnerable, not exploit them....
> 
> 20) there are new russians and old russians: the old ones when they came to the USA helped build something, Sikorsky, Pontiaff, Zwokin....the new ones (mostly) are here to suck society dry.....the same way the bolsheviks sucked russia dry their own system dried up within a century, so your type, this diaspora of deceit tries to suck the rest of the world dry
> 
> 
> YOU ARE A SHAME TO ALL GOOD RUSSIAN PEOPLE TODAY AND YESTERDAY WHO COME HERE TO CONTRIBUTE.....



This issue has nothing to do with someones ethnic background, and why do you assume that a person with a Russian sounding name is from Russia? For all you know, the person could have been a Jones, married a Russian and took the name. Moreover; I have a German last name and I have never been to Germany, nor my father for that matter.


----------



## emt seeking first job

Sandog said:


> This issue has nothing to do with someones ethnic background, and why do you assume that a person with a Russian sounding name is from Russia? For all you know, the person could have been a Jones, married a Russian and took the name. Moreover; I have a German last name and I have never been to Germany, nor my father for that matter.





Mostly from the writing style on the website and the posts on this board.


----------



## emt seeking first job

Sandog said:


> This issue has nothing to do with someones ethnic background, and why do you assume that a person with a Russian sounding name is from Russia? For all you know, the person could have been a Jones, married a Russian and took the name. Moreover; I have a German last name and I have never been to Germany, nor my father for that matter.





Welcome to the online subculture where someone making an obnoxious post is treated harsher than someone scamming people in real-time....


----------



## emt seeking first job

*download the .pdf file*

They have an online virtual classroom ?

A S&H fee of $25 for a textbook you can order online or get at any chain bookseller.....?

w t f ... ?

And they are associated with "eight of the most prestigious doctors in the country" ...?

Why don't you name the doctors or explain what deems a doctor "prestigious" , is their a board of prestige that makes that designation...?


----------



## emt seeking first job

uc-emtparamedic said:


> .....please do not comment on a program that you have not gone through yourself.




So people are not allowed to comment on something unless they have not participated in it first hand ?

Is that a law somewhere in the USA or a rule on this website ?

What if we do not comply with your request ?

Then what will you do ?


----------



## medicRob

uc-emtparamedic said:


> Some of you are misunderstanding what we do. We do not train students at our own facility. We promote medical programs and refer the students to EMT/paramedics schools that are state certified.
> 
> Some schools have a hard time getting students and thats where we are here to help. Also, many emt/paramedic schools does not help students find jobs once they complete their training (they mainly focus on helping students get their license/certification and leave it up to the students to find work) so our packages include everything from room, board, to job placement services.
> 
> Once again, students are not trained at our facility. They are sent to a EMT/paramedic schools that are state approved. We help them fill seats, provide packages that includes room, board and help the students get hired.
> 
> Any other questions please contact us directly at our email in the above post.



The schools don't need help. If they are legitimate programs, they will be filled by students. There is no shortage of EMT-B's. Moreover, if the student wants to attend the program, it is completely idiotic to do it through a third party that is going to charge them 4-6 times the amount that they would pay have they went directly to the school. Your service is a scam, and you are quite aware of it. I too will be contacting the NREMT as well as your particular state's board of EMS and the Indiana board of EMS. Furthermore, you might want to listen to the opinion of some of the members here like Rid, seeing as they have done work DIRECTLY with the NREMT and have more than likely contributed to creating questions for the exam. We see your type all the time, you come in and offer your little explanations for how things are and why you are a good service, yet you can't back it up. 

Here is a challenge.

List the costs associated with your program (NOT INCLUDING THE FINANCIAL AID YOU SPEAK OF), btw, just so you know.. we are not idiots. Having been through a bachelors of chemistry, bachelors of nursing, and an associates of paramedicine, I am keenly aware of the fact that Federal Pell and many title IV funds only pay for DEGREE SEEKING PROGRAMS. EMT-B is not one of them. Therefore, the student is left to bear the burden of Federal Direct Loans, etc. 

What you are doing is, in essence charging 4-6x the amount so you can pay the true amount to the program (IF YOU EVEN DO THAT), collecting the grossly inflated amount, and moving on to your next victim. Therefore, I challenge you to list in a single post, the costs associated with your program, not including the "financial aid" you speak of, examples of which include your "textbook fees", etc, and moreover, I challenge you to list the same costs associated with one of the programs you place the students in and DIRECTLY link me to the school's LEGITIMATE .EDU website showing those associated fees, while also listing for me the direct type of financial aid you speak of in your program (eg: PELL, FFEL, FPEL, Direct Loan, Perkins, etc). 

A legitimate business would have no problem making this post. Anything other than the data requested in your next post will be taken as an admission of guilt on your part. Look forward to hearing from the Better Business Bureau, the Internal Revenue Service, Boards of EMS in the states which you place students, as well as the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, as I am in the process of typing up a formal complaint citing all the discrepancies pointed out by the individuals of this site. Let's see who remains standing.


----------



## MJordan2121

Total rip off!! Also, I would not let anyone treat me, as a patient, with only 14 days of training. I would not trust their judgment along with their lack of expertise.


----------



## medic417

MJordan2121 said:


> Total rip off!! Also, I would not let anyone treat me, as a patient, with only 14 days of training. I would not trust their judgment along with their lack of expertise.



How will you know they only have 14 days?  You wont.  14 days for a basic class equals the same number of hours as any other basic class.  They will be able to do the same very little as any other basic.

Now as to this company they seem very questionable in charging such an extreme amount to do what the student could do on their own.


----------



## medicRob

Guess uc-emtparamedic couldn't come up with an answer (big surprise).


----------



## MrBrown

Perhaps this school also offers tips and pointers on winning the Nigerian lottery?


----------



## Wolfpack87

I have looked into Pelham extensivly as it is a course I have considered, and I belive the scam you may have found is in universalcareers.com. 

Pelham is not only accredited, but most of the information that you were given is incorrect. For instance, their normal course is only $700, and the "quick-class" is $1500. While Finacial Aid is available, it's not for everyone, and in most cases doesn't pay for everything. Also, anyone promising to give you a job at the location of your choice is smoking somthing expensive.

Anywho, I know I'm late to the party but I wanted to chime in.


----------



## JPINFV

Well, the expense includes a room for those two weeks. I agree that Pelham looks, at least on the outside, to be a legitimate school, except for the fact that they had to partner up with a service like Universal Careers.


----------



## Wolfpack87

JPINFV said:


> Well, the expense includes a room for those two weeks. I agree that Pelham looks, at least on the outside, to be a legitimate school, except for the fact that they had to partner up with a service like Universal Careers.



I agree with this possibility, but it is also possible that Universal Careers could be using Pelham as a hook for their own scams... for instance, I currently work for Apple Computers as a support tech and developer... how many companies out there put an "i" in front of their products name to make it sound like it's from Apple? iEMT, I bet Apple made that, it must be shiny, I must have it... lol

Point here being, I've heard all good about Pelham from hospitals and fire stations right here in Indiana. I think the unfortunate truth here, is someone was trying to use Pelham as a tool for their dirty work, and they gave them an undeserving bad name. IMO


----------



## emt seeking first job

JPINFV said:


> Well, the expense includes a room for those two weeks. I agree that Pelham looks, at least on the outside, to be a legitimate school, except for the fact that they had to partner up with a service like Universal Careers.




Can one attend Pelham directly, with out going through Universal Careers ?


----------



## JPINFV

I believe so...

http://www.pelhamtraining.com/

Also, looking at the UC website the last time this came up, I think they changed their training location since it's now listed as being in Fredericksburg, VA. The Pelham location was based off of this letter that could be found through Google...

http://www.universalcareers.org/images/pdf/universal_careers_enrollment_martina.pdf


----------



## William

I dont thing they are scam, i think they are one of the bests out there. Not actually checking them and speaking such things is not right in my opinion. And Everyone must agree with it.


----------



## JPINFV

So.. wait... we must agree with you despite you not bringing anything to the discussion?


----------



## DesertMedic66

JPINFV said:


> So.. wait... we must agree with you despite you not bringing anything to the discussion?



You heard him. We have to agree with him. So I agree


----------



## Tommerag

I know its fun but,

:nosoupfortroll:


----------



## CWheeler

*Attorney for Pelham Training*

I realize this is an old thread of conversation, but I only just became aware of the thread, and have now become a member of EMTLIFE in order to post a reply to this thread. 

Last year I became aware of an organization known as Universal Careers that was falsely advertising some kind of connection, affiliation or business relationship with Pelham Specialty Training, Inc.  Please let it be known that Pelham Specialty Training, Inc. has never had any sort of business relationship with Universal Careers whatsoever.  As soon as I learned of this false advertising by Universal Careers, I contacted them and demanded that they cease any and all references to Pelham Specialty Training in any way.  Failing to do just that, and they would suffer immediate legal action by Pelham Training.  Pelham Training is in no way affiliated with Universal Careers.  Has never had any business dealings with that organization, and has never had any contact with them save for my one phone call to them to threaten them with certain legal action should they continue in their false ways.  I cannot say that Universal Careers is a sham or a scam.  But I have a hard time finding any other way to accurately describe them after the conversation I had with one of their people.  I hope the public at large remains very cautious and does their homework before commiting their hard earned money to such a program.  Thank you.  Christopher J. Wheeler, attorney and in house counsel for Pelham Specialty Training, Inc.


----------



## nwhitney

I just went to Universal Careers website.  They have a "beware of scam" section on their main page, made me laugh.  Did you know their program offers a "national certification by the state"?  Didn't know The Sate issued national certs.  I wonder where The State is located.  Is it near the coast?


----------



## JPINFV

CWheeler said:


> I realize this is an old thread of conversation, but I only just became aware of the thread, and have now become a member of EMTLIFE in order to post a reply to this thread.
> 
> Last year I became aware of an organization known as Universal Careers that was falsely advertising some kind of connection, affiliation or business relationship with Pelham Specialty Training, Inc.  Please let it be known that Pelham Specialty Training, Inc. has never had any sort of business relationship with Universal Careers whatsoever.  As soon as I learned of this false advertising by Universal Careers, I contacted them and demanded that they cease any and all references to Pelham Specialty Training in any way.  Failing to do just that, and they would suffer immediate legal action by Pelham Training.  Pelham Training is in no way affiliated with Universal Careers.  Has never had any business dealings with that organization, and has never had any contact with them save for my one phone call to them to threaten them with certain legal action should they continue in their false ways.  I cannot say that Universal Careers is a sham or a scam.  But I have a hard time finding any other way to accurately describe them after the conversation I had with one of their people.  I hope the public at large remains very cautious and does their homework before commiting their hard earned money to such a program.  Thank you.  Christopher J. Wheeler, attorney and in house counsel for Pelham Specialty Training, Inc.





Thank you very much for your reply regarding Universal Careers. Best of wishes for Pelham Specialty Training!


----------



## Jon

cWheeler - thanks for your post expressing your side of things.

Oh, and Universal Careers has been invited to dispute this info publicly here if they choose. And they have not taken that invitation as of yet.

I'm not saying it's a scam. But if you want EMT training, there are probably better options locally for you.


----------



## tecunuman

*Be very careful when dealing with universalcareers.org*

I recently answered an ad on craigslist that read something to the effect of: "State accredited school is seeking a sales person to advise people interested in receiving a state sponsored grant and enroll them in one of our online programs." 
I've been in sales for 10 years and have worked at a few places, and interviewed with many prospective employers. I replied to the ad, and shortly thereafter was contacted by a man who identified himself as the "Sales Manager", he asked me a few questions and then set up a time for me to come in to interview for the position.
I took down the address and upon arrival I had to double check the number on the building, as the run down multi purpose building that matched the number that I was given over the phone did NOT look like a campus, not even like an administrative type of building. I made my way inside and found the suite # for my interview. My first impression was that this office was set up overnight and just as easily could be taken down and moved elsewhere. There were wires, cables, extension cords and debris all over the place. A few "desks" which were no more than $20 Ikea tables were set up throughout the "office".
I met with the sales manager who pitched me their angle. I would be issued a prepaid cellphone, then would search through leads on jobs and headhunters. Usually the leads would be generated when someone visits their website universalcareers.org and expresses their interest in one of their many online work study programs. In particular they were in need of salespeople to sell their Medical Billing Work Study Program.
The pitch is that a Merit Grant has been established and that each city is only awarded $50,000.00 so the prospective student must hurry to apply for one of these $5,000.00 Merit Grants, as only 10 will receive such grant in each city. In order to apply a student must immediately pay $150.00 for a felony background check and for the purpose of "Processing the application". They are told that if they don't qualify for the grant, their money will be refunded.
Supposedly it takes 2 days to know if they qualify for the grant. If they are pre approved (and everybody is, as the $50,000.00 per city is complete B.S.) then they are sent their 7 text books. Here's the beauty of their little set-up. They tell the students that they can go at their own pace and finish the course in as little as 3 months, or in 36 months. The catch: In order to advance to each new chapter and take the required open book quiz, they must pay $245. The total cost of the program is $35,000.00.
There is no campus, everything is done online. If the poor people who sign up with them are somehow able to pay for their chapters, they will also "place" them in a job while they study and complete the course. These people are led to believe that they'll be placed in an externship program where they will acquire the skills necessary to break into their particular field of study. The truth is that all that Universalcareers will do is scour the craigslist and hotjobs listings in the respective student's area and send them these "leads" so that they may apply themselves and settle for whatever entry level type jobs are available.
Red flags all over the place. Needless to say, I did not accept this "job" offer. The make-shift office, the absolute lack of professionalism, their false promises and premises under which they operate are completely deplorable. The fact that they don't have a landline phone in the office is enough to make one wonder what they're hiding from. Why are they using prepaid cell phones? I thought the only people who used these communications devices were motorcycle gangs! Oh and wait for this... They have no way of securing the information of the people who trust them with their social security number, Driver's license, credit card and bank account numbers. This data was scattered throughout their "offices", scribbled on pieces of paper and saved on Excel spreadsheets on their computers. I've never been at a place where such liberties are taken with sensitive and personal information.
Bottom line people: Stay away from this place. See for yourself, try contacting them and ask for names (not aliases), their roles in the "school", then check with your state to see if they are in fact accredited as they imply that they are. They are counting on P.T. Barnum's legendary statement that "A sucker is born every minute." Don't be one.


----------

