Can there be bad instructor's?

[559 Ride Along]

Hello, I just started my EMT class finally after seeing a lot of my friends go take an EMT class while I was working near full time, I just started my own emt... And well its at a rough start. I'm not in the best financial standings (why I decided to work) and the EMT class held at the same campus my friends went to is a lot more pricey. First off, we all have the same CPR card (CPR, aed, and first aid for infant, child, and adult) that allowed all 3 of them to go through the classes, but mine isn't accepted? Then he wants us to buy a specific scantron and book bundle ($225) that has special codes to do the online homework and quizzes, though my other friends just got the book that was $125 (one got a hand me down). I'm fine with buying a new book, blood pressure cuff, stethoscope, and a pen light. Should I just get my old hours back and work till the class they took opens up, or just suck it up and get a new CPR card and pay the extra fees? Also doesn't help I dont have entire free days off being I either have 8 hour shifts one day, or classes the next.

 

[NysEms2117]

I have absolutely no idea where your taking this class, for my class in NYS which had far more hours then state minimum(over 100 additional hrs), I worked full time as a parole officer (40 hrs a week minimum usually about 50-55), and went straight from work to my EMT class. Was it hard, a bit, but remember your going to EMT class not paramedic school/class. Personally I would suck it up. I had to buy a book, and that was it. They had Stethoscopes, cuffs, pen lights, and whatever else we would need, they cleaned them, as well as gave you the opportunity to clean them yourself, and all you did was sign them out for your clinicals, bring them back when your done. Where they littmann's, no. Did they work, yup.

 

[VentMonkey]

Op, welcome to "adulting". Life's full of choices you have to face on your own, I highly doubt a bunch of online strangers are the ones to help you make this decision.

I think @NysEms2117's comparison goes to show we all make sacrifices in life, good luck.

 

[NysEms2117]

Op, welcome to "adulting". Life's full of choices you have to face on your own, I highly doubt a bunch of online strangers are the ones to help you make this decision.

I think @NysEms2117's comparison goes to show we all make sacrifices in life, good luck.

you know my points so well

 

[VentMonkey]

It was pretty direct. And to answer the thread question? Yes, there can be bad instructors.

Just like there can be bad students, EMT's, paramedics, etc. It's subjective, but if I was 19 all over again schoolwork and a job would be my main "adulting" items in life, with finding the balance between the two the top priority.

Also, you can learn a little (sometimes a lot) from even the seemingly worst teachers.

 

[DrParasite]

omg, you need to actually buy the book they are requiring for class? and buy the equipment they are requiring for class? and make sure you have all the prerequisite classes completed, making sure they meet their standards? omg, you need to work and go to class after work?

There absolutely are bad instructors out there, but the situation you describe doesn't sound like one of them. Although I would suggest you get the hours back and not enroll in EMT class, because your post makes it appear that you lack the maturity to put forth the effort into completing the class successfully.

 

[VentMonkey]

Although I would suggest you get the hours back and not enroll in EMT class, because your post makes it appear that you lack the maturity to put forth the effort into completing the class successfully.

While I certainly don't disagree with your post, DrP, I don't know the op, and trying to remember what it was to be 19 I figured it's pretty much still being a teenager trying to transition into adulthood.

This is actually sound advice for the OP. Maybe take some college courses first and actually get a feel for how most instructors at the college level teach.

Instead of telling us what friend 'x' did or didn't do, perhaps try it our for yourself. But again, indeed you will have to do all sorts of stuff you don't want to (e.g., just wait until you're picking up your medics bloody, vomity mess of a patient in the back of an ambulance an hour past your off time). On here it comes across as whining, 'cuz you know? It's kind of hard to actually know where you're coming from via posts.

Also, judging by his screen name @NysEms2117 I am guessing he is a Central California native (could be completely off though).

 

[gonefishing]

Define "bad instructor"? That seems to apply to their effort in teaching and how they teach a subject. These items being asked to buy sounds like just the course material. Theres places that use Brady for their paramedic program which is a series of books not just one while others use nancy carolines emergency care in the streets which is one book theirs also the famous orange book which is put out by orthopedic surgeons and some instructors do not like. As for your CPR if its American Heart than thats the most widely accepted where as red cross is not. If you did everything online for your cpr alot of places such as some countys do not accept that but the old school in person way. You can't let ANYONE decide for you. That's being a big boy, taking off the pampers and puting on the boxers. Not trying to be mean but ive made way harder decisions in my short life on this earth.

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[559 Ride Along]

I have absolutely no idea where your taking this class, for my class in NYS which had far more hours then state minimum(over 100 additional hrs), I worked full time as a parole officer (40 hrs a week minimum usually about 50-55), and went straight from work to my EMT class. Was it hard, a bit, but remember your going to EMT class not paramedic school/class. Personally I would suck it up. I had to buy a book, and that was it. They had Stethoscopes, cuffs, pen lights, and whatever else we would need, they cleaned them, as well as gave you the opportunity to clean them yourself, and all you did was sign them out for your clinicals, bring them back when your done. Where they littmann's, no. Did they work, yup.

My class is in California and the only things they offer us in terms of required items are dirty stethoscopes that we should us as an incentive to get out own, and tape sheers. The class is 4 hours, 3 days a week, 5 months long and doesn't include national certifications, just allows you to take the tests for it an hour and a half away. I have about $800 in bills a month and I can live off my 32 hours a week

Op, welcome to "adulting". Life's full of choices you have to face on your own, I highly doubt a bunch of online strangers are the ones to help you make this decision.

I think @NysEms2117's comparison goes to show we all make sacrifices in life, good luck.

You're right on how they wont make my decision, but different opinions by those who have mostly gone through the class would just ease my mind a bit on what decision I make. I was already planning on staying in the class, but just getting different views on the subject helps.

 

[gonefishing]

What class is this? CIEMT?

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[StCEMT]

Ok, I think I got what you were saying, so here is my $0.02 as the person who is probably closest to your position here.

Work before taking a class. Save your money. EMT isn't that hard to manage with a full time job, but if you really are on that tight of a budget then you need to plan ahead just to make your life easier. Even if you can afford all that stuff and your day to day bills, taking that financial hit and then something unexpected coming up will kind of **** on your parade. If your CPR card isn't accepted, then I doubt you technically have the same one for the reasons already given. Stupid, because I just did my recert yesterday and I wouldn't actually do CPR how it is taught, but it is what it is and you have to play by their rules. All those things you gotta pay for you need, so save up. So to answer your question at the end, I would say redo it and just take the class IF you have the finances to handle all that and still have a cushion to fall back on. If you don't, just wait. EMT classes cycle through pretty fast, so you won't have to wait long.

And as far as days off and class, you just gotta suck it up. We've all been there. If you go to medic school, chances are you are going to hit a stretch where you are going 6 days a week and getting 4-6 hours of sleep each night. I know I did. It sucks, but it ends eventually. Plan ahead and you will be find.

 

[559 Ride Along]

Define "bad instructor"? That seems to apply to their effort in teaching and how they teach a subject. These items being asked to buy sounds like just the course material. Theres places that use Brady for their paramedic program which is a series of books not just one while others use nancy carolines emergency care in the streets which is one book theirs also the famous orange book which is put out by orthopedic surgeons and some instructors do not like. As for your CPR if its American Heart than thats the most widely accepted where as red cross is not. If you did everything online for your cpr alot of places such as some countys do not accept that but the old school in person way. You can't let ANYONE decide for you. That's being a big boy, taking off the pampers and puting on the boxers. Not trying to be mean but ive made way harder decisions in my short life on this earth.

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The class is a basic ems course that's ran under a fire academy that is run by a community college. The wording of "bad instructor" was a stupid choice thanks to me getting shocked on just how much I am paying for the course now. It went from just a book I could find for $100 (pre hospital e 10) to a $300 bundle, plus stethoscope and blood pressure cuffs (no big deal), my student aid didn't cover the class that's $500, and now the $50 CPR class/card. I didn't get the cpr card online, I got it through my fire tech class in high school that feeds into the academy. The same card was okay for multiple other people, but not me. The main reason why I was irritated at the instructor is because he had brought someone in that does CPR classes and let her advertise her class, then deems over half the classes cards invalid. His lessons so far have been great and is great at his job so far. It's just the money part that has me frustrated.

As for making decisions, I wasn't going to take anyone's response as the thing I'm gonna base my opinion on. Money isn't that big of an issue being I can just take from my savings and borrow some from my parents because its for school. My main thing is that either I should just drop this class and wait till fall to take up the cheaper class, just save up more money for the class if it is just that expensive, then just get all my lost hours back from work till then... Or just suck it up and stay in the class. Sorry for the terrible wording with "terrible instructor."

 

[559 Ride Along]

Ok, I think I got what you were saying, so here is my $0.02 as the person who is probably closest to your position here.

Work before taking a class. Save your money. EMT isn't that hard to manage with a full time job, but if you really are on that tight of a budget then you need to plan ahead just to make your life easier. Even if you can afford all that stuff and your day to day bills, taking that financial hit and then something unexpected coming up will kind of **** on your parade. If your CPR card isn't accepted, then I doubt you technically have the same one for the reasons already given. Stupid, because I just did my recert yesterday and I wouldn't actually do CPR how it is taught, but it is what it is and you have to play by their rules. All those things you gotta pay for you need, so save up. So to answer your question at the end, I would say redo it and just take the class IF you have the finances to handle all that and still have a cushion to fall back on. If you don't, just wait. EMT classes cycle through pretty fast, so you won't have to wait long.

And as far as days off and class, you just gotta suck it up. We've all been there. If you go to medic school, chances are you are going to hit a stretch where you are going 6 days a week and getting 4-6 hours of sleep each night. I know I did. It sucks, but it ends eventually. Plan ahead and you will be find.

Thanks, and so far I dont mind it being I have classes scattered through the week, work friday thru Monday, the classes Tuesday thru Thursday. For the CPR cards, we had all gotten it done at the same time with the same instructor (high school fire tech program) that feeds into the fire academy that the EMT class is under. It hurts a bit financially because student aid didn't cover the class unlike all my other academic classes and of course the other reasons I already stated. I saved enough for a $250 class and not a $900 class. Thanks for your opinion on this

 

[StCEMT]

Have you asked why the same card was sometimes accepted and other times not? I don't know why anyone is being accepted without an accepted CPR card, that has been a prereq to all my classes or just simply being able to go to work.

If all you have to do now is redo the CPR card, just price shop and get it done. I don't think I have ever had to do one for $50, but then again California is expensive as ****.

 

[559 Ride Along]

My apologies to the terrible thread name. The instructor is great in teaching being able to engage everyone and help everyone understand the basic terminology in todays lecture quickly. Just frustrated and confused on the financial side of things.

 

[559 Ride Along]

Have you asked why the same card was sometimes accepted and other times not? I don't know why anyone is being accepted without an accepted CPR card, that has been a prereq to all my classes or just simply being able to go to work.

If all you have to do now is redo the CPR card, just price shop and get it done. I don't think I have ever had to do one for $50, but then again California is expensive as ****.

The CPR program we used in my fire tech class was deemed acceptable by the guy who runs the fire academy, so I dont know. I would talk to him and ask being him and my old teacher are amazing friends, but he retired last year. I'm probably just gunna go with and try to find a CPR class that fits my hours so it doesn't cost me more than what I was told it would be by having someone cover me at work.

 

[NysEms2117]

Fwiw my "tape shears" were my fingers. Adulting will always catch up to you and from experience it's easy when you don't have a dependent/dependant(s)

 

[Jim37F]

What class is this? CIEMT?

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When I went thru CIEMT (granted this was back in 2012 lol) they provided all equipment including BP cuffs and stethoscopes, and like Day 0 of class was the AHA CPR for BLS providers so you can't not get their preferences CPR card lol

 

[gotbeerz001]

OP, what you have described sounds like every EMT class everywhere.

No program "gets you" the National Registration; they all prepare you to take the test at the 3rd party testing center. This is the process; you either get on board or so something else.

If you are having a hard time with the inconvenience of class, you will crash and burn when you work for a company that doesn't give a **** about you, a partner who doesn't like you, patients who don't appreciate you in an industry that considers you to be no more than a bum taxi.


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[EpiEMS]

The CPR program we used in my fire tech class was deemed acceptable by the guy who runs the fire academy, so I dont know.

If it's not CPR for Healthcare Providers or the equivalent, it is likely not acceptable for EMT class.