Am I wasting my time? (EMT-B)?

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abstract_crisis

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I am currently enrolled at a community college for an Applied Science in Fire Science Technology Degree in New Jersey. This is the only major at my college that offers an Emergency Medical Technician course. I have never really had a big interest in becoming a firefighter, however the EMT course it offers swayed me to choose it. I have not taken any major classes yet, including the EMT course. I am currently taking general classes that many degrees require. Math, English, etc...

Now my question is, am I wasting my time and money here? I've read that volunteers receive free classes for their basics. On top of that, they start receiving experience right off the bat. During this time I will be paying out of my pockets with possibly little to no experience after finishing the course and degree.

My goal is to become a paid (however I do not mind volunteering first) EMT and work my way up to become a paramedic.

Could I please have some advice? And what would you do?

I would appreciate it a lot!
 
Your school doesn't allow a stand-alone EMT class, but instead requires you to go through an entire 2 year process for ONE class?

Odd...




If that is the case, I say look for a different college that offers just the class, as it's a single semester and should take no longer than that. Don't pay for / study for a major you don't want.
 
Education is never a waste of time, if nothing else you have it in your back pocket if you choose another direction later on.

If you dont want to be a firefighter why take a fire science route? I did the same thing here, I took my EMT class while in a degree program, I was allowed to use it as two science electives.

Speak with an advisor, Im not sure what a fire science degree entails and if anything would be transferable to another degree program if thats what you decide.

I wouldnt quit school just because you can get an EMT class free somewhere, experience will always be there after you get your education.
 
CAOX3 said:
Education is never a waste of time, if nothing else you have it in your back pocket if you choose another direction later on.

If you dont want to be a firefighter why take a fire science route? I did the same thing here, I took my EMT class while in a degree program, I was allowed to use it as two science electives.

Speak with an advisor, Im not sure what a fire science degree entails and if anything would be transferable to another degree program if thats what you decide.

I wouldnt quit school just because you can get an EMT class free somewhere, experience will always be there after you get your education.
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Fire science is basically useless outside of the fire service. It's even useless in many FD's for hiring purposes! It's good for promotion in the fire service, but that's about it. Emergency Management, on the other hand would be a much better option. Also consider Healthcare Admin, or Pub Admin.

@ the OP, can't you find any other EMT programs in your area? They're all over the place in most areas.
 
abstract_crisis said:
Now my question is, am I wasting my time and money here? I've read that volunteers receive free classes for their basics. On top of that, they start receiving experience right off the bat. During this time I will be paying out of my pockets with possibly little to no experience after finishing the course and degree.

My goal is to become a paid (however I do not mind volunteering first) EMT and work my way up to become a paramedic.

Could I please have some advice? And what would you do?

I would appreciate it a lot!
Click to expand...

This recent thread addresses the practice of volunteers paying for EMT training:

http://www.emtlife.com/showthread.php?t=18691&highlight=volunteer+paid+emt+training

Pay particular attention to my post on p.2, # post # 15. You get the free training, and then are obligated to work for the volunteer dept. If you pay for it yourself, you can work it off with even a per diem IFT job, and volly on your own schedule, for the amount of hours you want, not what they dictate as per the contract.
 
abstract_crisis said:
I am currently enrolled at a community college for an Applied Science in Fire Science Technology Degree in New Jersey. This is the only major at my college that offers an Emergency Medical Technician course. I have never really had a big interest in becoming a firefighter, however the EMT course it offers swayed me to choose it. I have not taken any major classes yet, including the EMT course. I am currently taking general classes that many degrees require. Math, English, etc...

Now my question is, am I wasting my time and money here? I've read that volunteers receive free classes for their basics. On top of that, they start receiving experience right off the bat. During this time I will be paying out of my pockets with possibly little to no experience after finishing the course and degree.

My goal is to become a paid (however I do not mind volunteering first) EMT and work my way up to become a paramedic.

Could I please have some advice? And what would you do?

I would appreciate it a lot!
Click to expand...

Hey im a volunteer (because im under 21 for the moment, in oct. ill be 21) I paid for my EMT classes, they are willing to send me to the fire academy for wild-land and structure for free in January. I get sooo much experience especially when you can actually do primary patient care (since we are EMT-B - EMT-B or EMT-B - First Responder.) A lot more then I ever would if I was at a paid dept. and with a EMT-B - Medic. I just had a call where a individual fell from 15 feet onto his face and was posturing, was incredibly incoherent and could not follow commands. He was combative to me and the flight nurse, flight medic, ground medic and EMT-B. But in the beginning of the call it was only me and a older gentlemen who was only a first responder. we had to fight him to back board him and I was basically by my self with a man who WAS dying.



Oh and there was blood all over.... ;)




Oh we later found out that he had a bad bleed on the brain.
 
Cawolf86 said:
he was posturing and moving around....are you sure?



doesn't sound like a great way to control spinal axis immobilization!
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lol you had to be there to understand. He was unable to relax his body for us and was grabbing at me and my gloves.
 
Decorticate.PNG


He was in and out of this position
 
Cawolf86 said:
I think you need to review what posturing is ;)
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Head injuries can be very combative and can definitly lead to decorticate posturing.

To say the guy wasnt posturing because he was grabbing at them doesnt mean he wasnt at one point.

I seen combative patients with head injuries posture and then become violent or are violent and then start posturing.

As was said you definitly dont want to fight these patients onto a backboard.
 
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