# MA/RI paramedic programs



## MassEMT-B (Jul 29, 2011)

So I plan on graduating community college this in 2012. I am thinking about going to paramedic school before I go and get my BA degree. I was just wondering some opinions on the schools in Ma and RI. I would like to try and stay away from the Boston area if possible because I live on the RI border. I have been looking at EMRI in North Attleboro and another place called ERG based out of Providence. I would like some opinions on these places and any others that are in this area such as Taunton Safety programs and any others.


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## MassEMT-B (Jul 31, 2011)

Anyone? I am going to talk to a person who runs one of the programs but I am looking for a more objective out sider view of the programs in this area.


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## jkrewko (Aug 4, 2011)

I just finished the paramedic program at educational resource group. i gotta tell you i walked in as a basic emt, knowing jack :censored::censored::censored::censored: working for a private company. i'm about to take my nremt exam and i am 100% confident that i'll pass. great school, great instructors and they hir from within. I start teaching my first bls class in sept. good luck but def look into erg


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## medicdan (Aug 4, 2011)

I'm happy to comment off line, but publicly can provide strong recommendations with Professional Ambulance's Center for Medics in Cambridge, MA


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## octoparrot (Sep 6, 2011)

NMETC.COM Brad Newbury. Great program


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## lawndartcatcher (Sep 7, 2011)

If you're looking to straddle the border, I'd highly recommend finding a Massachusetts program over a RI program. RI teaches to the NREMT certification, which Mass OEMS will not accept (you will have to jump through considerable hoops to get your MA medic even as a NREMT Medic - Massachusetts is the most difficult state to get your certification due to their administrative requirements). Once you have your MA medic you can challenge the NREMT (which I definitely would) and RI will hand you a RI medic license (pay the money, give them a copy of your NREMT license and you're in).

As far as schools, I would highly recommend looking into Safety Program Consultants in Taunton; it's where I went and I passed both my MA and my NREMT exams the first time through. There will be folks on this thread who will immediately jump in to bash SPCI as a "Medic Mill" but consider the following:
     1) SPCI has a dedicated staff of administrative folks who oversee stuff like hospital contracts, state paperwork requirements, etc. This means you won't have issues with things like incomplete paperwork being kicked back from the state or inability to finish clinical or field internships. Other schools have run into this problem - do you really want to go all the way through your program only to have to redo it because someone didn't renew a contract with a hospital?
     2) Since they're typically running 3 classes in rotation it's a lot easier to make up missed hours - there's typically a class running almost every day and night of the week.
     3) SPCI's been doing this for over 20 years. Their medic instructors are all active medics in busy and progressive systems, and their alums are working in services across the country. Once you graduate you'll want to be able to get hired, and having connections always helps.

Whichever program you decide to go through, ask some questions:

     1) Do they have a staff of folks keeping their hospital and field contracts up to date? Or is it the same overworked person who's teaching the classes and fixing the equipment 
     2) Which hospitals / services do they have contracts with? If they only have a few, how do they ensure that you won't have to wait 9 months to a year before you start your clinical or field rotations?
     3) How long has the program been in existence?
     4) What is their success rate? Don't just look at # of people who start the class vs. # of people who finish; find out the success rate for the various examinations as well. The state provides their results to each school so they should have some idea.
     5) Where are the various alums of this school / program now working?


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## medicdan (Sep 7, 2011)

lawndartcatcher said:


> If you're looking to straddle the border, I'd highly recommend finding a Massachusetts program over a RI program. RI teaches to the NREMT certification, which Mass OEMS will not accept (you will have to jump through considerable hoops to get your MA medic even as a NREMT Medic - Massachusetts is the most difficult state to get your certification due to their administrative requirements). Once you have your MA medic you can challenge the NREMT (which I definitely would) and RI will hand you a RI medic license (pay the money, give them a copy of your NREMT license and you're in).



This may not be true for long... Starting Jan 1, 2012, NREMT will only offer certification to graduates of accredited medic programs, of which there is only one in MA.


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## lawndartcatcher (Sep 7, 2011)

emt.dan said:


> This may not be true for long... Starting Jan 1, 2012, NREMT will only offer certification to graduates of accredited medic programs, of which there is only one in MA.



SPCI is accredited. I know several other schools in MA are also moving to gain national accreditation; this is an excellent point. I'd make sure to ask if the school you're going to is accredited. 

BTW, EMT and Paramedic programs must be accredited (through the state of MA) for their graduates to be eligible to take the MA state test. So make sure if a school says "yeah, we're accredited" you find out who they're accredited with (state of MA, NREMT, some guy who stands on the corner arguing with the trash can, etc.).


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## medicdan (Sep 8, 2011)

lawndartcatcher said:


> SPCI is accredited. I know several other schools in MA are also moving to gain national accreditation; this is an excellent point. I'd make sure to ask if the school you're going to is accredited.
> 
> BTW, EMT and Paramedic programs must be accredited (through the state of MA) for their graduates to be eligible to take the MA state test. So make sure if a school says "yeah, we're accredited" you find out who they're accredited with (state of MA, NREMT, some guy who stands on the corner arguing with the trash can, etc.).


I'm working off of the site linked to by CoAEMSP http://www.caahep.org/Find-An-Accredited-Program/ which only shows Pro...

You can find MA state accreddited EMT and Paramedic programs listed at http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eohhs2t...ices_p_emt_training_institutions&csid=Eeohhs2


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## lawndartcatcher (Sep 9, 2011)

emt.dan said:


> I'm working off of the site linked to by CoAEMSP http://www.caahep.org/Find-An-Accredited-Program/ which only shows Pro...
> 
> You can find MA state accreddited EMT and Paramedic programs listed at http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eohhs2t...ices_p_emt_training_institutions&csid=Eeohhs2



You're right - I was incorrect. They are MA accredited, but not National. It's still an excellent question to ask of any school.


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## ZackW (Nov 8, 2011)

emt.dan said:


> This may not be true for long... Starting Jan 1, 2012, NREMT will only offer certification to graduates of accredited medic programs, of which there is only one in MA.



I think its Jan 1st, 2013...but I might be incorrect.


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## ZackW (Nov 8, 2011)

I need to post 2 more times before i can post a link... sorry


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## ZackW (Nov 8, 2011)

last one i promise


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## ZackW (Nov 8, 2011)

https://www.nremt.org/nremt/about/para_accred_implementation_policy.asp


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