Advice Needed with Education

[Juls]

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum, been browsing and I must say it's been very helpful thus far.

I'm 18 and a half years old, I just stopped going to my university classes. I don't know what happened, maybe I got burnt out, maybe it's not for me, not relevant.

What is relevant is the amount of EMT positions available. After months of convincing (jewish mothers can be very persuasive and persistant) I have finally decided to look into the EMT field. I'm not too keen on taking a 6 month course to earn minimum wage when I can go to Ralphs for the same thing.

I have found this program: http://www.ciemt.com/basic-course.asp

anyone heard of it? I know it's only 21 days, but it sounds more sound then those 8 day bootcamps I've seen.

Any feedback is much appreciated. Thank you.

 

[firetender]

ultimately, you'll do it because you have to. If it's for a career track, you'll be much happier at Ralph's. School is good. Experience is better.

 

[Seaglass]

If you're not into being puked on, patients using you as a taxi, and low pay for a job with neverending shifts, don't do it.

Seriously, if you don't really want to be an EMT, go be a waiter.

 

[thegreypilgrim]

I have found this program: http://www.ciemt.com/basic-course.asp

anyone heard of it? I know it's only 21 days, but it sounds more sound then those 8 day bootcamps I've seen.

Any feedback is much appreciated. Thank you.

You're a grown-up, so only you can decide what you're ultimately going to do; but, since you asked, I'm not sure this is the best idea.

You're in California where EMT's are already a dime a dozen, hence the paltry wages. Quitting university to enter a field like EMS as an EMT-Basic is like shooting yourself in the foot. What I would do, if I were you, is try to figure out why I'm not enjoying college. What are you studying? Have you considered changing your major? People do this all the time (I've done it twice!), and there's nothing wrong with doing so. What do you want to do with your life? Unfortunately, in California, EMS is not a career option unless you're planning on going into the fire service (it's the only way to make any sort of decent living in this field).

Figure out what you want to do with yourself - which I understand at 18 is very hard to do - and then decide whether or not dropping out of college is the right thing or not. Personally, I would just stick it out if I were you. You need an education to keep up in this world, and it's something that no one can take away from you (unlike an EMT cert).

However, if becoming an EMT is something you're sure you want to do (that is, you're down for being a glorified taxi-service for SNF's and hospitals, gurney-monkey for FF/PM's, and generally being treated like garbage by supervisors, all for a measly $10.00/hr) then by all means take a semester off and go for it. Just go back to regular college once you're done and finish up there.

 

[Juls]

Now I never said I was quitting university. I took this semester off because it was driving me nuts. I'm 18 and am done with my gen-ed course study. Since I can remember I wanted to be a lawyer, but the last time I checked law isn't a major. Philosophy and Poli-Sci bore me to death, so I thought history might be a good approach. Turns out I was wrong again.

I still want to obtain a higher education, but the job market is so rough where I live right now I can't find squat.

The EMT route seems viable to me because my brother opened a medical transportation company a 6 years ago and an ambulance company about 2 and a half years ago. I guess you can kind of say I'm being pushed into it.

But this is how they(my family) explain it to me:
Instead of working your *** off 5 days a week to accumulate 40 hrs (and hardly have time for school), do the EMT thing, and 2 24 shifts will free 5 whole days for whatever needs to be done. I've never been on a ride-along in the ambulance but I have in the non-emergency vehicles.
I get the gist of the work, I'm just emotionally detached towards everything right now so I need some guidance.

 

[Lifeguards For Life]

Hi all,

I'm new to this forum, been browsing and I must say it's been very helpful thus far.

I'm 18 and a half years old, I just stopped going to my university classes. I don't know what happened, maybe I got burnt out, maybe it's not for me, not relevant.

What is relevant is the amount of EMT positions available. After months of convincing (jewish mothers can be very persuasive and persistant) I have finally decided to look into the EMT field. I'm not too keen on taking a 6 month course to earn minimum wage when I can go to Ralphs for the same thing.

I have found this program: http://www.ciemt.com/basic-course.asp

anyone heard of it? I know it's only 21 days, but it sounds more sound then those 8 day bootcamps I've seen.

Any feedback is much appreciated. Thank you.

go to a real emt course not a 21 day mickey mouse course

 

[JPINFV]

go to a real emt course not a 21 day mickey mouse course

Meh, an EMT-B course is an EMT-B course regardless of how fast it is or how drug out it is. In most cases there aren't any substantial differences between content, just whether you meet 5 days a week or 1 day a week. There really isn't anything that complicated involved with being an EMT-B.

That said, $750? People pay that much for an EMT-B course?

 

[medicdan]

JP, you forget how much EMT classes are in MA. It's hard to find many cheaper then $1000 here, right now.

 

[JPINFV]

I didn't go through EMT training in MA. I took a regional occupational training course in So Cal (Coastline ROP) for $120 including books (would have been under $100 if I didn't pay for the useless workbook).

 

[Lifeguards For Life]

Meh, an EMT-B course is an EMT-B course regardless of how fast it is or how drug out it is. In most cases there aren't any substantial differences between content, just whether you meet 5 days a week or 1 day a week. There really isn't anything that complicated involved with being an EMT-B.

That said, $750? People pay that much for an EMT-B course?

I agree with you and had thought that. I know a few kids who are struggling to pass the NREMT and we get a fairly steady flow of kids here askin for help to pass the NREMT, that makes me uncertain.

It seems to me that someone of fairly reasonable intellignece could learn the NREMT curriculum in about a weeks time, if they really applied themselves.

And in my opinion, i've met one too many EMT's I wouldn't trust with a bandaid, who went through the longer course. I am not familiar with any 21 day courses in my area, though i have little doubt they would produce a less qualified EMT than the semester courses are cranking out.

 

[VentMedic]

I agree with you and had thought that. I know a few kids who are struggling to pass the NREMT and we get a fairly steady flow of kids here askin for help to pass the NREMT, that makes me uncertain.

Some of those kids have never been to college and may have a GED instead of high school graduation diploma. Thus, even the EMT-B text, which is essentially a 8th or 9th grade reader, can be intimidating.

It seems to me that someone of fairly reasonable intellignece could learn the NREMT curriculum in about a weeks time, if they really applied themselves.

The EMT-B is 110 hours of training with very little education involved. Much of it is hands on with a few skills and some hours are on an ambulance and in the ED. If you went 2 hours per week for 6 months, it is still just 110 hours but you might get bragging rights to stating you attended a "6 month" EMT-B program to someone who didn't know any different.

 

[wildmed]

I would have been psyched to find a EMT class for $750! In co, classes run 1000+ easily. You probably could not even find an 80 hr CNA class for that cheep around here. That being said I have never seen a class that is only 21 days or 110 hours here either. My basic class is 224 hours minimum.