# Online EMT-B Training?



## daveatc (Dec 4, 2007)

Hello! I am brand new to the forum. Great resource for info. Thanks a lot!

I am currently in the AF, but I am trying to best prep for a transition back to the civilian world in a couple years, and I want to become an EMT. Right now I am in a bit of an isolated area in West Central Texas, so it's a challenge to find a course in the local area to do EMT-B. I did, however, find an online program that has a 3 day residency/exam etc upon completion of the online portion. It's called Tech Pro Services. They are listed with the State as being a legit training provider. Of course, that doesn't automatically equate to _good_ training.

Does anyone have any experience with the specific school? If not, what are the general opinions out there about online training for the EMT-B course? Obviously, I have some reservations and fear that I'd be missing more practical, classroom type interactions. 

Any input would be greatly appreciated. Again, thanks!

Dave


----------



## indygirl14 (Dec 4, 2007)

Dave,

I wish you all of the luck in the world....however.....

I'm DUCKING before Rid comes in here


----------



## ffemt8978 (Dec 4, 2007)

Dave,

Let me ask you this...do you want to become a good EMS provider, or do you just want to get the certificate?

The general consensus here is that the shake and bake programs aren't worth the paper the card is printed on.  Like you stated, how much clinical/patient contact time can you get in three days?  


<<<also ducks for cover before R/R shows up  h34r:


----------



## daveatc (Dec 4, 2007)

I definitely want to get quality training as opposed to some BS piece of paper that doesn't help me in the world. However, like I mentioned, these are my first steps into the field, so it's tough to separate the good from the bad without any experience to judge info against. 

Thanks for the words.

Oh yeah, why would I need to duck?


----------



## indygirl14 (Dec 4, 2007)

Dave,

Just duck...trust us ;-)

I'm sure Rid will explain all about EMT training...



Keep us posted.


----------



## daveatc (Dec 4, 2007)

indygirl14 said:


> Dave,
> 
> Just duck...trust us ;-)
> 
> ...



Thanks. Looking forward to the info!


----------



## Mr. Anderson (Dec 4, 2007)

:glare: Online training has it's place, and it's certainly not going away, but an initial training class such as what you are looking for isn't it.


----------



## daveatc (Dec 4, 2007)

Mr. Anderson said:


> :glare: Online training has it's place, and it's certainly not going away, but an initial training class such as what you are looking for isn't it.



That seems to be the voice I am hearing in a lot of quarters thus far. Thanks.


----------



## Ridryder911 (Dec 5, 2007)

Personally, I have no problem with on-line courses. In matter of fact, I will probably writing several programs. (Surprised?) Now, what I have found is that they are much harder and more time consuming than traditional courses. 


Here is the problem with Basic Level On-Line. ... The basic level is the foundation in which one builds upon. You will read .._basic before advanced".. etc, etc_ Which in reality one has to have some form of general understanding of medical care. 

Almost everyone will agree the basic is very lacking in material and strength, (as well as all other EMS programs) but again, one wants to have the strongest material as a root foundation to fall upon and build upward. Sorry, I feel on-line will leave one short changed. It is not that the material cannot be covered, (I believe you will actually find it very simplistic) but one needs to have that eye to eye contact and personal connection with your instructor to make sure you have not only received the information, but as well can absorb it, analyze it, and of course finally apply it flawlessly. This is the main goal of the course objectives. 

If this was a refresher or part of the curriculum such as communications, bio-hazard or specific parts that can be taught per strict didactic .. then I would agree on-line is okay, but not the whole program. 

I understand the logistics, but if possible to await a little longer and possibly obtain or go through traditional education EMT course, it will be beneficial to you. A word of advice is start out on a good foot... avoid short cuts and easy ways out.. one will have to pay for it, somewhere down the line. 

Good luck, 
R/r 911


----------



## FFPARAMEDIC08 (Dec 5, 2007)

Honestly there is nothing wrong with online training for a majority of programs. However, in EMS, your training may make the difference between life and death for someone. Sure you can get your card and a cool title that way, but it's the skills that are associated with that title that count.

Do what you want, but I'd suggest attending a face to face class.


----------



## JJR512 (Dec 5, 2007)

Here's what I remember from my EMT-B class, which I took throughout the first half of 2006. There was a text book, from Brady (pretty much the standard, isn't it?), I forget what edition it was but I think it was 10. There were the class sessions, which included a PowerPoint slide show made by Brady. The slides were pretty much excerpts from the book. There was a teacher (well, several teachers, really, each teaching different modules). The teacher pretty much read some stuff off the slides, advanced the slides, every now and then would talk about something related that either was from the book or their own experience.

Of course, there was also practical education, too. The hands-on learning that cannot be gotten out of a book or off a computer screen.

But aside from the personal anectotes and the practical education, most of it probably may as well have been online as in a classroom. In fact, a self-paced (within reason) online program may be better for some. This way, if a student wants clarification on something, he or she can pause the online sequence and look up something in the text book or on some related website. The online slides could probably be made with hyperlinks to definitions or more detailed explanations or videos.

A practical component would need to be included, but I doubt three days is enough time for the necessary hands-on education that should go with EMT-B class. I also believe that the hands-on training should be interspersed throughout the online portions, so that you receive hands-on training relevant to what you were supposed to be studying online at about the same time, so you can see how they go together. Saving all the hands-on training for the end will just confuse things. You'll have forgotten much of the "book" learning by the time you get to the practical learning.


----------



## Zephyr (Dec 11, 2007)

*ACCELERATED military EMT-B courses*



daveatc said:


> Hello! I am brand new to the forum. Great resource for info. Thanks a lot!
> 
> I am currently in the AF, but I am trying to best prep for a transition back to the civilian world in a couple years, and I want to become an EMT. Right now I am in a bit of an isolated area in West Central Texas, so it's a challenge to find a course in the local area to do EMT-B...




Dave,

If you're not ETSing for another two years, I suggest you save your time & money and volunteer for a full-time EMT-B course (Yes, it's *accelerated*-- I understand this is an evil word in these parts.) at one of the bases.  Most of the EMT-B courses I've come across are 25 days or so in duration.  My unit sends people to the courses here whenever they have quotas.  They are offered at various military bases several times a year.  Whereabouts in TX are you stationed?  I used to be stationed at Goodfellow.  I know that the Naval Hospital in Corpus Cristi is having their next course during 4-29 Feb 2008.  And you don't have to be a Medic or Corpsman to attend, although students from the medical field have priority.  They take people from all MOSs/rates/AFSCs, as long as there are class seats left.  Some of the courses may have a rank limit, because they want to offer this training to the junior soldiers, Marines, sailors, and airmen.  But as far as I've seen, this is the exception, and not the rule.

PM me if you're interested and I'll send you the info for the POC at NH Corpus Cristi.  Or ask the Medics at your base hospital.  Good luck, and let me know what happens.


Z


----------



## firetender (Dec 11, 2007)

If you have any avenue whatsoever to volunteer with an agency that will put you in personal contact with the ill, injured, or dying, by all means do it. First, to know if you're cut out for that particular kind of contact with other human beings, and Second to start training yourself to think in terms of connection, puzzle solving and using opportunities for action (along with restraint!).


----------



## BossyCow (Dec 12, 2007)

Many of the busier agencies around here have gone to online training for their OTEPs.  I have mixed feelings regarding this.  I'm sure that if you are going on tons of calls and using your skills everyday in a wide variety of calls, trauma, respiratory, cardiac, general illness, psych etc. then the online training can be a great asset.  

The slower, volly, rural agencies with low call volume, in my opinion require more hands practicing of basic skills, more remediation, more oversight and more one on one evaluation than an online program can provide.


----------



## EMTryan (Dec 13, 2007)

I would strongly recommend that you take a full EMT class because I feel that you simply can't develop the skills needed to be a good EMT by doing a 3 day practical skills crash course.

I personally feel that the challenge of the EMT class is that requires so many different competencies. Academic skills, Practical skills and teamwork. Book knowledge is very important but it is the skill practices and teamwork that are essential to really becoming a good EMT. All of these skills are developed throughout the course, they can't be learned in a 3 day intensive training. There is no way around it...there are so many competencies that are essential to EMS that you can only really develop by taking the full EMT class. Even if you have past medical experience and have a lot of leadership experience through the military you really should not try to take a shortened EMT-B class because this is the backbone of skills that all of your future training is built upon. On-line education is great for Continuing Education credits but NOT for the EMT-B class.  Take the full EMT class, you will not regret it!!


----------

